1 00:00:01,190 --> 00:00:05,403 [sirens, horns honking] 2 00:00:08,072 --> 00:00:09,699 [Miguel Angel Vega] These people, they belong to this 3 00:00:09,699 --> 00:00:14,287 cartel La Union, and basically they control the entire city. 4 00:00:14,287 --> 00:00:15,871 [sirens] 5 00:00:19,125 --> 00:00:21,794 Their headquarters are in Tepito. 6 00:00:21,794 --> 00:00:24,255 One of the biggest black markets in the world. 7 00:00:24,255 --> 00:00:25,756 I mean anything you want, 8 00:00:25,756 --> 00:00:28,884 anything at all, you can find it in Tepito. 9 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:30,970 [Mariana van Zeller] I've done dozens of stories about the 10 00:00:30,970 --> 00:00:33,764 cartels in Mexico over the years. 11 00:00:33,764 --> 00:00:37,518 But not long ago, my friend, journalist Miguel Angel Vega, 12 00:00:37,518 --> 00:00:40,938 called me to say that he'd gained access to an emerging 13 00:00:40,938 --> 00:00:43,733 black market that I had heard about, 14 00:00:43,733 --> 00:00:47,361 but never been able to crack, until now. 15 00:00:48,487 --> 00:00:51,532 It's not cocaine, weed or heroin. 16 00:00:51,532 --> 00:00:52,533 And it's not guns. 17 00:00:52,533 --> 00:00:53,576 [gunshot] 18 00:00:54,076 --> 00:00:56,704 It's a potentially deadly product that's making its way 19 00:00:56,704 --> 00:00:59,999 across the U.S. Border, 20 00:00:59,999 --> 00:01:02,960 and may already be in your home. 21 00:01:04,170 --> 00:01:07,214 Counterfeit pharmaceuticals. 22 00:01:07,214 --> 00:01:08,382 Do you think we're gonna be safe? 23 00:01:08,382 --> 00:01:09,675 [Miguel Angel Vega] I don't know. 24 00:01:09,675 --> 00:01:11,302 I can't, I can't tell you. 25 00:01:11,302 --> 00:01:16,390 They said, "Nada se mueve, nada respira, sin nuestro permiso." 26 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,225 [Mariana van Zeller] Wow, so nothing moves here, 27 00:01:18,225 --> 00:01:20,227 nothing breathes here without our permission? 28 00:01:20,227 --> 00:01:22,146 [Miguel Angel Vega] Right. 29 00:01:22,146 --> 00:01:25,858 [sirens] 30 00:01:29,278 --> 00:01:30,988 [Mariana van Zeller] Tepito, it's one of those places that 31 00:01:30,988 --> 00:01:33,032 you can't really go in with cameras unless you know 32 00:01:33,032 --> 00:01:34,283 somebody there, right? 33 00:01:34,533 --> 00:01:35,993 [Miguel Angel Vega] Right, 'cause they have people all 34 00:01:35,993 --> 00:01:38,579 over the place, like, lookouts and you never know who 35 00:01:38,579 --> 00:01:41,374 they are, it can be anybody. 36 00:01:42,124 --> 00:01:43,834 [Mariana van Zeller] I've worked with Miguel many times 37 00:01:43,834 --> 00:01:48,172 over the last decade, but I've never seen him this nervous. 38 00:01:50,466 --> 00:01:53,260 You have been spending a lot of time here, making contact, yeah? 39 00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:55,054 [Miguel Angel Vega] It's been very difficult. 40 00:01:55,054 --> 00:01:58,265 We finally were able to speak with one of the people that 41 00:01:58,265 --> 00:01:59,767 belong to La Union. 42 00:01:59,767 --> 00:02:03,145 He said, "First of all, I want to talk to Mariana, 43 00:02:03,145 --> 00:02:04,897 because sometimes they are cops." 44 00:02:04,897 --> 00:02:06,232 They believe you're a cop. 45 00:02:06,232 --> 00:02:07,066 [Mariana van Zeller] Of course. Always. 46 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:08,192 And that's what's happening right now? 47 00:02:08,859 --> 00:02:09,527 [Miguel Angel Vega] We're meeting the buyer, right. 48 00:02:09,902 --> 00:02:11,404 -Right now. -We're going there. 49 00:02:14,323 --> 00:02:15,866 Okay. Here is the place. 50 00:02:15,866 --> 00:02:18,536 [Mariana van Zeller] Yeah. Are you gonna call him? 51 00:02:18,536 --> 00:02:20,704 [Miguel Angel Vega] Yeah, I need to call them. 52 00:02:22,206 --> 00:02:28,838 [phone ringing] 53 00:02:35,511 --> 00:02:38,389 [speaking Spanish]. 54 00:02:53,154 --> 00:02:54,363 [Miguel Angel Vega] Okay. 55 00:02:54,363 --> 00:02:56,365 [engine revving] 56 00:02:56,949 --> 00:02:58,826 [Mariana van Zeller] La Union, the cartel we're waiting to 57 00:02:58,826 --> 00:03:02,288 meet has a notorious reputation for violence. 58 00:03:06,208 --> 00:03:07,710 And a newfound interest in the 59 00:03:07,710 --> 00:03:10,463 troubled American healthcare system. 60 00:03:10,463 --> 00:03:11,756 [Reporter] The next time you go to the drug store, 61 00:03:11,756 --> 00:03:13,507 you might be in for sticker shock. 62 00:03:13,507 --> 00:03:16,343 [Reporter] Medical bills across the U.S. are extremely high. 63 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,888 [Reporter] Drug companies have quietly raised the price on 64 00:03:18,888 --> 00:03:21,015 hundreds of medications. 65 00:03:21,348 --> 00:03:23,684 [Mariana van Zeller] Americans pay more for prescription meds 66 00:03:23,684 --> 00:03:26,228 than people in most other countries. 67 00:03:26,228 --> 00:03:29,064 While price trends have been decreasing around the world in 68 00:03:29,064 --> 00:03:32,776 recent years, in the U.S., they've soared. 69 00:03:33,694 --> 00:03:36,113 [Woman] $600 for one month's supply of insulin. 70 00:03:36,697 --> 00:03:39,200 [Woman] $8,591. 71 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:40,534 [Man] It's how much? 72 00:03:40,534 --> 00:03:42,328 [Woman] $18,000. 73 00:03:42,328 --> 00:03:44,246 [Man]That's so outrageous! 74 00:03:44,246 --> 00:03:47,041 [Woman] His prescription, it was $1,000. 75 00:03:47,041 --> 00:03:48,959 I now have to go in and tell my 9-year-old son, 76 00:03:48,959 --> 00:03:51,420 "I couldn't pay for it." 77 00:03:52,254 --> 00:03:53,964 [Erin Fuse Brown] The difference between the U.S. healthcare 78 00:03:53,964 --> 00:03:57,134 system and basically every other developed countries' 79 00:03:57,134 --> 00:03:59,428 healthcare system, is in the U.S., 80 00:03:59,428 --> 00:04:01,805 a bad diagnosis might mean bankruptcy. 81 00:04:02,223 --> 00:04:04,099 But in these other countries, 82 00:04:04,099 --> 00:04:06,519 there is a government body that can step in, 83 00:04:06,519 --> 00:04:10,064 and negotiate, or regulate maximum prices. 84 00:04:10,564 --> 00:04:12,900 In the United States, the government cannot step in 85 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:15,110 to regulate what the outer limit is. 86 00:04:15,110 --> 00:04:16,862 So pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever 87 00:04:16,862 --> 00:04:19,073 the market will bear. 88 00:04:19,532 --> 00:04:21,325 [Mariana van Zeller] As American healthcare and insurance 89 00:04:21,325 --> 00:04:25,412 companies rake in billions of dollars in record profits, 90 00:04:25,412 --> 00:04:26,914 patients are struggling to 91 00:04:26,914 --> 00:04:29,750 afford the medications they need. 92 00:04:29,750 --> 00:04:33,712 This has opened the door to some unsavory new players 93 00:04:33,712 --> 00:04:38,008 eager to cash in on the demand for cheaper prescription drugs. 94 00:04:40,386 --> 00:04:44,181 And that's how I've ended up here, on a sketchy corner 95 00:04:44,181 --> 00:04:47,726 in the most dangerous neighborhood in Mexico City. 96 00:04:51,063 --> 00:04:52,481 -Oh, there's him. -That's him? 97 00:04:52,481 --> 00:04:53,983 [Miguel Angel Vega] Oh, he's over there. Yeah. 98 00:05:12,459 --> 00:05:13,627 [Mariana van Zeller] Taxi? 99 00:05:16,380 --> 00:05:17,715 [Mariana van Zeller] They drive around in a taxi to pretend 100 00:05:17,715 --> 00:05:18,966 they're not who they are? 101 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:21,886 [Miguel Angel Vega] Taxis are, like, the biggest lookouts. 102 00:05:29,310 --> 00:05:31,770 [engine revving] 103 00:05:41,071 --> 00:05:43,490 [Mariana van Zeller] This is a member of La Union, 104 00:05:43,490 --> 00:05:45,618 a man we'll call Señor T. 105 00:06:01,008 --> 00:06:02,968 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay. Gracias. 106 00:06:03,594 --> 00:06:06,388 Okay, so that was sketchy. 107 00:06:06,388 --> 00:06:08,265 [Miguel Angel Vega] Yeah. 108 00:06:08,265 --> 00:06:10,017 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay, that's the, that's the lookout, 109 00:06:10,017 --> 00:06:11,435 do you see? 110 00:06:11,435 --> 00:06:13,812 He's got a few of these, like, dirt bikes, almost, 111 00:06:13,812 --> 00:06:15,731 like motorbikes with us. 112 00:06:15,731 --> 00:06:18,233 So now we're following this guy. 113 00:06:18,984 --> 00:06:20,736 Don't lose him, Miguelito. 114 00:06:20,736 --> 00:06:22,488 [Miguel Angel Vega] I won't. 115 00:06:29,703 --> 00:06:31,246 [Mariana van Zeller] We're being escorted with the 116 00:06:31,246 --> 00:06:33,749 lookouts on bikes. 117 00:06:33,749 --> 00:06:35,167 See? 118 00:06:35,167 --> 00:06:37,544 And he even has his, uh, you see the lights on? 119 00:06:37,544 --> 00:06:39,129 [Miguel Angel Vega] Yeah. Kind of escorting... 120 00:06:39,129 --> 00:06:40,798 [Mariana van Zeller] Super professional, huh? 121 00:06:40,798 --> 00:06:42,508 It's so crazy that this is happening in the capital, 122 00:06:42,508 --> 00:06:44,718 you know? In Mexico City. 123 00:06:54,395 --> 00:06:56,397 [Miguel Angel Vega] Let's get out of the car. 124 00:07:06,490 --> 00:07:12,287 [dog barking] 125 00:07:13,789 --> 00:07:17,459 [distant sirens] 126 00:07:26,927 --> 00:07:29,596 [barking] 127 00:07:30,931 --> 00:07:33,058 [Mariana van Zeller] Señor T's associate Amarillo, 128 00:07:33,058 --> 00:07:36,895 not his real name, is a sicario, a hitman. 129 00:07:36,895 --> 00:07:39,732 The two of them work closely to keep La Union's various 130 00:07:39,732 --> 00:07:42,359 business endeavors running smoothly. 131 00:09:10,823 --> 00:09:12,699 [Mariana van Zeller] As the price for legitimate medicine 132 00:09:12,699 --> 00:09:16,995 goes up, the demand for cheaper alternatives grows, 133 00:09:16,995 --> 00:09:19,665 and so does La Union's operation. 134 00:09:57,077 --> 00:09:59,830 [Mariana van Zeller] Señor T and Amarillo agreed to try and 135 00:09:59,830 --> 00:10:02,416 get me access to another part of their operation, 136 00:10:02,416 --> 00:10:04,793 but it's going to take time. 137 00:10:05,586 --> 00:10:08,172 So I follow the trail of their fake meds north 138 00:10:08,172 --> 00:10:11,258 to the U.S. Border. 139 00:10:28,233 --> 00:10:34,990 [♪ lively Mexican music] 140 00:10:38,327 --> 00:10:43,498 Pharmacy, drug store, dental clinic. 141 00:10:43,498 --> 00:10:46,001 Doctor's office. 142 00:10:46,001 --> 00:10:48,837 Algodones is a Mexican border town 143 00:10:48,837 --> 00:10:51,840 that caters to America's sick. 144 00:10:52,633 --> 00:10:56,053 Everything is in English here, almost everything. 145 00:10:56,053 --> 00:10:59,139 The town is home to more pharmacies, doctors, dentists, 146 00:10:59,139 --> 00:11:02,351 and opticians in a concentrated area than 147 00:11:02,351 --> 00:11:05,062 anywhere else in the world. 148 00:11:05,062 --> 00:11:07,606 Oh, wow, and that's the border right here. 149 00:11:07,606 --> 00:11:10,609 So that's the United States. 150 00:11:12,319 --> 00:11:15,364 Algodones is not alone either. 151 00:11:15,364 --> 00:11:17,366 At cities all along the border, 152 00:11:17,366 --> 00:11:21,536 and in tourist hotspots, like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, 153 00:11:21,536 --> 00:11:24,665 Mexican pharmacies are booming. 154 00:11:26,041 --> 00:11:28,961 [Kristine Schachinger] Heart, diabetes, thyroid. 155 00:11:28,961 --> 00:11:30,796 [Mariana van Zeller] How many meds do you take a day? 156 00:11:30,796 --> 00:11:31,713 [Kristine Schachinger] The count now is 12. 157 00:11:32,047 --> 00:11:32,881 [Mariana van Zeller] 12 different medications 158 00:11:32,881 --> 00:11:33,966 every single day? 159 00:11:33,966 --> 00:11:34,883 [Kristine Schachinger] Yeah. Yeah. 160 00:11:35,550 --> 00:11:37,094 [Mariana van Zeller] Kristine Schachinger is a 55-year-old 161 00:11:37,094 --> 00:11:39,638 tech-worker from Las Vegas. 162 00:11:39,638 --> 00:11:43,934 Her situation is one that many Americans know all too well. 163 00:11:43,934 --> 00:11:45,394 [Kristine Schachinger] And so you sit there every month, 164 00:11:45,394 --> 00:11:46,812 "Can I pay this? Can I pay this? 165 00:11:46,812 --> 00:11:48,605 Can I pay for the health insurance? 166 00:11:48,605 --> 00:11:50,107 Can I pay for the medications?" 167 00:11:50,107 --> 00:11:54,111 And so you just, you want to cry because, um, if I don't 168 00:11:54,111 --> 00:11:56,446 take the meds and get the blood sugar down, I could wind 169 00:11:56,446 --> 00:11:59,366 up being one of those people that loses a limb, you know? 170 00:11:59,366 --> 00:12:01,702 Everything I have would kill me if I didn't have the 171 00:12:01,702 --> 00:12:04,288 medications for it. 172 00:12:06,707 --> 00:12:09,501 [Mariana van Zeller] Yeah, that's them right there. 173 00:12:09,501 --> 00:12:13,380 After exhausting other options, Kristine has decided to follow 174 00:12:13,380 --> 00:12:15,549 the path of the "medical tourists" 175 00:12:15,549 --> 00:12:19,094 heading south on the hunt for affordable medication. 176 00:12:19,928 --> 00:12:23,306 But what most Americans don't know is that the cartels 177 00:12:23,306 --> 00:12:25,851 could be stocking the shelves. 178 00:12:34,067 --> 00:12:35,819 [Mariana van Zeller] So Kristine it's your first time down here. 179 00:12:35,819 --> 00:12:36,987 [Kristine Schachinger] It is my first time, yeah. 180 00:12:37,446 --> 00:12:39,364 [Mariana van Zeller] Kristine Schachinger has come to Mexico 181 00:12:39,364 --> 00:12:41,700 in search of cheaper meds. 182 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:43,493 [Kristine Schachinger] I wanted him to teach me how to do this, 183 00:12:43,493 --> 00:12:45,746 to navigate this process. 184 00:12:45,746 --> 00:12:47,330 [Mariana van Zeller] Kristine's friend, Josh, 185 00:12:47,330 --> 00:12:49,249 has made this trip before. 186 00:12:49,249 --> 00:12:51,084 How many people do you think you've gotten medication or 187 00:12:51,084 --> 00:12:52,627 brought down here? 188 00:12:52,627 --> 00:12:55,464 [Josh] Oh, over the years, at least, uh, 20, 25 people. 189 00:12:55,464 --> 00:12:57,382 [Mariana van Zeller] Wow. 190 00:13:01,928 --> 00:13:03,513 I mean, it looks like an American pharmacy. 191 00:13:03,513 --> 00:13:05,599 Essentially it sells all of the American products, 192 00:13:05,599 --> 00:13:08,852 except it has a whole shelf of tequila and mezcal. 193 00:13:10,604 --> 00:13:12,356 [Kristine Schachinger] Thank you. 194 00:13:12,856 --> 00:13:14,399 [Mariana van Zeller] Hi! You got your meds? 195 00:13:14,399 --> 00:13:16,735 [Kristine Schachinger] Hi! I did. 196 00:13:17,319 --> 00:13:19,237 [Mariana van Zeller] So this lasts you a whole month? 197 00:13:19,237 --> 00:13:20,572 [Kristine Schachinger] That lasts me a month, yes. 198 00:13:20,572 --> 00:13:21,823 This is four months' worth. 199 00:13:22,115 --> 00:13:25,494 [Mariana van Zeller] In the U.S., Kristine pays $585 for 200 00:13:25,494 --> 00:13:29,206 a month's supply of this drug and that's with insurance. 201 00:13:29,206 --> 00:13:33,627 Here, she just bought it her month's supply for $71. 202 00:13:34,127 --> 00:13:35,629 In a way, it's sort of 203 00:13:35,629 --> 00:13:36,922 life saving for you to have Mexico here. 204 00:13:36,922 --> 00:13:37,964 [Kristine Schachinger] Oh, definitely, yeah. 205 00:13:38,382 --> 00:13:39,633 It means that I can get a medication I couldn't get 206 00:13:39,633 --> 00:13:40,842 in the United States. 207 00:13:41,218 --> 00:13:42,886 [Mariana van Zeller] I guess the risk is counterfeit medication 208 00:13:42,886 --> 00:13:45,347 and not knowing exactly what's in the medication. 209 00:13:45,347 --> 00:13:47,516 [Kristine Schachinger] And yeah, that's why I checked with Josh. 210 00:13:47,516 --> 00:13:49,142 Because I was a little concerned that I could get, like, 211 00:13:49,142 --> 00:13:50,268 counterfeit medications but. 212 00:13:50,268 --> 00:13:51,561 -Yeah. -He told me this pharmacy 213 00:13:51,561 --> 00:13:52,813 has been here forever. 214 00:13:52,813 --> 00:13:54,147 There's nothing sketchy about them. 215 00:13:54,439 --> 00:13:57,818 I'm sure there's maybe others at different places that could be. 216 00:13:57,818 --> 00:13:59,444 [Mariana van Zeller] I hope her meds are exactly what 217 00:13:59,444 --> 00:14:01,071 she thinks they are, 218 00:14:01,071 --> 00:14:04,491 produced by a legitimate pharmaceutical company. 219 00:14:04,491 --> 00:14:07,202 But there's a chance they're fake, 220 00:14:07,202 --> 00:14:10,330 manufactured by a cartel like La Union. 221 00:14:10,330 --> 00:14:13,583 And that's the thing; we just don't know. 222 00:14:20,340 --> 00:14:22,676 [Detective] We're doing a two location search warrant today. 223 00:14:22,676 --> 00:14:24,886 We're hitting both 'locs' simultaneously. 224 00:14:24,886 --> 00:14:26,179 [siren] 225 00:14:27,180 --> 00:14:31,893 [sirens] 226 00:14:33,478 --> 00:14:35,313 [Officer] So approximately two weeks ago, we got intel that 227 00:14:35,313 --> 00:14:37,983 this little tiny mini-mart is selling pharmaceuticals 228 00:14:37,983 --> 00:14:40,235 without a license and 229 00:14:40,235 --> 00:14:42,654 it's a front for counterfeit pharmaceuticals. 230 00:14:42,654 --> 00:14:44,239 [Mariana van Zeller] How close are we? 231 00:14:44,239 --> 00:14:45,490 [Officer] 30 seconds out. 232 00:14:45,490 --> 00:14:50,620 [radio chatter] 233 00:14:52,539 --> 00:14:55,208 We're making the approach right now. 234 00:14:56,835 --> 00:14:58,336 [Officer] Sheriff's department, search warrant. 235 00:14:58,336 --> 00:15:00,589 Come out with your hands up. 236 00:15:03,383 --> 00:15:04,968 [radio chatter] 237 00:15:04,968 --> 00:15:06,761 [Officer] One more coming out. 238 00:15:06,761 --> 00:15:08,638 [Mariana van Zeller] So they've handcuffed two suspects 239 00:15:08,638 --> 00:15:10,056 that were inside. 240 00:15:13,059 --> 00:15:15,312 [Officer] We're going to start searching. 241 00:15:15,312 --> 00:15:16,646 [Mariana van Zeller] The sheriff's department, they think 242 00:15:16,646 --> 00:15:18,982 they're hiding counterfeit medication. 243 00:15:22,444 --> 00:15:24,321 [Officer] Oh (bleep) look at this. 244 00:15:25,113 --> 00:15:26,781 [Officer] There's a false bottom? 245 00:15:26,781 --> 00:15:29,326 There's some false compartments in there. 246 00:15:30,577 --> 00:15:32,662 There's a huge box full of everything. 247 00:15:32,662 --> 00:15:34,581 [Officer] This is good stuff. 248 00:15:34,873 --> 00:15:37,500 [Mariana van Zeller] Today's raid turns up dozens of boxes 249 00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:40,128 of potentially counterfeit meds. 250 00:15:40,128 --> 00:15:44,090 And officers tell me that this is just the tip of the iceberg. 251 00:15:45,967 --> 00:15:48,136 Around the country, law enforcement has seen an 252 00:15:48,136 --> 00:15:52,432 uptick in the number of seizures by air, by land, and sea, 253 00:15:52,432 --> 00:15:55,477 as criminal operations attempt to smuggle fake meds 254 00:15:55,477 --> 00:15:57,187 into the country. 255 00:16:02,025 --> 00:16:04,486 At the L.A. Sheriff's Department headquarters, 256 00:16:04,486 --> 00:16:08,073 much of the basement is now a storeroom for seized counterfeit 257 00:16:08,073 --> 00:16:10,242 and illicit medicines. 258 00:16:10,242 --> 00:16:11,910 So this whole box is full of pharmaceuticals? 259 00:16:11,910 --> 00:16:13,078 [Officer Wong] Yes. 260 00:16:13,453 --> 00:16:15,372 [Mariana van Zeller] Officer Brian Wong is a pharmacist, 261 00:16:15,372 --> 00:16:18,959 who works as an expert in black market pharmaceuticals. 262 00:16:18,959 --> 00:16:21,586 [Officer Wong] So, if we look here, the labeling is showing 263 00:16:21,586 --> 00:16:24,464 you that it's amoxicillin and ambroxol. 264 00:16:26,132 --> 00:16:28,593 So, amoxicillin is your classic antibiotic and 265 00:16:28,593 --> 00:16:30,679 ambroxol is more of your expectorant to get, like, 266 00:16:30,679 --> 00:16:32,597 any phlegm out from cough. 267 00:16:32,597 --> 00:16:34,933 But our concern is whether or not there's actually active 268 00:16:34,933 --> 00:16:38,270 pharmaceutical ingredient in here, to make sure that we're 269 00:16:38,270 --> 00:16:40,146 taking care of that infection. 270 00:16:40,146 --> 00:16:41,648 [Mariana van Zeller] And I'm assuming that even if there is 271 00:16:41,648 --> 00:16:44,317 no toxic ingredient in there, it is dangerous anyway, 272 00:16:44,317 --> 00:16:46,194 because that means that a person is not being 273 00:16:46,194 --> 00:16:47,821 treated as they should. 274 00:16:47,821 --> 00:16:48,780 [Officer Wong] Correct. 275 00:16:49,364 --> 00:16:50,115 [Mariana van Zeller] And this is actually made in India? 276 00:16:50,115 --> 00:16:51,157 -Yes. -Yeah. 277 00:16:51,574 --> 00:16:53,660 So this one actually says here, it came from India. 278 00:16:53,660 --> 00:16:54,536 [Officer Wong] Yeah. 279 00:16:55,203 --> 00:16:55,537 [Mariana van Zeller] And you guys got it here in the U.S. 280 00:16:55,954 --> 00:16:57,038 [Officer Wong] Correct. 281 00:16:57,539 --> 00:16:59,582 [Mariana van Zeller] That's not as unusual as it may seem. 282 00:16:59,582 --> 00:17:01,751 For those Americans who aren't within reach of a MexGcan 283 00:17:01,751 --> 00:17:05,505 border pharmacy, there's an even simpler way to buy meds 284 00:17:05,505 --> 00:17:08,008 without a prescription. 285 00:17:09,551 --> 00:17:12,137 You get a lot of results. 286 00:17:12,137 --> 00:17:15,181 There are currently around 40,000 online pharmacies 287 00:17:15,181 --> 00:17:17,350 operating worldwide. 288 00:17:17,350 --> 00:17:20,186 And the vast majority of them are illegal. 289 00:17:20,645 --> 00:17:23,481 And this one says, "A prescription is not required." 290 00:17:23,481 --> 00:17:27,068 So, they're selling prescription drugs without a prescription. 291 00:17:27,527 --> 00:17:31,489 And then, you could get a 10% discount if you use BitCoin. 292 00:17:32,324 --> 00:17:34,117 Ordering may be easy, 293 00:17:34,117 --> 00:17:36,620 finding out where these pills are actually made 294 00:17:36,620 --> 00:17:38,496 is a bit trickier. 295 00:17:38,496 --> 00:17:40,123 Let me see what this one is. 296 00:17:40,123 --> 00:17:43,043 But buried deep on the FAQ page of one of the pharmacies 297 00:17:43,043 --> 00:17:46,504 that same country pops up again. 298 00:17:46,921 --> 00:17:48,923 And this one says, "The medications are manufactured 299 00:17:48,923 --> 00:17:53,178 in India by an Indian state licensed company." 300 00:17:53,178 --> 00:17:56,431 Both the legal and illegal side of India's pharmaceutical 301 00:17:56,431 --> 00:17:59,601 industry have exploded in the last few decades, 302 00:17:59,601 --> 00:18:02,520 earning it the nickname, the world's pharmacy. 303 00:18:04,814 --> 00:18:11,488 [horns honking] 304 00:18:11,488 --> 00:18:13,031 [screeching] 305 00:18:14,824 --> 00:18:21,206 [♪ upbeat Indian music] 306 00:18:21,206 --> 00:18:23,875 [honking] 307 00:18:23,875 --> 00:18:25,919 [Mariana van Zeller] Oh, wow. 308 00:18:28,546 --> 00:18:29,672 You see this? 309 00:18:30,048 --> 00:18:31,841 I mean, both sides of the street, these are all little 310 00:18:31,841 --> 00:18:35,011 pharmacies, and there's dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of 311 00:18:35,011 --> 00:18:38,098 these little streets all over this neighborhood. 312 00:18:38,098 --> 00:18:41,351 And it's all basically pharmacies. 313 00:18:42,352 --> 00:18:45,647 And all of these boxes that you see are all full of meds, too, 314 00:18:45,647 --> 00:18:48,650 that they're distributing around to these pharmacists. 315 00:18:48,650 --> 00:18:50,819 It's truly incredible. 316 00:18:50,819 --> 00:18:53,488 I've never seen a place like this in my life. 317 00:18:54,322 --> 00:18:58,451 35% of all counterfeit meds originate in India. 318 00:18:59,369 --> 00:19:02,038 I want to see how they're made and distributed here, 319 00:19:02,038 --> 00:19:06,418 in the biggest pharmaceutical black market in the world. 320 00:19:18,430 --> 00:19:20,598 [honking] 321 00:19:27,772 --> 00:19:30,108 Through a local contact, I connect with a man who says 322 00:19:30,108 --> 00:19:32,986 he's a distributor of fake meds. 323 00:19:35,029 --> 00:19:38,074 And apparently, he's willing to talk. 324 00:19:43,746 --> 00:19:45,290 [Mariana van Zeller] Alpha. 325 00:19:45,290 --> 00:19:46,708 You want me to call you Alpha, right? 326 00:19:46,708 --> 00:19:47,709 [Alpha] Yes. 327 00:19:48,126 --> 00:19:49,002 [Mariana van Zeller] How long have you been in the 328 00:19:49,002 --> 00:19:50,211 pharmaceutical world? 329 00:19:52,130 --> 00:19:53,965 [Mariana van Zeller] From what we've been told, "Alpha" is a 330 00:19:53,965 --> 00:19:56,384 distributor of fake medicine. 331 00:19:56,384 --> 00:19:58,178 What is your role in this business? 332 00:20:00,472 --> 00:20:02,140 -The fake medication? -No, no. 333 00:20:10,356 --> 00:20:12,525 -101%. -Okay, okay. 334 00:20:12,525 --> 00:20:16,237 Um, but, do you think, do you know people who are working in 335 00:20:16,237 --> 00:20:17,322 the informal markets? 336 00:20:21,409 --> 00:20:24,204 [Mariana van Zeller] We know Alpha's not telling the truth, 337 00:20:24,204 --> 00:20:26,956 because just an hour before this interview, he'd shown our 338 00:20:26,956 --> 00:20:30,960 local producer a video of a truck full of fake medication 339 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,338 that he was looking to sell. 340 00:20:33,338 --> 00:20:35,465 So I try a different tack. 341 00:20:35,465 --> 00:20:38,384 If I wanted to see some of the manufacturing, which area of 342 00:20:38,384 --> 00:20:40,094 India do you think I should go through? 343 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:44,724 [Mariana van Zeller] Here in Delhi? 344 00:20:44,724 --> 00:20:45,975 Or is it in other parts of India? 345 00:20:45,975 --> 00:20:46,976 [Alpha] No, not in Delhi. 346 00:20:49,187 --> 00:20:50,230 [Mariana van Zeller] Up north? 347 00:20:52,857 --> 00:20:53,566 [Mariana van Zeller] Little factories. 348 00:20:55,652 --> 00:20:57,153 [Mariana van Zeller] So we've come all the way from the 349 00:20:57,153 --> 00:20:58,988 United States to meet people who are involved in the 350 00:20:58,988 --> 00:21:00,782 counterfeit business. 351 00:21:00,782 --> 00:21:02,617 Do you know anyone that you could put us in touch with? 352 00:21:04,410 --> 00:21:06,079 -No? -No. 353 00:21:07,413 --> 00:21:09,499 [Mariana van Zeller] Alpha is getting more and more nervous. 354 00:21:15,004 --> 00:21:16,673 [Mariana van Zeller] He thinks the people over there are 355 00:21:16,673 --> 00:21:19,342 listening, the guy left already. 356 00:21:19,342 --> 00:21:22,345 So can you tell me how you know so much about this 357 00:21:22,345 --> 00:21:23,680 counterfeit medication business? 358 00:21:28,768 --> 00:21:31,312 [Mariana van Zeller] Um, I think he just got cold feet 359 00:21:31,312 --> 00:21:32,480 and got nervous. 360 00:21:32,814 --> 00:21:35,024 The cameras, you know, the fact that we're on a rooftop 361 00:21:35,024 --> 00:21:39,737 and there's possibly people looking, or listening. 362 00:21:39,737 --> 00:21:42,323 So now we have our local producers there talking to him 363 00:21:42,323 --> 00:21:44,576 trying to understand what's the matter and why did he 364 00:21:44,576 --> 00:21:46,452 change his mind. 365 00:21:46,452 --> 00:21:49,664 It's incredibly frustrating, um, oh, he's here. 366 00:21:49,664 --> 00:21:53,209 Um, so, you're okay? 367 00:21:53,209 --> 00:21:54,794 Okay. 368 00:21:54,794 --> 00:21:55,837 So I think he's willing... 369 00:21:56,212 --> 00:21:58,506 Are you willing to talk to us? You can look to me. 370 00:22:05,597 --> 00:22:07,223 [Mariana van Zeller] So you can arrange for me some connections. 371 00:22:07,223 --> 00:22:08,224 [Alpha] Yes. 372 00:22:08,766 --> 00:22:09,642 [Mariana van Zeller] So you know a little bit about the 373 00:22:09,642 --> 00:22:11,728 business, you know people? 374 00:22:14,647 --> 00:22:16,482 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay. So you're not in the business? 375 00:22:16,482 --> 00:22:18,234 [Alpha] No, I'm not. I am not. 376 00:22:18,234 --> 00:22:20,570 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay. Okay. Thank you. 377 00:22:24,157 --> 00:22:27,994 Again, frustrating, but small steps. 378 00:22:34,876 --> 00:22:41,716 [♪ mysterious music] 379 00:22:46,179 --> 00:22:48,389 [honking] 380 00:22:48,389 --> 00:22:50,350 Oh, my God. 381 00:22:53,186 --> 00:22:55,104 We're just arriving in this town, 382 00:22:55,104 --> 00:22:57,023 at the foot of the Himalayas. 383 00:22:57,023 --> 00:22:59,525 We've actually been asked not to say the name of the town 384 00:22:59,525 --> 00:23:02,445 and we're driving more and more, in sort of, to these 385 00:23:02,445 --> 00:23:05,782 remote areas of this region. 386 00:23:12,455 --> 00:23:14,040 [cows moo] 387 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,542 Alpha has texted me a time and a location where I'm to wait 388 00:23:16,542 --> 00:23:19,253 for a call from an illegal pill manufacturer 389 00:23:19,253 --> 00:23:21,798 he's calling "Amir". 390 00:23:27,845 --> 00:23:29,138 As night falls, 391 00:23:29,138 --> 00:23:32,850 the paved roads give way to narrow cobbled lanes. 392 00:23:32,850 --> 00:23:35,395 And then... 393 00:23:37,146 --> 00:23:38,982 Amir arrives. 394 00:23:38,982 --> 00:23:40,400 He's on edge. 395 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,695 And asks us to keep the cameras off. 396 00:23:43,945 --> 00:23:46,322 He doesn't want anyone from our crew to know exactly where 397 00:23:46,322 --> 00:23:48,366 his place is. 398 00:23:48,366 --> 00:23:51,369 So he insists we go with him, in his van. 399 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:55,289 And finally, after a long, disorienting drive. 400 00:23:55,289 --> 00:23:56,874 Rolling? 401 00:23:56,874 --> 00:23:58,626 -Uh-hmm. -Yeah, all good? 402 00:24:01,546 --> 00:24:06,217 He tells us to follow him to the back of an old rundown building. 403 00:24:23,317 --> 00:24:26,404 Wow, this is the machine, huh? 404 00:24:26,404 --> 00:24:27,822 [Amir] Yes, yes. 405 00:24:27,822 --> 00:24:29,615 [Mariana van Zeller] Can I see? 406 00:24:29,615 --> 00:24:31,534 How many pills do you make in one night? 407 00:24:31,534 --> 00:24:33,286 [speaking native language]. 408 00:24:33,286 --> 00:24:34,620 [Mariana van Zeller] 25,000 pills? 409 00:24:34,620 --> 00:24:36,038 [Amir] Yes. 410 00:24:36,038 --> 00:24:37,498 [Mariana van Zeller] Wow. 411 00:24:37,498 --> 00:24:39,292 So what is this? 412 00:24:43,755 --> 00:24:44,922 [Mariana van Zeller] What is the name of the pills? 413 00:24:46,382 --> 00:24:47,925 [Mariana van Zeller] Oh, it's amoxicillin. 414 00:24:47,925 --> 00:24:50,636 So that's an antibiotic that you have to be prescribed. 415 00:24:50,636 --> 00:24:53,097 We travel with amoxicillin. 416 00:24:54,932 --> 00:24:58,311 Amoxicillin is an antibiotic used to treat a number of 417 00:24:58,311 --> 00:25:00,730 common bacterial infections, 418 00:25:00,730 --> 00:25:04,275 like strep throat, pneumonia and ear infections. 419 00:25:04,275 --> 00:25:06,319 Can I, can I take a pill to see? 420 00:25:07,403 --> 00:25:09,363 -Okay. -Yes, yes. 421 00:25:10,364 --> 00:25:12,158 [Mariana van Zeller] It's really powdery. 422 00:25:12,158 --> 00:25:15,411 And is it, is it actually amoxicillin? 423 00:25:15,411 --> 00:25:17,455 Does it have the active ingredients? 424 00:25:18,539 --> 00:25:19,123 [Mariana van Zeller] No? 425 00:25:20,124 --> 00:25:22,627 [Mariana van Zeller] So, you say it's amoxicillin, but what 426 00:25:22,627 --> 00:25:24,253 is actually, what's the powder? 427 00:25:24,253 --> 00:25:25,630 What is actually in it? 428 00:25:25,630 --> 00:25:26,631 [Amir] Calcium. 429 00:25:26,631 --> 00:25:28,090 -This is calcium? -Yes. 430 00:25:28,090 --> 00:25:29,634 [Mariana van Zeller] But you're selling it off as if 431 00:25:29,634 --> 00:25:30,885 it's an antibiotic? 432 00:25:30,885 --> 00:25:32,470 [Amir] Mm-hmm. 433 00:25:32,470 --> 00:25:33,805 [Mariana van Zeller] Where, is it easy to buy? 434 00:25:33,805 --> 00:25:34,889 You can buy the powder? 435 00:25:38,226 --> 00:25:39,936 [Mariana van Zeller] And can you make the color? 436 00:25:39,936 --> 00:25:41,687 Can you make whatever color you want? 437 00:25:46,067 --> 00:25:47,944 [Mariana van Zeller] Is it just dye or what's the color made? 438 00:25:47,944 --> 00:25:49,112 [Amir] Food coloring. 439 00:25:49,112 --> 00:25:50,279 -Food coloring. -Uh-hmm. 440 00:25:50,279 --> 00:25:51,239 [Mariana van Zeller] Oh, wow. 441 00:25:51,781 --> 00:25:52,949 So you use food coloring and you can make any pill look 442 00:25:53,324 --> 00:25:54,992 whatever color you want and then you sell it as if it's 443 00:25:54,992 --> 00:25:56,536 the real thing? 444 00:25:56,536 --> 00:25:59,205 Whoa, that is crazy. 445 00:25:59,205 --> 00:26:01,541 You know, there's a lot of people that have been harmed. 446 00:26:01,541 --> 00:26:04,794 There's even people who have died because of fake medication. 447 00:26:04,794 --> 00:26:06,212 Do you feel bad? 448 00:26:08,464 --> 00:26:09,423 [Mariana] Do you ever think maybe you should stop doing it? 449 00:26:11,884 --> 00:26:13,845 [Mariana van Zeller] Why did you start doing this? 450 00:26:13,845 --> 00:26:16,097 Were you working in a legal manufacturing facility? 451 00:26:18,599 --> 00:26:20,393 [Mariana van Zeller] So you used to work in a factory and 452 00:26:20,393 --> 00:26:22,228 then you learned how to make pills. 453 00:26:22,228 --> 00:26:24,605 Do you make more money now than you did when you were 454 00:26:24,605 --> 00:26:25,731 working in the factory? 455 00:26:27,441 --> 00:26:31,237 [Mariana] Do you sell it to a pharmacy or a distributor? 456 00:26:38,202 --> 00:26:40,329 [Mariana van Zeller] Are they staying here in India or are 457 00:26:40,329 --> 00:26:41,914 they going abroad to other countries? 458 00:26:47,170 --> 00:26:49,839 [Mariana van Zeller] Do you think that these could 459 00:26:49,839 --> 00:26:51,340 end up in America? 460 00:26:58,556 --> 00:27:00,516 [Mariana van Zeller] With no oversight or testing, 461 00:27:00,516 --> 00:27:04,145 rogue manufacturers like Amir can put whatever they want into 462 00:27:04,145 --> 00:27:08,357 their products, on sloppy and unsanitary production lines. 463 00:27:09,192 --> 00:27:12,111 Fake medicines have been found to contain everything from 464 00:27:12,111 --> 00:27:16,282 mercury and cement, to arsenic and rat poison. 465 00:27:16,282 --> 00:27:20,119 And that can have devastating consequences. 466 00:27:20,661 --> 00:27:23,372 [Reporter] Four Indian-made cough and cold medicines could 467 00:27:23,372 --> 00:27:26,959 be linked to the death of 66 children in the Gambia. 468 00:27:28,502 --> 00:27:30,755 [Mariana van Zeller] Only days after we returned to the U.S., 469 00:27:30,755 --> 00:27:35,009 news breaks that contaminated Indian cough syrup is behind 470 00:27:35,009 --> 00:27:39,055 an outbreak of pediatric kidney failure, leading to the 471 00:27:39,055 --> 00:27:42,308 death of 70 children. 472 00:27:42,767 --> 00:27:44,810 [Reporter] Basically stuff that's in antifreeze and 473 00:27:44,810 --> 00:27:47,063 air conditioning are in these medicines and they should 474 00:27:47,063 --> 00:27:48,898 never be. 475 00:27:48,898 --> 00:27:50,399 [Mariana van Zeller] Scientists estimate that over 476 00:27:50,399 --> 00:27:54,904 250,000 children die each year 477 00:27:54,904 --> 00:27:56,405 from malaria and pneumonia 478 00:27:56,405 --> 00:28:00,159 left untreated by fake or substandard drugs. 479 00:28:06,165 --> 00:28:09,168 I've seen how it can happen in India. 480 00:28:09,168 --> 00:28:12,213 And I've just gotten the invite to go inside a lab 481 00:28:12,213 --> 00:28:14,465 of a Mexican cartel. 482 00:28:18,928 --> 00:28:24,684 [♪ funky electronic music] 483 00:28:24,684 --> 00:28:26,686 [horns honking] 484 00:28:41,033 --> 00:28:43,327 [Mariana van Zeller] I'm back in Mexico City to meet up with 485 00:28:43,327 --> 00:28:46,247 the cartel, La Union. 486 00:28:46,247 --> 00:28:50,126 They're finally ready to give us more access to their operation. 487 00:29:31,792 --> 00:29:33,919 [Mariana van Zeller] La Union has granted me a meeting with 488 00:29:33,919 --> 00:29:38,090 "Dr. Loco", one of the cartel's chemists, who also runs 489 00:29:38,090 --> 00:29:41,677 his own legal medical practice here in Mexico City. 490 00:29:48,184 --> 00:29:50,644 [Mariana van Zeller] He rattles off a list of drugs he produces, 491 00:29:50,644 --> 00:29:53,564 including antibiotics, painkillers and 492 00:29:53,564 --> 00:29:56,942 some very popular brand name pharmaceuticals. 493 00:30:00,237 --> 00:30:01,322 [Mariana van Zeller] Hmm. 494 00:30:17,797 --> 00:30:19,757 [Mariana van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 495 00:30:28,390 --> 00:30:29,391 [Dr Loco] Si. 496 00:30:34,188 --> 00:30:35,397 [Mariana van Zeller] Starch. Oh, starch. Wow. 497 00:31:42,548 --> 00:31:44,800 [Mariana van Zeller] Dr. Loco tells me that every day in 498 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:48,929 labs and factories all over Mexico, fake pills like these 499 00:31:48,929 --> 00:31:51,974 are being made by the thousands. 500 00:31:53,350 --> 00:31:56,937 He provides "quality control," making sure that every pill 501 00:31:56,937 --> 00:32:00,566 and package looks exactly like the real deal. 502 00:32:00,566 --> 00:32:04,486 Wow, it has the, it actually has the little cotton inside 503 00:32:04,486 --> 00:32:06,363 to make it look really real. 504 00:32:12,494 --> 00:32:14,622 [Mariana van Zeller] The attention to detail makes me 505 00:32:14,622 --> 00:32:17,374 think again about Kristine and 506 00:32:17,374 --> 00:32:20,169 whether she's actually getting what she needs. 507 00:32:29,553 --> 00:32:30,304 [Mariana van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 508 00:32:35,309 --> 00:32:38,020 [tapping] 509 00:32:50,866 --> 00:32:52,534 [Mariana van Zeller] One part of the business that I'm still 510 00:32:52,534 --> 00:32:54,119 unclear about is how these 511 00:32:54,119 --> 00:32:57,539 counterfeit meds make it to market? 512 00:32:57,539 --> 00:33:00,334 How and where are they sold? 513 00:33:06,548 --> 00:33:08,842 So the cartel has told me to wait here, 514 00:33:08,842 --> 00:33:11,887 at the Santa Muerte shrine. 515 00:33:18,227 --> 00:33:21,272 Santa Muerte or the saint of death, is a popular figure in 516 00:33:21,272 --> 00:33:23,774 Mexico worshiped by many 517 00:33:23,774 --> 00:33:26,735 in the world of drug trafficking and crime. 518 00:33:27,820 --> 00:33:29,947 [horns honking] 519 00:33:31,782 --> 00:33:34,076 [in Spanish] Hello, how are you? I'm good. 520 00:33:34,076 --> 00:33:35,995 Inside? 521 00:33:35,995 --> 00:33:37,955 [in English] It's a fitting spot to meet, since 522 00:33:37,955 --> 00:33:41,750 I'm heading out on a sales call with a hitman. 523 00:33:46,505 --> 00:33:52,219 [♪ fast rock music] 524 00:34:01,937 --> 00:34:04,023 [Mariana van Zeller] I'm riding shotgun with Amarillo, 525 00:34:04,023 --> 00:34:07,276 one of the members of La Union that I met on my previous trip. 526 00:34:10,863 --> 00:34:12,781 [Mariana van Zeller] Wow, he's even stopping the traffic for us 527 00:34:36,096 --> 00:34:37,514 [Amarillo] Uno, dos, tres... 528 00:34:37,514 --> 00:34:38,640 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay. [in Spanish] I hear you. 529 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:39,683 [in English] Okay. 530 00:34:40,017 --> 00:34:42,227 Amarillo doesn't want our cameras following him, 531 00:34:42,227 --> 00:34:44,396 but he's agreed to keep his microphone on 532 00:34:44,396 --> 00:34:47,024 so I can listen in. 533 00:34:48,275 --> 00:34:49,860 Okay, so yeah, I can see the pharmacy. 534 00:34:49,860 --> 00:34:52,780 And we're not allowed to film it, but it's a corner pharmacy. 535 00:34:55,699 --> 00:34:57,701 Okay, he's inside, he just walked inside, 536 00:34:57,701 --> 00:34:59,870 there's a couple of other people inside. 537 00:35:00,662 --> 00:35:01,705 [speaking Spanish]. 538 00:35:02,164 --> 00:35:04,375 [Mariana van Zeller] "Hola Señora" He said. Good afternoon. 539 00:35:14,802 --> 00:35:16,303 [Mariana van Zeller] Holy (bleep). 540 00:35:32,653 --> 00:35:34,738 [Mariana van Zeller] Okay, and he's coming back. 541 00:35:53,382 --> 00:35:56,427 [Mariana van Zeller] Uh-hmm. Okay. 542 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:01,932 So this is how La Union distributes their fake meds. 543 00:36:01,932 --> 00:36:04,810 They force pharmacies to carry them. 544 00:37:22,012 --> 00:37:25,432 [Mariana van Zeller] Desperate patients, ruthless suppliers, 545 00:37:25,432 --> 00:37:28,894 I could feel a perfect storm brewing. 546 00:37:29,394 --> 00:37:31,814 [Reporter] A new investigation by the LA Times has found that 547 00:37:31,814 --> 00:37:35,859 pharmacies in several Mexican cities are selling counterfeit 548 00:37:35,859 --> 00:37:39,655 prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. 549 00:37:40,822 --> 00:37:43,492 [Mariana van Zeller] This news story broke just a few weeks 550 00:37:43,492 --> 00:37:45,661 after we returned from Mexico. 551 00:37:46,620 --> 00:37:51,291 [Reporter] 71% of 17 pills it tested came back positive 552 00:37:51,291 --> 00:37:54,545 for illegal drugs. 553 00:37:55,045 --> 00:37:57,506 [Mariana van Zeller] After all I've seen on this journey, 554 00:37:57,506 --> 00:38:00,676 the news is hardly surprising. 555 00:38:00,676 --> 00:38:03,053 The cartels are doing what they do best, 556 00:38:03,053 --> 00:38:05,472 making easy, ugly money. 557 00:38:05,472 --> 00:38:07,933 And with fake prescription drugs, much of their product 558 00:38:07,933 --> 00:38:10,018 doesn't even have to cross the border, 559 00:38:10,018 --> 00:38:12,813 because American patients are so desperate, 560 00:38:12,813 --> 00:38:15,941 they're often willing to come to Mexico. 561 00:38:17,693 --> 00:38:19,987 Do I think the cartels are greedy and ruthless 562 00:38:19,987 --> 00:38:22,990 for putting the lives of vulnerable patients at risk? 563 00:38:22,990 --> 00:38:25,158 You bet. 564 00:38:25,158 --> 00:38:27,911 But we also need to look in the mirror and ask some 565 00:38:27,911 --> 00:38:32,416 tough questions about what's happening right here at home. 566 00:38:34,626 --> 00:38:37,546 That's why I've traveled to the nation's capital, 567 00:38:37,546 --> 00:38:40,382 to confront an industry that often seems more concerned 568 00:38:40,382 --> 00:38:42,968 with profits than patients. 569 00:38:55,355 --> 00:38:56,815 [Anne Pritchett] When you are purchasing a 570 00:38:56,815 --> 00:38:59,902 counterfeit medicine, you're playing Russian roulette. 571 00:38:59,902 --> 00:39:03,739 It could be paint thinner, it could be antifreeze, 572 00:39:03,739 --> 00:39:05,824 it could be rat poison, it could be fentanyl, 573 00:39:05,824 --> 00:39:08,994 which as we all know at this point is deadly, 574 00:39:08,994 --> 00:39:11,288 you just never know. 575 00:39:11,538 --> 00:39:13,540 [Mariana van Zeller] I'm in Washington DC to meet with 576 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:14,791 Anne Pritchett, 577 00:39:14,791 --> 00:39:17,210 Senior Vice President of Policy and Research 578 00:39:17,210 --> 00:39:19,421 at the trade group PhRMA. 579 00:39:19,421 --> 00:39:22,049 PhRMA represents the nation's leading pharmaceutical 580 00:39:22,049 --> 00:39:24,801 companies, most of which have seen their products 581 00:39:24,801 --> 00:39:27,596 counterfeited by criminal organizations. 582 00:39:28,180 --> 00:39:31,183 [Anne Pritchett] It is 10 times more profitable to be 583 00:39:31,183 --> 00:39:33,143 selling counterfeit medicines 584 00:39:33,143 --> 00:39:35,812 than it is to be trafficking in heroin. 585 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:37,814 [Mariana van Zeller] The groups' members work with 586 00:39:38,023 --> 00:39:41,193 law enforcement agencies across the country to keep fake meds 587 00:39:41,193 --> 00:39:44,154 out of the hands of Americans. 588 00:39:44,154 --> 00:39:47,366 But there's a certain irony here, the fact that big pharma 589 00:39:47,366 --> 00:39:50,911 plays a major role in making medications unaffordable 590 00:39:50,911 --> 00:39:55,123 is actually helping to create this black market. 591 00:39:56,208 --> 00:39:58,126 [Man] Washington is talking about price setting 592 00:39:58,126 --> 00:40:01,505 some medicines, but it won't stop insurers from shifting 593 00:40:01,505 --> 00:40:03,173 costs to you. 594 00:40:03,173 --> 00:40:05,592 [Mariana van Zeller] In 2022 alone, PhRMA spent 595 00:40:05,592 --> 00:40:10,430 $29.2 million more than any other lobbying group. 596 00:40:10,430 --> 00:40:13,642 Much of it to combat the inflation reduction act and 597 00:40:13,642 --> 00:40:16,728 the efforts to set limits on drug prices. 598 00:40:16,728 --> 00:40:18,980 What we've heard again and again from Americans that 599 00:40:18,980 --> 00:40:22,025 we've spoken to, is the reason why we're risking our lives 600 00:40:22,025 --> 00:40:24,528 and going to places like Mexico and India is because 601 00:40:24,528 --> 00:40:27,322 we cannot afford the medication in the United States. 602 00:40:27,322 --> 00:40:29,658 Why is it that Americans are paying more for their meds 603 00:40:29,658 --> 00:40:30,992 than anyone else in the world? 604 00:40:30,992 --> 00:40:32,244 [Anne Pritchett] I think it's just comparing 605 00:40:32,244 --> 00:40:33,537 apples and oranges. 606 00:40:33,537 --> 00:40:36,540 And do think that, you know, in America, 607 00:40:36,540 --> 00:40:39,334 we want to and we feel that patient choice and prescriber 608 00:40:39,334 --> 00:40:42,379 choice is very important, and that patients should have 609 00:40:42,379 --> 00:40:46,258 access to the best innovation that there is. 610 00:40:46,258 --> 00:40:49,136 The U.S. is a world leader in biopharmaceutical R&D. 611 00:40:49,136 --> 00:40:50,220 [Mariana van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 612 00:40:50,637 --> 00:40:52,556 [Anne Pritchett] It's a system that's worked, we think. 613 00:40:54,016 --> 00:40:55,559 [Mariana van Zeller] Have you spent time talking to some of 614 00:40:55,559 --> 00:40:57,978 these Americans that can't afford their medication? 615 00:40:57,978 --> 00:40:59,229 [Anne Pritchett] Not me personally, no. 616 00:40:59,563 --> 00:41:01,231 [Mariana van Zeller] I'm, I'm not being, I'm not being smart. 617 00:41:01,231 --> 00:41:02,858 I'm actually interested, because I've spent time 618 00:41:02,858 --> 00:41:04,109 talking to some of them and 619 00:41:04,109 --> 00:41:05,360 it's really heartbreaking stories. 620 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:06,278 [Anne Pritchett] Uh-hmm. 621 00:41:06,653 --> 00:41:07,571 [Mariana van Zeller] And I understand that it's a 622 00:41:07,571 --> 00:41:10,115 profit-driven industry, 623 00:41:10,115 --> 00:41:12,868 but I do, therefore, think it's a conflict of interest 624 00:41:12,868 --> 00:41:15,454 and there should be somebody advocating for Americans. 625 00:41:15,454 --> 00:41:17,164 And that doesn't seem to be the case right now. 626 00:41:17,164 --> 00:41:18,165 [Anne Pritchett] I wouldn't call it a conflict of interest 627 00:41:18,582 --> 00:41:20,751 when we're making lifesaving medicines available-- 628 00:41:20,751 --> 00:41:22,169 [Mariana van Zeller] But if it's not affordable, 629 00:41:22,169 --> 00:41:24,046 the medication isn't doing anything. 630 00:41:24,046 --> 00:41:26,089 [Anne Pritchett] Again, I do think though, this is why 631 00:41:26,089 --> 00:41:28,675 we have an insurance system that isn't working, 632 00:41:28,675 --> 00:41:31,595 when the insurance industry continues to increase 633 00:41:31,595 --> 00:41:34,681 co-insurance and out-of-pocket costs for patients while they 634 00:41:34,681 --> 00:41:37,976 continue to pocket substantial rebates and discounts. 635 00:41:37,976 --> 00:41:40,979 So I think to just say, "It's industry's fault for having 636 00:41:40,979 --> 00:41:45,650 high list prices," isn't a valid argument. 637 00:41:45,650 --> 00:41:46,735 [Mariana van Zeller] I'm not saying it's just an industry. 638 00:41:47,235 --> 00:41:49,780 I think the system is broken, and I think it has worked in 639 00:41:49,780 --> 00:41:52,991 other countries limiting the price of drugs by having the 640 00:41:52,991 --> 00:41:54,242 government interfere. 641 00:41:54,618 --> 00:41:55,994 [Anne Pritchett] And limiting the availability of drugs and 642 00:41:55,994 --> 00:41:58,747 limiting access to medicines. 643 00:41:58,747 --> 00:42:01,082 And that's not what Americans want. 644 00:42:01,082 --> 00:42:02,959 [Mariana van Zeller] What I go back to is that the medication 645 00:42:02,959 --> 00:42:05,337 only works if people can afford it. 646 00:42:05,337 --> 00:42:08,507 PhRMA is quick to blame insurance companies, middlemen 647 00:42:08,507 --> 00:42:12,135 and politicians for America's failing healthcare system. 648 00:42:12,135 --> 00:42:15,055 But the argument that their record profits are used to 649 00:42:15,055 --> 00:42:17,682 fund research and development doesn't line up with the 650 00:42:17,682 --> 00:42:19,810 latest numbers. 651 00:42:19,810 --> 00:42:21,561 In 2021, 652 00:42:21,561 --> 00:42:24,439 seven of the ten biggest pharmaceutical companies 653 00:42:24,439 --> 00:42:28,235 spent 37% more on sales and marketing than 654 00:42:28,235 --> 00:42:31,279 they did on research and development. 655 00:42:31,279 --> 00:42:36,326 And 10 companies made $102 billion in profits 656 00:42:36,326 --> 00:42:41,748 that same year, a 137% increase from 2020. 657 00:42:42,666 --> 00:42:45,126 [Erin Fuse Brown] The American healthcare system is built to 658 00:42:45,126 --> 00:42:50,340 benefit the corporations and industries that have grown up 659 00:42:50,340 --> 00:42:53,301 to make money in the healthcare system. 660 00:42:53,301 --> 00:42:57,639 I think that there is a moral sense that the amount that 661 00:42:57,639 --> 00:43:00,058 pharmaceutical companies are starting to charge 662 00:43:00,058 --> 00:43:03,061 is unconscionable. 663 00:43:04,437 --> 00:43:05,939 [Mariana van Zeller] Josh, what do you think of America's 664 00:43:05,939 --> 00:43:07,524 healthcare system? 665 00:43:07,524 --> 00:43:09,067 [Josh] I think it's broken. 666 00:43:09,067 --> 00:43:11,945 When, you know, the richest country in the world, 667 00:43:11,945 --> 00:43:16,283 its citizens can't afford the medications that they need and 668 00:43:16,283 --> 00:43:19,244 have to come down to what a lot of Americans consider 669 00:43:19,244 --> 00:43:20,620 a very poor country. 670 00:43:20,620 --> 00:43:21,705 [Mariana van Zeller] Uh-hmm. 671 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:23,748 [Josh] To be able to actually get their medications. 672 00:43:23,748 --> 00:43:25,584 [Mariana van Zeller] Right. 673 00:43:25,584 --> 00:43:27,377 [Kristine Schachinger] I didn't do anything to get all these 674 00:43:27,377 --> 00:43:29,045 illnesses, all of these are genetic. 675 00:43:29,045 --> 00:43:30,839 Most started in my teens and 20s. 676 00:43:30,839 --> 00:43:31,840 [Mariana van Zeller] Mm-hmm. 677 00:43:32,465 --> 00:43:33,216 [Kristine Schachinger] So, you know, we've gotta stop, like, 678 00:43:33,925 --> 00:43:35,594 blaming people and we have to stop treating it like. 679 00:43:35,594 --> 00:43:39,097 It's on them, because the system has made it so hard 680 00:43:39,097 --> 00:43:40,807 to get healthy and stay well. 681 00:43:40,807 --> 00:43:42,559 [Mariana van Zeller] Mm-hmm. 682 00:43:43,476 --> 00:43:47,314 As long as America prioritizes the profits of big pharma over 683 00:43:47,314 --> 00:43:51,401 the wellbeing of our citizens, we are complicit in filling 684 00:43:51,401 --> 00:43:54,946 the pockets of the cartels and black market operators 685 00:43:54,946 --> 00:43:58,825 who are getting rich off of our broken system. 686 00:44:00,035 --> 00:44:01,369 Captioned by Cotter Media Group.