1
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,320
I won't show
my face on camera,
2
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:22,600
because I'm currently working
cases all undercover.
3
00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,920
{\an8}We've arranged to purchase
4 kilograms of fentanyl
4
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,640
{\an8}for the sum of $152,000
from (bleep).
5
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:37,560
We'll then effect a buy bust.
6
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,240
We'll arrest and
take him into custody
7
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,880
on state charges of
trafficking in drugs,
8
00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:47,800
which carries a max
for 11 years in prison.
9
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:51,840
Hello
10
00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,440
Hey. ¿Qué pasa, amigo?
11
00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,200
Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey,
dude, it's time to go.
12
00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,880
er... ok
give me... er...
13
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,480
give me one hour
14
00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:04,640
You say one hour?
15
00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:05,600
yeah one hour
16
00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:06,920
Alright, bro, sounds good.
17
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,080
JJ (off-screen): So we probably
got anywhere from 20 to 25
18
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,080
people on this operation today.
19
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,920
Let me know, and
I'll be hanging around. Thanks.
20
00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,240
When we have
eyes on both vehicles,
21
00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,400
we can do the takedown.
22
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,720
{\an8}Alright,
what's the move, Jimbo?
23
00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,200
{\an8}Alright, JJ's saying if
you've got 'em, stop 'em.
24
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:52,400
{\an8}Stop 'em.
25
00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,240
Where's he at?
Where's the target at?
26
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:10,600
You have the right
to remain silent.
27
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,280
You don't have to talk to me
if you don't want to.
28
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,880
558, traffic...
29
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,720
JJ (off-screen): In 2019 we saw
in the state of Ohio
30
00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,720
more than 4,000 overdose deaths.
31
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,120
A lot of old dope cops will say,
32
00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,400
you know, it never
used to be that way.
33
00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:59,160
I would say that's
because the addiction
34
00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,920
has never been
this out of hand.
35
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:22,720
Shake this square world and
blast off for Kicksville.
36
00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:27,120
America's public
enemy number one is drug abuse.
37
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,520
Heroin destroys everything.
38
00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,720
Prescribing pain pills
created huge numbers of addicts.
39
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:35,680
People die! Sacklers lie!
40
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,000
Opium is cash.
41
00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,000
It's like you're growing
bills on the bush.
42
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,280
Crime and drug abuse
go hand in hand.
43
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,120
It's like peanut butter
and jelly.
44
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:44,400
There's now
an understanding that
45
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,920
the war on drugs
was an abject failure.
46
00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,760
You have to stop and ask
yourself, how did we get here?
47
00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:59,560
.
48
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,480
RILEY (off-screen): The Dearborn
Housing Project is on the
49
00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:18,960
South Side of Chicago,
50
00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:25,040
and it's a traditional
low-income housing project.
51
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,160
So, it's really an
enclave unto itself.
52
00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,000
{\an8}And in the early 2000s it
was being controlled by,
53
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,280
{\an8}really, elements
of organized crime,
54
00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:35,160
primarily street gangs.
55
00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,040
The Mickey Cobras were
the organized crime faction
56
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,480
within Dearborn.
57
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,760
They made money by the sale of
narcotics, specifically heroin.
58
00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,640
I remember distinctly
it was on a Saturday,
59
00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,400
and I think over
the first day or so
60
00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,280
there was 26, 27, 28
reported overdoses.
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00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,960
Not all led to death,
62
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,280
but clearly what was
going on the street
63
00:05:17,280 --> 00:05:19,880
was not ordinary street heroin.
64
00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,720
It hit the news, that's when we
found out that everybody was ODing.
65
00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:30,600
{\an8}What did he take?
66
00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,960
{\an8}I don't know,
I don't know.
67
00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:34,480
{\an8}Okay, alright,
let me get my gloves on,
68
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,320
{\an8}and he's gonna, I'm gonna get
him with Narcan, okay?
69
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:37,720
{\an8}What's his name, baby?
70
00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,880
{\an8}Alright.
71
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,320
{\an8}Have you got anything?
Uh, yeah, there's a...
72
00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,520
Yo, my name's Snake
73
00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,640
I used to be affiliated
with the Mickey Cobras
74
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,160
back in the early 2000s.
