Honor Among Thieves | True Crime & Crime Stories

Alex Montanez joins Honor Among Thieves Podcast to tell the real story behind one of the most powerful cartel bloodlines connected to the Medellín Cartel, Griselda Blanco, the Ochoa family, and the 1980s Colombia-to-Miami cocaine pipeline.

Alex is the nephew of Rafa Salazar, a key figure in the Miami cocaine era and a close business associate connected to Griselda Blanco’s inner circle. He is also the godson of Jorge Ochoa Sr., one of the founding figures tied to the rise of the Medellín Cartel. In this episode, Alex breaks down the family history, the real Miami cocaine story, the connection to Griselda Blanco, and what Hollywood and Netflix often leave out.

This conversation goes beyond the Netflix version of the Griselda story. Alex talks about the real people behind the cocaine empire, how Miami became a major hub for Colombian trafficking, how money was moved through businesses and shipments, and how the Medellín Cartel changed organized crime forever.

From Rafa Salazar and the Ochoa family to Griselda Blanco, Pablo Escobar, Narcos, Miami in the 1980s, cartel violence, prison, loyalty, family legacy, and the consequences of the criminal underworld, this episode gives a rare inside look at one of the most infamous eras in true crime history.

In this episode, we cover:
Alex Montanez’s connection to the Medellín Cartel bloodline
His uncle Rafa Salazar and the Miami cocaine pipeline
The Ochoa family’s role in cartel history
Griselda Blanco’s inner circle and the real Miami cocaine era
The Colombia-to-Miami drug trafficking route
How cartel money allegedly moved through businesses and shipments
The real stories behind Narcos and the Griselda Netflix series
Pablo Escobar, Medellín, Miami, and the rise of Colombian organized crime
Family legacy, cartel history, and growing up connected to infamous names
The difference between Hollywood cartel stories and real life
Prison, loyalty, betrayal, consequences, and life after the cartel era

This is one of the most important cartel history episodes of Honor Among Thieves Podcast, revealing the real story behind the people, families, and criminal networks that helped shape Miami during the cocaine boom of the 1980s.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:41 Mattresses, The Bloodline & The Medellín Cartel
12:42 His Parents Meet & His Father Enters the Family Business
24:06 The Mattress Scheme That Moved Money Back to Colombia
34:09 Griselda Blanco’s Hitman, Rafa & Pablo Escobar’s Jealousy
47:10 Why the Cartel Chose Miami Over California
56:28 Barry Seal, Carlos Lehder & Cartel Secrets
66:05 $20 Million Cash, Panama Money & Life on the Run
73:13 Growing Up Around Bricks, Cash & the Family Business
84:19 New York, Chicago, & Street Reputation
93:17 Life After the Streets & Redemption

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🔗 Links👇👇👇
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Christian Carmona joins Honor Among Thieves Podcast to tell the story of growing up as the son of a Colombian drug trafficker whose family was taken down in a major federal RICO case connected to a criminal narcotics enterprise.

In this true crime podcast episode, Christian opens up about his father’s federal case out of Portland, Oregon, the FBI raid that changed his family forever, the money found buried in the house, and the moment his father accepted responsibility and took a 20-year prison sentence without cooperating.

This episode goes deeper than a drug trafficking story. Christian explains what it was like to be a kid when the federal government came after his family, how his mother was accused of laundering money and sentenced to 12 years, and how the consequences of the criminal underworld shaped his life long after the case was over.

From Colombia and Medellín to South Florida, Atlanta, Portland, federal prison, deportation, family loyalty, and survival, this is a raw look at the cost of organized crime from the perspective of the child left behind.

In this episode, we cover:
Christian Carmona’s childhood after coming to America from Colombia
His father’s rise from Medellín to the U.S. drug world
The federal RICO case that brought down his family
The FBI raid in Portland, Oregon
The money found buried inside the house
Why his father took 20 years and never cooperated
His mother’s money laundering case and 12-year sentence
Growing up with both parents in federal prison
Colombian drug trafficking, South Florida, Atlanta, and Oregon
The impact of the war on drugs on immigrant families
Loyalty, silence, family codes, and the price of the criminal underworld
Life after the case and how Christian carried the story into adulthood

This is one of the most personal episodes of Honor Among Thieves Podcast, exposing the reality behind federal drug cases, organized crime, family loyalty, criminal justice, and the long-term damage caused when an entire family is pulled into the federal system.

0:00 Intro
3:13 His Father’s 20-Year Sentence & Old School Silence
8:43 Medellín’s Criminal Underworld
12:14 How Narco Money Changed Everything
18:05 Moving to America & His Father's Double Life
24:58 His Father’s National Drug Case
30:00 FBI Raid, Buried Cash, RICO & the Family Collapse
39:00 His Father Takes 20 Years and His Mother Gets 12
50:40 Losing His Brother to the Federal System
1:00:00 Miami Nightlife, Bank Work & Criminal Connections
1:09:40 The DEA Setup, Informant & Christian's Arrest
1:21:45 Locked Up With His Brother & Fighting the Case
1:30:15 The Hole, Finding God, Life After the Case & Redemption

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📸 Christian on Instagram
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In this episode of Honor Among Thieves Podcast, we sit down with Katarina Szulc, one of the leading independent reporters covering Mexican cartels, cartel violence, CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel, El Mencho, El Chapo’s family, fentanyl trafficking, and the criminal underworld along the U.S.–Mexico border.

Katarina breaks down her reporting on El Mencho, the powerful CJNG cartel leader, and explains what she saw after traveling directly into cartel territory. From the reported final hideout of El Mencho to the power struggles inside Mexico’s cartel world, this conversation gives a raw and detailed look at stories most mainstream media never fully explains.

This episode also covers the rise of CJNG, the influence of the Valencia family / Los Cuinis, the ongoing conflict between CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel, the role of El Chapo’s sons / Los Chapitos, the fentanyl pipeline, cartel links to China, cartel operations in Canada and Mexico, and how U.S. law enforcement is changing its approach to cartel cases.

If you follow true crime, cartel news, drug trafficking, organized crime, criminal justice, border security, fentanyl trafficking, Mexican cartels, CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel, El Mencho, El Chapo, or real crime stories, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

In this episode, we discuss:

Katarina Szulc’s reporting inside cartel territory

The truth behind El Mencho and CJNG

The power structure of the Sinaloa Cartel

El Chapo’s family and Los Chapitos

The cartel war between CJNG and Sinaloa

How fentanyl trafficking changed organized crime

China’s role in the fentanyl supply chain

U.S. cartel investigations and terrorism charges

Border security, cartel routes, and criminal networks

Why Mexican cartel stories are more complex than the headlines

This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about the reality of Mexico’s cartel world, the people who report on it, and the criminal organizations shaping modern drug trafficking across North America.

Chapters

0:00 Intro: El Mencho, Cartel Reporting & Mexico’s Criminal Underworld

3:13 How Katarina Became a Cartel Reporter

8:15 CJNG, El Mencho & the Rise of Mexico’s Most Powerful Cartel

18:00 El Chapo, Los Chapitos & the Future of the Sinaloa Cartel

24:10 China, Fentanyl & the New Drug Trafficking Pipeline

34:00 CJNG, Sinaloa & the Changing Cartel Alliances

42:30 Katarina Travels to Mexico After the El Mencho Story Breaks

48:15 Inside Tapalpa: El Mencho’s Final Hideout

52:00 Entering El Mencho’s Residence and the Open Crime Scene

58:30 Bullet Casings, Missing Evidence & Questions About the Official Story

1:08:00 El Mencho’s Background, Family & Cartel Legacy

1:14:10 Border Corruption, Smuggling Routes & Human Trafficking

1:33:45 Close Calls Reporting in Cartel Territory

1:48:20 Journalism, Legacy & Giving Victims a Voice

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📸 Katarina on Instagram

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In this Honor Among Thieves Podcast episode, Chloe Sunderland, also known as Roma, shares her shocking journey through Canada’s criminal underworld — a world filled with violence, survival, and life-altering decisions.

This is a raw and unfiltered true crime story of how one woman navigated one of the darkest environments imaginable… and lived to tell the story.

Roma opens up about her life inside Canada’s underworld, where danger was constant and trust was rare. From the people she was surrounded by to the situations she faced, this episode reveals what it truly takes to survive in a world most people never see.

She breaks down the reality behind the lifestyle — the risks, the mindset, and the moments that defined her path. This isn’t glamorized. It’s a real look at the consequences, the chaos, and the survival instincts required to make it out.

🎯 In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

What life is really like inside Canada’s criminal underworld

The dangers women face in the underworld

How Roma survived violent and high-risk situations

The mindset required to navigate a life of crime

The reality behind the lifestyle most people never see

Key moments that changed the course of her life

What it takes to walk away and survive

🚨 Why This Story Matters:

This episode sheds light on a side of the true crime world that is rarely talked about — the female perspective inside the criminal underworld. It highlights how quickly someone can get pulled into dangerous environments, and what it takes mentally and physically to survive.

Roma’s story is a powerful reminder that behind every headline is a real person, real consequences, and real survival.

🎙️ Watch More:

Subscribe to Honor Among Thieves Podcast for more true crime stories, criminal underworld interviews, federal prison stories, and real-life experiences from people who lived it.

Chapters
00:00 Intro: Surviving Canada’s Criminal Underworld
02:21 Romanian Orphan to Canada: Adoption and Early Life
09:01 Trauma, Running Away, and Canada’s Foster Care System
16:25 New Foster Mom, Back Into Care, and the Start of Street Life
21:05 Inside Canada’s Criminal Underworld
31:12 Why Most Kids Don’t Survive the Underworld
39:54 The Psycho Drug Dealer Who Held Them Hostage and Got Them Addicted
49:18 Escaping the Trap House, Homeless, and the Biker Who Changed Everything
58:42 Close Calls and Life-Threatening Moments
1:06:05 The Biker Goes to Prison and Everything Changes
1:14:31 The Fentanyl Crisis in Calgary and Cartel Activity in Canada
1:28:40 Life After the Underworld, Surviving Abuse, and Going Viral
1:38:25 Redemption and Turning Her Life Around

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📸 Roma on Instagram

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In this Honor Among Thieves true crime podcast episode, Elisabeth Carson shares the full story of how her life spiraled from early drug use into high-level criminal activity — including becoming a major ecstasy distributor in the Midwest and eventually making up to $10,000 a day through credit card fraud.

Elisabeth opens up about starting drugs at just 11 years old, selling in middle school, and entering the strip club world the moment she turned 18. What began as survival quickly turned into opportunity — and that opportunity led her deep into the ecstasy trade, where she became a serious player moving product throughout Michigan and beyond.

But her story doesn’t stop there.

After relocating to Los Angeles to pursue modeling, Elisabeth transitioned into a completely different lane — credit card fraud — where she scaled fast and began generating thousands of dollars per day. What followed was a rapid rise fueled by money, risk, and decisions that would ultimately change the course of her life.

This is a raw, unfiltered look at how quickly things can escalate in the criminal underworld — and what it really takes to survive it.

🔥 What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

How Elisabeth Carson started using drugs at just 11 years old

What led her to begin selling drugs in middle school

How entering the strip club world exposed her to larger opportunities

How she became a major ecstasy distributor in the Midwest

The reality behind moving pills and scaling a drug operation

Why she transitioned from drug trafficking into credit card fraud

How she was making $8K–$10K per day at her peak

The risks, pressure, and lifestyle that came with fast money

How quickly small decisions can escalate into major criminal activity

This true crime story highlights the intersection of survival, environment, and opportunity — and how easily someone can get pulled deeper into the system. Elisabeth Carson’s journey is a powerful example of how the underworld operates, and what it looks like from the inside.

Watch until the end to understand how her story evolved — and what ultimately came from a life built around risk.

Chapters

00:00 Intro: From Drugs at 11 to $10K a Day Credit Card Fraud
04:12 Adopted From Korea, Childhood Trauma, and Starting Drugs at 11
16:40 Taken From Home in the Middle of the Night to Juvenile Boot Camp
23:20 Becoming a Stripper at 18 and Entering the Nightlife World
28:25 Making Money in the Ecstasy Game
36:36 Switching to Credit Card Fraud in Hollywood and Griselda Blanco
42:01 Back to Detroit: Making $10K a Day in Credit Card Fraud
47:35 Busted: Secret Service Interrogation, Arrest, and Jail Time
56:49 Fighting the Case, Getting Released, and Going on the Run
1:05:12 Her Child’s Father Goes to Prison and Leaving the Criminal Life
1:13:49 Life After Crime: How Elisabeth Carson Rebuilt Her Life
1:21:45 Redemption and Transformation Story

📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest:

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Honor Among Thieves Merch Store👕

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🔗 Links👇👇👇

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📸 Elisabeth on Instagram

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