Advertise on podcast: Borderland: Narcosis with Vincent 'Rocco' Vargas

Katarina Szulc joins Vince 'Rocco' Vargas to discuss her latest investigation into foreign fighters in Ukraine, cartel paramilitary groups, the state of trafficking, and the law enforcement wars on cartels. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Video Chapters: (00:00) Cartels Recruiting Foreign Fighters From Ukraine (07:45) Are Cartels Really Threatening to Kidnap Federal Agents? (13:21) Colombian Mercenaries & the Los Zetas Playbook (21:41) US Drones & Lethal Boat Strikes in Latin America (31:00) How Cocaine Moves Now: Ports, Shipping Containers & Tunnels (35:50) Shield of the Americas & Latin American Autonomy (38:45) What's Next Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Dudley is the co-founder and co-director of InSight Crime, a think tank focused on organized crime in the Americas. Video Chapters: (00:00) Brazil's Organized Crime Landscape: PCC and Red Command (07:15) Marcola, the PCC's Leadership, and the 2006 São Paulo Shutdown (10:41) How the PCC Compares to Mexican Cartels (15:05) PCC's Global Partners, U.S. Presence, and $1B Crypto Laundering (20:05) Red Command, the Amazon Cocaine Corridor, and Tren de Aragua in Brazil (26:10) Ideology, Criminal Governance, and the U.S. Terrorist Designations (35:40) CJNG After El Mencho and Why the Kingpin Strategy Fails Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pierre Rausini is an author, former Los Angeles trafficking kingpin, and cartel expert. To learn more about Pierre's drug case and arrest, check out: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/drug-kingpin-who-ordered-slayings-gets-40-year-2759011.php?cmpid=gsa-sfgate-result To learn more about Pierre's story, check out: Devil Exposed: A Twisted Tale of Drug Trafficking, Corruption & Murder in the City of Angels Video Chapters: (00:00) The $25M Reward and the Failure of the Kingpin Strategy (02:54) Juan Carlos Valencia: Family Lineage and Rise to Power (09:41) CJNG Money Laundering and Why Jalisco Is Different from Sinaloa (16:17) Paramilitary Wings and the U.S.-Directed Mexican Special Forces (23:49) Billionaire Financiers, La Plaza System and CIA Operations in Mexico (30:05) Sinaloa Civil War and Who Comes Out on Top (35:08) How to Actually Take Down the Cartels: Protection Networks, Finances, Choke Points Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott McGregor is a former Canadian military intelligence operator, intelligence advisor to federal law enforcement, former Senior Intelligence Officer, policy analyst under a provincial Attorney General, and a Senior Fellow and Security Advisor to the Council on Countering Hybrid Warfare. He is the Founder and Principle Commentator at HybridWar.ca and is the co-author of the book, “The Mosaic Effect: How the Chinese Communist Party Started a Hybrid War in America's Backyard.” Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:58) Scott McGregor's Background (00:04:08) China Named a Major Drug Producing Country (00:09:26) The Scope of China's Network in North America (00:14:16) How Precursors Enter Canada (00:17:09) Inside Canada's Domestic Super Labs (00:19:37) Indian Transnational Crime Networks (00:23:00) Iran, Hezbollah, and Organized Crime in Canada (00:26:55) Canada's Limited Law Enforcement Capacity (00:30:15) How Cartels Launder Money Through China (00:35:47) China's Long-Term Goal for Canada and the U.S. (00:38:49) Outro Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Hefferon, a former New Jersey police captain with 25 years experience in law enforcement. Is a writer and investigative reporter, who recently published an incredible deep-dive piece on the arrest of El Mayo and what really happened. You can check out his piece on his Substack : https://substack.com/home/post/p-213457916  Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00) – Cold Open (05:11) – Cartel Torture Tactics (07:06) – The El Mayo Extraction: How It Happened (18:20) – Did the FBI Know? The Cover-Up Questions (22:29) – Why Joaquin Set Up the Kidnapping (26:05) – The Pilot's Fate and Extradition (36:48) – Aftermath: Civil War and 4,000 Dead (44:46) – Cartels Expanding North and Abroad (48:16) – Joe's Next Investigation Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Kim Bolan. Kim is an award-winning investigative reporter for the Vancouver Sun, where she has covered gangs and organized crime for over four decades, including the Air India bombing, the Robert Pickton case, and the Surrey Six gangland slaying. She runs the anti-gang blog The Real Scoop and is the author of Loss of Faith: How the Air India Bombers Got Away with Murder. She recently reported on the FBI's Operation Hardball investigation into transnational gangs operating out of Canada. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:40) Operation Hardball the Bishnoi gang investigation (00:02:16) The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (00:05:11) The extortion campaign targeting the South Asian community (00:12:48) Ryan Wedding: Olympian turned major trafficker (00:20:10) Rural drug labs, BC Bud, and the meth/fentanyl economy (00:26:41) Why Canada isn't the "Next Mexico" yet (00:30:11) Port corruption and Hells Angels on the docks (00:34:21) Creative smuggling border crossings and hidden compartments (00:40:11) Closing thoughts Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off The Uprising: From the director of JASON BOURNE, Paul Greengrass brings you THE UPRISING. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice. Only in theaters this Thursday. Get tickets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vince “Rocco” Vargas sits down with Katarina Szulc to discuss her recent investigation in Tlaxcala, Mexico (which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rXThHW2xeg ), an uptick in violence in Zacatecas, cartels operating Canada and more. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:37) Being chased on camera while reporting in Mexico (00:04:09) The cartel's PR angle and the FTO designation debate (00:06:33) Claudia Sheinbaum's stress and Mexican political intrigue (00:12:38) Car bombings and cartel war in Zacatecas (00:17:10) Hells Angels' role in Canada's drug trade (00:21:23) Why prosecution fails in Canada (00:26:42) Record-low border seizures vs. ongoing drug flow (00:29:22) How smuggling methods have shifted — tunnels, aircraft (00:37:16) What's next for Katarina Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Sean Williams. Sean is an investigative report whose work has apeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Rolling Stone, GQ, The Daily Beast, The New Republic, Wired, The Economist, The Guardian, Sports Illustrated and many more. He host The Underworld Podcast, a weekly show investigating global organized crime with journalist Danny Gold. He recently spent 4 weeks in Havana investigating the situation there. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off The Uprising: From the director of JASON BOURNE, Paul Greengrass brings you THE UPRISING. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice. Now-8/26: Only in theaters September 10. Watch The Trailer. 8/27-9/6: Only in theaters September 10. Get tickets. *9/7-9/9: Only in theaters this Thursday. Get tickets. 9/10-on: Now playing only in theaters. Get tickets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Chris Dalby. He is a journalist and an expert on organized crime and Mexican drug cartels. Chris is the author of World of Crime's Guides to Organized Crime and CJNG: A Quick Guide to Mexico's Deadliest Cartel. He’s also the the director of the World of Crime think tank You can subscribe to his newsletter at seasonsofcrime.com  Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:11 – CJNG Members Arrested in Czech Republic (Weapons Deal) 07:24 – Precursor Chemicals & Spain's Role in Europe 09:18 – Operation Vanilla: Liquid Meth & Cocaine Smuggling 18:52 – The "Super Cartel" & Europe's Drug Trade Structure 21:23 – CJNG Leadership After El Mencho 23:11 – The "Mexican Batman" Vigilante Story 26:47 – US Strategy in Latin America & the Border 30:09 – How Drugs Are Getting Into the US (Trucking, Mail, Liquid Smuggling) 32:52 – Where to Find Chris Dalby Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Gannon is a retired DEA Senior Leader and Assistant Special Agent in Charge, who spent 25 years serving various roles within the Drug Enforcement Administration, including undercover operations and uncovering cartel-connected drug networks in cities including Chicago and Miami. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors:1st Phorm:Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Borderland: Dispatches host Katarina Szulc. She's an investigative journalist and tells host Vince 'Rocco' Vargas about her upcoming investigative documentary, the livestreamed murders of influencers Cesar Gastelum and Valeria Márquez, and more. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Chapters (00:00) Kat's intro — cartels, organized crime, boots on the ground (11:59) The governor who denies it, the family who profited (15:03) The car chase — gun pulled on the highway (22:21) Mexico: the most dangerous country for journalists (24:01) Valeria Marquez — murdered live on TikTok (30:26) Cesar Gastelum — a second influencer killed on livestream (40:30) Why human trafficking is worse than drug trafficking (48:54) Closing gut-punch Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Cooper is Canadian investigative journalist known for his reporting on cartels, organized crime, money laundering, and political corruption. He is the founder of The Bureau: https://www.thebureau.news/ Follow him on X: https://x.com/scoopercooper Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Episode Chapters: (00:00) Intro & Sam Cooper's background(03:34) How long-haul trucking became a cartel pipeline(07:48) The Indian mafia, Khalistan networks & Ryan Wedding(13:50) Border corruption and Vancouver's Delta Port(20:34) Drug flow patterns & Canada's rise as a production hub(28:55) Violence, corruption & the Dubai/Iranian connections(35:55) China's role in global narcotics & the Wuhan lab leak(44:07) Spain migration crisis, Canada's political future & closing thoughts Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Kent is the former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. He resigned in March 2026 following the Trump administration's decision to attack Iran. Is also a former CIA paramilitary officer and Army Ranger. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this supercut, we look back at three recent interview with Jon Griggs, as he tries to solve a strange mystery on a cattle farm in Kentucky. Jon began his career in law enforcement in 2006, serving in various capacities including Corrections Officer, Corrections Supervisor, Police Officer, Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Deep Water Horizon and Gang Task Force. But, when his security company was hired to look after a cattle farm in Kentucky after the owner died, things took a strange turn. Chapters: (01:23) - Part 1: Jon is hired to watch over the farm and makes strange discoveries (38:16 )- Part 2: Jon digs deeper and finds possible connections to the crypto underworld (01:04:59) - Part 3: The case gets stranger, and makes connections to trafficking rings and well-connected powerbrokers. BORDERLAND: NARCOSIS is an IRONCLAD Original For more information, read the document - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ipDfTYR3nAMvVKB3FSi3vfniRFPoa-Nr/view?usp=sharing Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a SPONSORS: 1stPhorm Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Dr. John Sullivan. He is a retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department lieutenant. He is currently an Instructor in the Safe Communities Institute (SCI) at the Sol Price School of Public Policy, University of Southern California. Dr. Sullivan is a researcher, author, and one of the country's leading scholars on transnational organized crime. Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices