The Jordan Harbinger Show

501: Ed Calderon | Survival Secrets of a Drug War Veteran Part Two

Apr 29, 2021

Ed Calderon, a non-permissive environment specialist with over a decade in counter-narcotics, dives into the gritty realities of law enforcement versus cartel life. He shares what steered him away from the cartel's allure and discusses the cult-like following of La Santa Muerte among both criminals and cops. Ed reveals how different factions within law enforcement can complicate the drug war, and he reflects on the unique survival rituals rooted in Mexican culture amid chaos. His insights weave together faith, corruption, and the harsh truths of living in a volatile environment.

47:38

Episode guests

Ed Calderon

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

Navigating Corruption and Change

13min

Exploring the Intersection of Faith and Crime in Mexico

2min

The Resurgence of Santa Muerte

10min

Rituals of Survival in a Gritty Urban Environment

3min

Faith, Corruption, and the Mexican Drug War

11min

Navigating Survival and Creativity

7min

Ed Calderon (@eds_manifesto) is a non-permissive environment specialist and combatives instructor with over 10 years of experience in counter-narcotics, organized crime investigation, and public safety in the northern border region of Mexico. [This is part two of a two-part episode. Find part one here!]

What We Discuss with Ed Calderon:

Three things that kept Ed from choosing the cartel life over law enforcement when it became a very real option.
Why there’s an eerie devotion to blasphemous, Church-condemned figures like death icon La Santa Muerte by the dispossessed and the deadly on both sides of the law.
What happens when different factions of law enforcement in the same area work for different cartels.
How occult practices that combine Catholic symbology with Aztec beliefs adapt to changing times and desperate characters.
Is Ed worried for his life after crossing some of the world’s most dangerous and vindictive people?
And much more…