75
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,320
RILEY (off-screen): I think the
Mickey Cobras really had no idea
76
00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,320
just exactly what
they were dealing with.
77
00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,840
Whatever this was,
it wasn't normal,
78
00:06:08,840 --> 00:06:11,040
and they weren't
handling it right,
79
00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,200
and we knew it was probably
cut with something
80
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:14,760
that we didn't know about.
81
00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:18,200
When people started dying, that's
when the heat came on
82
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,280
We really didn't want nobody to die, but
if it happened, it happened
83
00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:23,360
We really didn't care,
all we wanted was the money.
84
00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,560
Our first question
of concern was just
85
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,800
where the hell is this coming
from, who was responsible?
86
00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,320
Eventually our wiretaps
and intelligence
87
00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,200
led us to several phone calls
that were going from the Cobras,
88
00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:47,960
or someone representing
the Cobras,
89
00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,160
to Toluca, Mexico.
90
00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,800
{\an8}By chance, they
arrive just as one guy is there
91
00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:13,120
{\an8}feeding the guard dog.
92
00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,200
They don't know
who this fella is.
93
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,280
They begin to interrogate him,
94
00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,720
and it turns out that
he is not some worker,
95
00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,960
he's the guy running
the whole show.
96
00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,560
This fellow was a guy by the
name of Ricardo Valdez Torres,
97
00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,760
also known as
El Cerebro, the brain.
98
00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:52,800
It was around his talents that
this entire lab had been built.
99
00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,880
Fentanyl is a magnificent drug
when used medically in surgery.
100
00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,200
It's a revolutionary anesthetic.
101
00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,680
Many of us have had it; I have.
102
00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,520
And it made certain kinds
of surgery possible.
103
00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,560
The way it did that was
because it was very potent,
104
00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,320
but it also brought people
into anesthesia,
105
00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:27,720
then out of it very quickly,
106
00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,640
and you did not remain
doped up for hours,
107
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,640
as morphine used to do.
108
00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,880
It's that quick in,
quick out of fentanyl
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00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,880
that makes it such a wonderful
drug if you're a street dealer,
110
00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:46,480
because now addicts have to use
it four, five, six times a day.
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00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,320
Ricardo Valdez Torres,
a.k.a. the Brain,
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00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:53,880
had no background in chemistry.
113
00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,040
It's still a mystery to me
114
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,320
how he first learned
how to make fentanyl.
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00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,040
During the manufacture
of the fentanyl,
116
00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,720
he began to test it on mice.
117
00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:11,200
He finds that this fentanyl
has to be diluted 50 to 1,
118
00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,720
so 1 kilo makes 50 kilos
of sellable product.
119
00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,800
Otherwise it'll kill people.
120
00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,640
He gives these instructions to
the people who take it north.
121
00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,160
But in Chicago, nobody believes
that anything on the street
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00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:32,960
will take a 50-to-1 cut.
123
00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:37,640
They believe that that's
kind of salesmanship.
124
00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,040
Just sounds like a con job.
125
00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,800
Back then, you know, we didn't
even know that fentanyl was in the heroin
126
00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,080
All we did was get it.
Put it together and sold it
127
00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,760
In the lab
at the time we raided it,
128
00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,440
they had enough
chemicals to produce
129
00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,600
60 kilos of pure fentanyl.
130
00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:05,160
Now that's enough fentanyl
to kill 30 million people.
131
00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,640
When he's arrested,
The Brain tells investigators,
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00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,760
you know what,
just a couple days ago,
133
00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:36,680
I sent out a 10-kilo
batch of fentanyl.
134
00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,000
Where that ended up,
he doesn't know,
135
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000
but he assumes probably Chicago.
136
00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,200
Knowing 10 kilos
was inbound to Chicago,
137
00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,160
and knowing the way the Cobras
handled it and cut it,
138
00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,400
even against the
instructions of the lab,
139
00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,320
yeah, that was terrifying.
140
00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,480
We knew we had to act
and hit the Cobras
141
00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,720
so that we really destroyed
their organization,
142
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,560
so they couldn't be the
conduit of this anymore.
143
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,040
At least
30 alleged street gang members
144
00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:10,960
are in federal custody tonight.
