Borderland: Narcosis with Vincent 'Rocco' Vargas

Michael Gannon is a retired DEA Senior Leader and Assistant Special Agent in Charge, who spent 25 years serving various roles within the Drug Enforcement Administration, including undercover operations and uncovering cartel-connected drug networks in cities including Chicago and Miami.

Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original

Sponsors:1st Phorm:Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Borderland: Dispatches host Katarina Szulc. She's an investigative journalist and tells host Vince 'Rocco' Vargas about her upcoming investigative documentary, the livestreamed murders of influencers Cesar Gastelum and Valeria Márquez, and more.

Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original

Chapters

(00:00) Kat's intro — cartels, organized crime, boots on the ground

(11:59) The governor who denies it, the family who profited

(15:03) The car chase — gun pulled on the highway

(22:21) Mexico: the most dangerous country for journalists

(24:01) Valeria Marquez — murdered live on TikTok

(30:26) Cesar Gastelum — a second influencer killed on livestream

(40:30) Why human trafficking is worse than drug trafficking

(48:54) Closing gut-punch

Sponsors:

1st Phorm:
Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Cooper is Canadian investigative journalist known for his reporting on cartels, organized crime, money laundering, and political corruption.

He is the founder of The Bureau: https://www.thebureau.news/

Follow him on X: https://x.com/scoopercooper

Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original

Episode Chapters:
(00:00) Intro & Sam Cooper's background(03:34) How long-haul trucking became a cartel pipeline(07:48) The Indian mafia, Khalistan networks & Ryan Wedding(13:50) Border corruption and Vancouver's Delta Port(20:34) Drug flow patterns & Canada's rise as a production hub(28:55) Violence, corruption & the Dubai/Iranian connections(35:55) China's role in global narcotics & the Wuhan lab leak(44:07) Spain migration crisis, Canada's political future & closing thoughts

Sponsors:

1st Phorm:
Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Kent is the former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. He resigned in March 2026 following the Trump administration's decision to attack Iran.

Is also a former CIA paramilitary officer and Army Ranger.

Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original

Sponsors:

1st Phorm:
Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this supercut, we look back at three recent interview with Jon Griggs, as he tries to solve a strange mystery on a cattle farm in Kentucky.

Jon began his career in law enforcement in 2006, serving in various capacities including Corrections Officer, Corrections Supervisor, Police Officer, Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Deep Water Horizon and Gang Task Force. But, when his security company was hired to look after a cattle farm in Kentucky after the owner died, things took a strange turn.

Chapters:
(01:23) - Part 1: Jon is hired to watch over the farm and makes strange discoveries

(38:16 )- Part 2: Jon digs deeper and finds possible connections to the crypto underworld

(01:04:59) - Part 3: The case gets stranger, and makes connections to trafficking rings and well-connected powerbrokers.

BORDERLAND: NARCOSIS is an IRONCLAD Original

For more information, read the document - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ipDfTYR3nAMvVKB3FSi3vfniRFPoa-Nr/view?usp=sharing

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a

SPONSORS:

1stPhorm
Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices