#265 - Cartels are Creating Secret Narco Death Zones in Northern California | John Nores

Jan 13, 2025

John Nores, a former California Game Warden with extensive experience in combating cartel drug operations, shares gripping insights into the hidden narco death zones of Northern California. He details the violent confrontations he faced while patrolling illegal cannabis grow sites. The conversation also explores the web of crime linking wildlife trafficking with drug cartels, the environmental devastation caused by illegal cultivation, and the challenges in enforcing laws amid evolving cartel tactics. Nores highlights the pressing need for inter-agency communication and policy reform.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

From Navy Roots to Conservation Dreams

02:38 • 8min

The Dark Intersection of Wildlife Trafficking and Crime

10:34 • 2min

Automating Your New Year's Resolutions with Investment Tools

12:42 • 2min

The Paradox of Conservation and Ethical Hunting

14:33 • 2min

Confronting Wildlife Crime

16:51 • 13min

Cartel Challenges in Northern California's Cannabis Landscape

29:48 • 21min

Confronting Hidden Threats

51:07 • 5min

Hidden Harvests: The Cartel's Cannabis Operations

56:05 • 20min

Confronting Cartel Violence in Northern California

01:15:43 • 21min

Unraveling the Cartel Nexus

01:36:46 • 17min

Cartels on Tribal Lands: A Crisis Unfolds

01:54:03 • 9min

Encountering the Trumps at the SHOT Show

02:02:49 • 2min

Confronting Cartels: Environmental and Political Challenges

02:04:33 • 23min

Reflecting on Leadership and Growth

02:27:21 • 4min

Underworld Alliances: Chinese Cartels and Cannabis

02:31:11 • 21min

Racing for a Cause: Supporting Orphaned Children in Baja

02:52:12 • 3min

Fentanyl Epidemic and Immigration Crisis

02:54:53 • 14min

Hidden War

How Special Operations Game Wardens are Reclaiming America’s Wildlands from the Drug Cartels

John Nores

In 'Hidden War,' Lt. John Nores chronicles his time leading the California Special Operations Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET). The book details the development and effectiveness of the nation's first dedicated wildlife officer special operations units and the ongoing battle against thousands of Mexican drug cartel members who operate illegal marijuana grows on U.S. soil. Nores describes the environmental devastation, the use of banned poisons, and the extreme danger faced by game wardens in this hidden war. The book provides a firsthand account of the struggles and successes of these unsung heroes in protecting America’s wildlands from criminal activities.

Fentanyl, Inc.

How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic

Ben Westhoff

In this book, Ben Westhoff conducts a four-year investigation into the world of synthetic drugs, from black market drug factories in China to users and dealers on the streets of the U.S. and harm reduction activists in Europe. The book reveals the origins and spread of Fentanyl, including its initial development by Belgian chemist Paul Janssen in 1959, and how it has evolved into a lethal synthetic opioid. Westhoff's research involves undercover infiltration of Chinese drug operations, analysis of darknet marketplaces, and interviews with various stakeholders, including police officers, politicians, and drug users. The book highlights the global drug addiction crisis, the challenges of harm-reduction initiatives, and the ongoing efforts to combat the Fentanyl trafficking network.

War in the woods

John Nores

In 'War in the Woods,' Lt. John Nores and James Swan provide a riveting narrative about the perils faced by law enforcement in eradicating marijuana operations run by cartels on public lands in California. The book highlights the risks, strategies, and efforts involved in this ongoing battle.

SPONSORS:

- ACORNS: https://www.acorns.com/podcasts/?s2=julian&s4=julian_podcast

(***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ John Nores served as a Game Warden for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for more than 25 years and was a sniper on and led the Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET), an elite tactical unit targeting cartel drug operations.

PATREON

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GUEST LINKS

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-War-Operations-Reclaiming-Wildlands/dp/1946267619

Website: https://www.johnnores.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnnores/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWEYRHk5ximF_ASHQwXzKw

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****TIMESTAMPS****

00:00 - John Nores Connection to Jorge Ventura, Growing Up in Silicon Valley, Getting into Hunting & Fishing Warden

10:46 - Africa’s Wild Conservation & Ivory Trade Impact in California

18:51 - Hunting & Fishing Under Respected, Remote Operations & Wild Challenges

27:56 -1 Year Grace Period (Marij**na Legalization), Story of Black Market Going Legal

38:10 - California State Denying Access to Work w/ Federal Officers

45:28 - Cartel Ambush in Marij**na Grow Story, 1st Ever Cartel Grow Operation Story

57:21 - Massive 1st Plantation & (7,000), Camouflaging Marij**na Plants, Military Giving Equipment

01:11:10 - Chasing & Taking on Cartel, Close Call Stories

01:19:01 - Build Up to the 1st Cartel Grower Takeover, True Detective Analogy

01:24:10 - Cartel Set Up in Silicon Valley & Taking Down Combatants

01:37:50 - Informants in Cartel Groups, Water Boarding Cartel Guy, Chinese Crossing Borders

01:48:03 - Fentanyl Laced W**d & Dangers, Bipartisan Agreement Among Politicians

01:57:03 - Cartel Effects on Indigenous Lands, Border Policy w/ Donald Trump

02:11:01 - Building Border Wall & Migrant Crisis, Future of Border

02:24:35 - Criticizing Trump’s Rhetoric on Immigration Crisis, Trump’s 2025 Border Policy

02:31:45 - Chinese Military Aged Immigrants Crossing Over

02:43:55 - Future Plan for Handling Cartel & Border Crisis, Handling Mexico’s Relationship & Crisis

02:51:31 - No Longer Tied to Government & No Filter Expsoure, #1 Presidential Action if In Office

CREDITS:

- Host, Producer, and Editor: Julian Dorey

- In-Studio Producer: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ

Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 265 - John Nores

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