Borderland: Narcosis with Vincent 'Rocco' Vargas

On today's episode, Vince sits down with John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer and whistleblower, to uncover the shocking truths behind the U.S. government's involvement in the war on drugs. Kiriakou, who spent over a decade in the CIA, is best known for blowing the whistle on the CIA’s use of torture following the 9/11 attacks, which ultimately led to his conviction and imprisonment. His career within the CIA gives him a unique perspective on the agency's covert operations and its complicated relationship with drug cartels. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Become a member on Youtube @thisisrionclad to watch Change Agents: Black Project Starting April 8th!Sponsors: 1stPhormvisit: https://www.1stphorm.com/borderlandFree shipping through this link on any orders over $75Free 30 days in the app for new customers (offer comes via email after the purchase)110% money back guarantee on all of our products. We believe fully in our products. If you don’t love the product or you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, let us know and we’ll give you your money back … plus 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disclaimer: In this episode, our guest Ceci speaks only Spanish. To ensure her story reaches a wider audience, Adriana Jones provides real-time translation. While we have made every effort to maintain the accuracy and integrity of her words, some nuances may be lost in translation. We appreciate your understanding and encourage listeners who speak Spanish to engage with Ceci’s words directly.On today’s episode, Vince talks to Ceci Flores and returning guest Adriana Jones to discuss the recently discovered extermination camps in Mexico. Ceci Flores is Mexican activist searching for victims of forced disappearances, including her two kidnapped sons.Since 2015, her collective “Madre Buscadoras de Sonora” has uncovered over 2,700 bodies in clandestine graves and reunited more than 2,300 missing persons with their families. Despite threats and being forced to relocate, she continues her fight against cartel violence and government inaction. She was recognized as one of the BBC’s 100 most influential women in 2022, she also authored *Madre Buscadora, Chronicle of Desperation*, which won Mexico’s “Book of the Year” award.Adriana Jones is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of RhonitaVIVE, a bi-national human rights organization dedicated to raising awareness about cartel violence in Mexico. She established the nonprofit in memory of her sister, Maria "Rhonita" LeBaron, who, along with her four children, was tragically murdered in a cartel attack in November 2019. Adriana has since become an outspoken advocate, calling for the designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations and striving to bring attention to the pervasive violence affecting countless familiesTo Donate to Ceci’s foundation, visit: https://www.buscalibre.com.mx/libro-madre-buscadora-cronica-de-la-desesperacion/9786075939056/p/63726734https://www.buscalibre.com.mx/libro-madre-buscadora-cronica-de-la-desesperacion/9786075939056/p/63726734To Donate to Adriana’s foundation visit: https://rhonitavive.com/Borderland is an IRONCLAD ORIGINAL SPONSORS: 1stPhormVisit: https://www.1stphorm.com/borderlandFree shipping through this link on any orders over $75Free 30 days in the app for new customers (offer comes via email after the purchase)110% money back guarantee on all of our products. We believe fully in our products. If you don’t love the product or you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, let us know and we’ll give you your money back … plus 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Jay Flores returns to set the record straight on drug cartels and trafficking. As former drug trafficker with firsthand experience in the world of organized crime, Jay discusses the realities of cartel operations, the role of cryptocurrency, and the differences between cartels and independent traffickers. He also touches on the impact of law enforcement and the evolving nature of drug trafficking, providing insight into the complexities of the issue.Borderland is an IRONCLAD OriginalSponsors: 1st Phormvisit: https://www.1stphorm.com/borderlandFree shipping through this link on any orders over $75Free 30 days in the app for new customers (offer comes via email after the purchase)110% money back guarantee on all of our products. We believe fully in our products. If you don’t love the product or you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, let us know and we’ll give you your money back … plus 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Vince sits down with former CIA and FBI agent Tracy Walder to explore the intersection of intelligence, national security, and the drug trade. Tracy shares her journey from the CIA to the FBI, discussing counterterrorism, drone warfare, and the role of intelligence in tracking cartels. She unpacks the CIA’s complex ties to drug trafficking, the fentanyl crisis, and China’s role in supplying raw materials. The conversation also examines U.S. border policies, the potential for special operations in Mexico, and whether government efforts against drug trafficking are genuine or just political theater. Borderland is an IRONCLAD OriginalSponsors:1st Phormvisit: https://www.1stphorm.com/bigpapiFree shipping through this link on any orders over $75Free 30 days in the app for new customers (offer comes via email after the purchase)110% money back guarantee on all of our products. We believe fully in our products. If you don’t love the product or you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, let us know and we’ll give you your money back … plus 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Vince welcomes back former L.A. kingpin Pierre Rausini to address feedback from his last appearance and dive deeper into the ties between the Sinaloa Cartel and the American military. Pierre discusses the cartel’s use of military tactics, the role of veterans in operations, the impact of U.S. strategies on drug trafficking, and the recent handover of 29 cartel members to U.S. custody and its implications for the drug trade, as well as the recent 29 cartel members that were handed over to US custody, and how that act from Mexico impacts the drug trade.Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original SPONSORS: 1ST PHORM https://1stphorm.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s bonus episode, Vince talks to Scott Higham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter with The Washington Post, renowned for exposing corporate corruption, criminal networks, and critical public safety issues. With a career rooted in investigative journalism, he has spent years uncovering the truth behind the opioid crisis—particularly the role pharmaceutical companies played in fueling the epidemic.As the co-author of American Cartel: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry, he and his colleague Sari Horwitz revealed how pharmaceutical giants knowingly marketed highly addictive painkillers, contributing to widespread addiction and devastating overdose deaths, as well as setting the stage for the Mexican drug cartels.Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Vince sits down with former Sinaloa cartel kingpin turned educator, Margarito "Jay" Flores.Margarito Flores Jr. as known as “Jay”, grew up in Chicago, where he and his twin brother, Pedro, were born into a family of drug traffickers. Starting at the street level, they rose to run one of the largest drug distribution organizations in U.S. history, working directly with El Chapo Guzmán, El Mayo Zambada, and other high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel as their main U.S. distributors.Seeking a safer and better future for their families, Jay and Pedro voluntarily reached out to U.S. authorities, playing a key role in the indictment, arrest, and prosecution of El Chapo Guzmán, El Mayo Zambada, and other top cartel leaders across multiple federal districts. Their cooperation marked a turning point, leading Jay to a path of redemption and education.Today, Jay is dedicated to educating law enforcement on the inner workings of drug cartels and trafficking operations. Through his seminars, including “From Kingpin to Educator,” he provides firsthand insights to equip officers with the tools needed to combat drug cartels effectively. His work extends beyond law enforcement training—he collaborates with universities, criminal justice organizations, and policymakers to promote education, deterrence, and innovative anti-drug trafficking strategies.Jay also worked with Congress, providing expert insight into drug trafficking operations, cartel strategies, and smuggling tactics to help shape better policies, laws, and resources for tackling organized crime.As part of his mission, Jay founded the Kingpin to Educator Foundation, an initiative focused on raising money to provide free training for law enforcement officers and agencies on a wide range of topics, from cartel operations to drug prevention strategies. The foundation also supports drug prevention education for students, youth organizations, and juvenile detention centers, helping young people understand the dangers of drugs and organized crime.To learn more about Jay's work, visit: https://kingpintoeducator.com/Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Vince Vargas sits down with Sarah Kinosian, the investigative journalist behind the revealing Reuters article, How a Factory City in Wisconsin Fed Military-Grade Weapons to a Mexican Cartel. Sarah talks through her investigation into how a small factory in Wisconsin became a crucial link in supplying military-grade firearms to the CJNG cartel. They also discuss the implications of this illegal trade, the role of U.S. manufacturing in fueling violence south of the border, and the wider connection between American-made weapons and cartel activity.Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original.To submit tips, stories, and guest ideas email: borderland@thisisironclad.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Vince sits down with Pierre Rausini.Pierre Rausini is an author and former Los Angeles kingpin. He was charged with operating a criminal enterprise under the Federal Drug Kingpin Statute and prosecuted for participating in wide-ranging drug conspiracies. Rausini's extensive history of drug trafficking in Southern California throughout the 1990s involved direct collaboration with high-level Sinaloa operatives who managed the cartel's American-based distribution network and its money laundering operation. This experience provided him with an intimate understanding of the cartel's logistics and operational strategies.  Rausini was released last year after serving twenty-six years in federal prison. His incarceration allowed him to live alongside and develop deep relationships with high-ranking members of both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, including several of their drug lords. This unique position enabled him to gain profound insights into the mindset, decision-making process, and cultural dynamics of these individuals. Rausini's first-hand knowledge of how cartel leaders think and operate offers a level of insight that is simply unattainable through traditional intelligence-gathering methods. Rausini has been invited to speak before law enforcement groups as a subject-matter expert and he appears on social media, commenting on matters relating to drug trafficking, money laundering, and cartel intrigue. To learn more about Pierre's story, check out: Devil Exposed: A Twisted Tale of Drug Trafficking, Corruption & Murder in the City of AngelsBorderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode, Vince welcomes back Katarina Szulc to discuss the recent propaganda video from Cartel De Noreste, claiming to reject violence while continuing their criminal activities. They dive into Trump’s pressure on Claudia Sheinbaum to combat cartels and examine the cartel networks at the Northern border. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices