Borderland: Narcosis with Vincent 'Rocco' Vargas

In this 4-chapter film, Borderland: Narcosis host Vince ‘Rocco’ Vargas looks at four stories from the world of cartels and organized crime: The missing women of Juárez, the rise and fall of MS-13, the strange role that Santa Muerte plays in cartel culture, and how the CJNG infiltrated America’s living rooms with elaborate phone scams.Each of these stories initially ran as part of Borderland’s Reasonable Fear series. 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.Norwood Sawmills:Learn more about Norwood Sawmills and how you can start milling your own lumber at  https://norwoodsawmills.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=ironclad&utm_campaign=ironcladSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w9YAIljxWKXsetl10w9Qp?si=8a5eb53e12b74e3a
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On today’s episode, Vince welcomes back Katarina Szulc, investigative journalist and host of the Ironclad Original, Borderland: Dispatches. Kat shares insights from her recent reporting in Ukraine, where authorities are investigating claims that foreign fighters with cartel ties traveled to the front lines to learn modern combat tactics before returning to Latin America.

The conversation also explores foreign mercenaries in Ukraine, the evolution of cartel warfare, U.S. pressure on cartel leadership, corruption in Mexico, and what these developments could mean for the future of organized crime.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction
(01:44) Cartels, Ukraine, and FPV Drone Warfare
(03:26) The Colombian Connection & Drone Schools in Lviv
(09:52) American Mercenaries & Background Checks on the Front Lines
(11:33) Gamers vs. Combat: How Simple is FPV Drone Flying?
(15:24) Behind the Scenes of the Global Mercenary Recruitment Machine
(25:06) US Boots on the Ground & The Standoff over Drone Strikes in Mexico
(29:51) Cartel Corruption & Political Gaslighting in Sinaloa
(34:22) The 2026 World Cup: A Cartel Moneymaker?
(47:17) 2026 Wrap-Up: The Year of the Fallen Kingpins & The Endless Drug War

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.

Norwood Sawmills:

Learn more about Norwood Sawmills and how you can start milling your own lumber at https://norwoodsawmills.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=ironclad&utm_campaign=ironclad

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What started as a routine security check in rural Kentucky unraveled into what might be the largest cattle fraud scheme in U.S. history, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

This compilation brings together the complete, escalating investigation by Borderland into a massive criminal enterprise that the authorities seemingly refuse to touch. Follow security contractor Jon Griggs as he risks everything to expose a web of corruption that stretches far beyond the pasture.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

Chapters:

00:00 – Part 1: The Phantom Herd
15:42 – Part 2: Six Months Later (The Danger Escalates)

32:15 – Part 3: One Year Later (The Cover-Up & The Unseen Evidence)

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Jon Griggs returns to Borderland: Narcosis for his third appearance, picking up a story that's grown far beyond where it started. What began as a routine assignment to secure a Kentucky cattle farm in 2023 has unraveled into a $4.5 billion money-laundering case with alleged ties to the CJNG cartel and a string of connections Jon never expected to find.

Listen to Jon's previous appearances for the full background on the Kentucky cattle case.

Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324?i=1000705242380

Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-narcosis-with-vincent-rocco-vargas/id1730589324?i=1000746748432

Chapters:

(00:00) Welcome Back & The Case So Far
(02:40) How the Ghost Cattle Scheme Worked
(06:37) The Federal Case Was Dismissed
(09:06) $10 Billion in Bank Transfers and No Arrests
(13:18) Someone Impersonated Jon to Set a Trap
(22:04) Inside the Mansion: The 911 Call and the Party
(31:25) Following the Money to Florida
(38:39) The Hemp Fraud Playbook
(42:14) The Sheriff Election and Civil Rights Investigations
(49:00) A Message to Federal Investigators

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.

Norwood Sawmills:

Learn more about Norwood Sawmills and how you can start milling your own lumber at https://norwoodsawmills.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=ironclad&utm_campaign=ironclad

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On today's episode, Vince sits down with Karlo Villalpando, a 10-year veteran of Mexican Customs and former Port Director in Sonoyta, to discuss the recent surrender of Sinaloa's Secretary of Public Safety to the DEA, the SDNY indictment naming Sinaloa state officials allegedly on the cartel's payroll, and what President Claudia Sheinbaum's government is and isn't doing about it. They also cover the cartel's parallel governance over U.S. companies operating in Mexico and whether U.S. operators are already on the ground.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction
(03:05) What Americans Get Wrong About the Cartels
(05:17) The Cartels Are a Parallel Government in Mexico
(12:17) Why Corruption Runs Mexico's Government
(16:38) "They Offered Me Cash, Cars, and Properties" — A Cartel Bribe Attempt
(21:21) A Sinaloa Cabinet Official Surrenders to the DEA
(22:21) Cartels Inside U.S. Companies Operating in Mexico
(33:26) Is Sheinbaum's Government Actually Fighting the Cartels?
(44:30) Will the U.S. Strike Mexico? And Why U.S. Operators May Already Be There

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.

Norwood Sawmills:
Learn more about Norwood Sawmills and how you can start milling your own lumber at https://norwoodsawmills.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=ironclad&utm_campaign=ironclad

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