The Underworld Podcast

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia fought a guerrilla war against Colombia’s government - as well as against right wing militias and drug cartels - for over four decades before signing a peace treaty in 2016 and then dissolving in 2017, though splinter faction known as The Dissidents still prowls the jungles. As the FARC were coming up, another violent group in Colombia hellbent on taking over territory was also growing: the country’s infamous drug cartels. In this episode, we’re joined by longtime cartel correspondent and frequent guest, author Toby Muse to detail the history of the FARC and what exactly was their role in Colombia’s cocaine trade. Toby is the author of Kilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine Cartels  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tren de Aragua grew out of disastrous regime policies to give gang leaders more power in prisons. Its mysterious leader, Niño Guerrero, soon controlled an entire facility, and installed a prison bar, a nightclub—and even a zoo.More state bungling allowed the Tren to take over entire city neighbourhoods unchallenged. So when Venezuela’s economy plummeted and hundreds of thousands fled the nation, it became a key player in the booming migrant smuggling trade, spreading into neighboring Latin American states.Now the Tren is in the US. But is there really a full-scale invasion, as media are beginning to say? We unpick the fact and fiction of this dangerous new group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the chaos of 1970’s New York, it took a lot to shock the city. But the Westies managed to leave quite the impression. Dubbed the last of the Irish mob despite being more like an anarchic gang, they terrorized the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, garnering headlines due to their penchant for daytime hits and chopping up their victims bodies. They even managed to attract the attention of New York’s five mafia families, who took notice of their numerous hits and started contracting out to them. In less than a decade though, things would get a little too messy, and they would tear themselves apart.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this riveting discussion, Sammy the Bull, a former member of the Gambino crime family turned informant, unpacks the chilling gang culture of suburban Gilbert, Arizona. He reveals the disturbing story of 16-year-old Preston Lord's tragic death at the hands of the Gilbert Goons. Sammy shares insights into how this group intertwines with violent legacies and the odd resurgence of 90s gang activity in wealthy areas. The conversation delves into societal perceptions of youth gangs and the complex factors behind their rise in affluent neighborhoods.

Sebastian Marset, an emerging narco kingpin from Uruguay, shares his incredible rise from a mid-level weed dealer to a powerful cartel boss in just under a decade. He discusses his unique trafficking methods and clever ways of evading law enforcement while juggling a bizarre obsession with soccer. Buying soccer teams and even stepping onto the field himself, Marset's story intertwines wealth, power, and the absurdities of organized crime. Tune in for a wild ride through his life on the run and the surprising intersections of drug trafficking and the beautiful game.

Mohammed Alaa Allawi, a former US military interpreter turned darknet drug lord, shares his rollercoaster journey from designing websites to making millions selling counterfeit pills infused with deadly fentanyl. He humorously recounts eccentric encounters with shady characters while revealing the dark web's complex e-commerce evolution. Alaa discusses the risk of a Marine overdose that ignited a massive investigation, his perilous experiences in Iraq, and the tragic consequences of the ongoing fentanyl crisis on communities.

Bombshell out of Mexico, El Mayo (!!!!!) is in US federal custody after arriving on a small private plan alongside El Chapo's son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez. What. The Hell. Is going on. How does the most elusive, powerful narco kingpin in Mexico's history, whose avoided arrest for decades and operated like a ghost in the shadows, end up being gift-wrapped for feds? Alongside 1/4 of Los Chapitos? In this hastily thrown together episode, we try to get to the bottom of exactly what's known, what isn't known, and what is actually happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Nelson Mandela and the ANC delivered South Africa from Apartheid in the 90s, hopes were high that the country could become a beacon of freedom and fairness. A generation later, those dreams lie in tatters. Elites have plundered state coffers to the tune of billions, mines have been taken over by illegal “chancers,” and the ghettoes of South Africa’s largest city, Cape Town, are suffering levels of violence unseen since segregation.Left with few opportunities, corrupt cops and hundreds of gangs, locals have turned to private security firms, the country’s new boom trade. Others have thrown up roadblocks and christened whip-wielding vigilante groups, as the country descends into ever more hellish levels of organized crime.NEW MERCH: https://underworldpodcast.myshopify.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Walker already had a huge rap sheet in his native Liverpool before 2018, when he took off across Europe and through the Sahara Desert into Sierra Leone - posting on social media the whole time. There he crafted a new life as a saviour of Freetown’s slums. But is there another, darker motive for Walker’s second act? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With El Chapo locked up in a supermax prison and never going home, there's been a battle to maintain the power of his feared Sinaloa cartel. Many thought his sons, groomed to take his place, would falter. Seen mostly as spoiled rich kid "narco juniors" who possessed neither the intelligence nor the strength to outmaneuver older, more experienced druglords, the men known as Los Chapitos have surprised many by turning their faction of the cartel into a ruthless powerhouse pumping out fentanyl into the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices