This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #603 - Mariana van Zeller
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Aug 16, 2025 
Mariana Van Zeller, an Emmy Award-winning journalist for National Geographic, dives deep into the gritty world of black markets. She shares her chilling experiences inside Central American drug manufacturing sites and encounters with a real assassin in LA. Discussion uncovers disturbing trends like bride trafficking and cartel influence in small-town America. Mariana emphasizes the importance of understanding the societal roots of perceived evil and highlights the resilience and personal stories of those entangled in these underground economies.
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Journalism By Building Trust
- Mariana van Zeller's show Trafficked investigates hidden black markets by getting people who don't want to talk to open up.
- The team spends months or years building trust to safely film underground operations for public accountability.
Cartel Brutality In Small-Town USA
- Mariana recounts a brutal cartel murder in small-town Georgia showing cartel violence reaches the U.S. heartland.
- The victim was tortured and killed while the boss ordered the attack from prison on a cellphone.
Cartels Use Domestic Networks And Ports
- Cartel networks increasingly use U.S.-born operators and legal ports of entry for distribution.
- Drugs are often transported commercially, including in airline suitcases handled by unassuming couriers.