145
00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,840
They are charged with running
a 24/7 drug operation.
146
00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:16,400
I remember it
like it was yesterday
147
00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:23,000
It was at least 100 police, 200
police, Feds, DEA, Chicago PD
148
00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,360
U.S. Marshals,
some of everybody
149
00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,960
They got to locking everybody
up, they ask questions later
150
00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,000
We went and we conquered
them, no question about it.
151
00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,080
It disappeared, it's almost
like it never existed.
152
00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:52,840
No fentanyl on the street,
no overdoses due to fentanyl.
153
00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,760
It went away, and that
really gave us confidence
154
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,320
that we had eliminated
the problem, start to finish.
155
00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,920
I don't think anybody ever
in their wildest dreams
156
00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,640
thought it would be
the way it is today.
157
00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:16,400
I know I didn't.
158
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:26,240
75,000 Americans lost their life
last year due to opioids.
159
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,880
Imagine that.
160
00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:38,040
Two football stadiums full of
people that are no longer there.
161
00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:43,160
Just think of what that does.
162
00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,200
They all have families, they're
all mothers, fathers, brothers,
163
00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,160
sisters, girlfriend, boyfriend,
husband, wife.
164
00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,880
Their families are destroyed...
165
00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,960
because of opioids,
because of fentanyl.
166
00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:01,040
Yeah, that's, that's,
that'll keep you up at night.
167
00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,920
{\an8}Tonight the
DEA is offering $10 million
168
00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:14,560
{\an8}for information leading
to the arrest
169
00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:17,800
{\an8}of the Mexican drug kingpin
known as El Mencho.
170
00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,400
El Mencho is the leader
171
00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:28,240
{\an8}of one of the most powerful
drug cartels in the world,
172
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,000
{\an8}known as the Jalisco
New Generation Cartel.
173
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,600
{\an8}He is a synthetic drug lord,
174
00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,200
because most of the
profits that he makes
175
00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,640
from the illegal drug trade
176
00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:51,720
come from methamphetamine
and then also fentanyl.
177
00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,800
{\an8}The Sinaloa Cartel
in the 2000s
178
00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:03,920
{\an8}that El Mencho joins
179
00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,000
{\an8}is really a federation
of drug traffickers.
180
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,840
So you have these different
factions, these different heads,
181
00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,360
spread around different
parts of Mexico,
182
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,560
with really their own networks
that are interlinked.
183
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:22,120
So El Mencho joins
the faction in Jalisco
184
00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:26,080
of this broader Sinaloan empire,
185
00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:30,960
and he begins as muscle
and a head of hitmen.
186
00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,640
So Rosalinda González Valencia
is the heiress
187
00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,560
in a powerful
drug trafficking family.
188
00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:04,120
When El Mencho marries her,
that's a step up for him,
189
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,160
and that gives him more access
190
00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,800
to the powerful levels in
the drug trafficking business.
191
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,400
He knew that
without Rosalinda,
192
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:17,080
he would be an assassin
for the rest of his career,
193
00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:23,680
and he was very ambitious and
wanted to become a cartel leader
194
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:25,720
as quickly as he could.
195
00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:41,280
Ignacio Coronel was a top leader
within the Sinaloa Cartel.
196
00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:46,440
He was also known as
the Crystal Meth King,
197
00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:51,040
because he managed
the methamphetamine operations
198
00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:54,280
for the Sinaloa Cartel,
199
00:15:54,280 --> 00:16:00,280
and Nacho Coronel acted
as a mentor to El Mencho,
200
00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:06,640
especially when it came to the
trafficking of synthetic drugs.
201
00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,640
{\an8}Synthetic drugs
are really a game changer
202
00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:20,280
{\an8}in the drug trafficking
business.
203
00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,000
You no longer need
to have these fields
204
00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,560
where you're harvesting
coca leaves
205
00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,160
or opium poppies or marijuana.
206
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,320
You could just have these
precursor ingredients,
207
00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,280
which are the base
chemicals you need
208
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,040
to make these synthetic drugs,
209
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,240
and then you can
cook them anywhere.
210
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,280
He's seeing this business,
he's seeing the precursors
211
00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:47,360
being imported in the ports
on the Pacific coast of Mexico.
212
00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,680
He's seeing the labs,
he's seeing the massive profits,
213
00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,560
and this is a lot
more profitable
214
00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,960
than the old plant-based drugs.
215
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,200
REPORTER
Ignacio Nacho Coronel,
216
00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:06,360
one of the top leaders
217
00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:08,400
of Mexico's most powerful
drug cartel,
218
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,720
has been killed
in a gun battle.
219
00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,320
The Mexican army
calls his death
220
00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,760
the biggest strike against
the cartel in years.
221
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,200
When Nacho Coronel
is shot dead,
222
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,720
then El Mencho is free
to make his own play,
223
00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,680
and after a violent struggle,
224
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,000
he becomes the head of
the mob in Jalisco.
225
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,400
The Zeta
drug trafficking organization
226
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:57,600
was making encroachments into
the Sinaloa Cartel's territory.
227
00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:05,800
They were a brutal,
brutal cartel,
228
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,000
and El Mencho
went to war with them.
229
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,480
GRILLO (off-screen): The Zetas
had really brought in
230
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,720
the paramilitary tactics
into the Mexican drug war.
231
00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,400
When El Mencho fights them, he
takes these paramilitary tactics
232
00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,960
and puts them at
a whole new level.
233
00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:29,920
Dozens of
bodies dumped in the street
234
00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,720
near a busy shopping
center in Veracruz.
235
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,440
Now a new paramilitary group
appears to be claiming
236
00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,880
responsibility for the massacre.
237
00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,520
GRILLO (off-screen): So the port of
Veracruz is one of the biggest ports
238
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:48,160
in Mexico, and it became
a big stronghold for the Zetas.
239
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:56,200
He went in there
with tremendous violence.
240
00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,160
These people were
tortured, killed...
241
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,120
and they were just
dropping them off
242
00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,040
like they were so much trash.
243
00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,400
They not only pushed
out the Zetas from the port,
244
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:17,000
they then took control of it.
245
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,000
It was a strategically
very cunning move,
246
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,440
and really all along
247
00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,400
he was taking their
territory for his own uses.
248
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,840
And then it emerged,
this new name,
249
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,280
the Jalisco
New Generation Cartel.
250
00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:52,800
VIGIL
So within three months,
251
00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,560
he went from
the Veracruz seaport,
252
00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:58,720
Manzanillo
in the state of Colima,
253
00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,720
and then also Lázaro Cárdenas
in the state of Michoacán.
254
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:07,440
So it was a strategic move
on the part of El Mencho
255
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,880
to control the seaports.
256
00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,000
Hip-hop was always
the music I loved,
257
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:40,840
and when I became
the music editor at LA Weekly,
258
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:42,800
{\an8}I started interviewing
all these rappers
259
00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,240
{\an8}that I loved from my childhood,
260
00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,160
{\an8}like Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg
and Dr. Dre,
261
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,960
and so that's how I
developed my credentials.
262
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,360
I first heard about
fentanyl back in 2010
263
00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:00,160
when my good friend
died from it.
264
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,080
The worst part was that
265
00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,120
I just didn't know anything
about fentanyl,
266
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:13,800
so I started talking to experts,
267
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,200
and I kept hearing that
it was being made in China,
268
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,880
and so I wondered
if any journalists
269
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,920
had really investigated this,
and it turned out they hadn't,
270
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,680
and no journalist had ever been
inside a Chinese fentanyl lab,
271
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,680
and so I decided that's
where I needed to go.
272
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:40,200
I started by just Googling
"buy fentanyl in China,"
273
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,720
and all these search
results popped up,
274
00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:47,600
and so I made a fake email,
a fake persona,
275
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,440
and I started contacting
some of the salespeople
276
00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,440
at these fentanyl companies,
277
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:58,240
and they had no sort of shame or
hesitation to talk to me at all,
278
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:00,520
and so that's how I ended up
on a plane to Wuhan.
279
00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,280
All of a sudden I was doing this
deep investigative journalism
280
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,440
in a country where I didn't
speak the language,
281
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,480
and it was pretty harrowing.
282
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,040
When I got to the address
for this company,
283
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,640
I thought I was in
the wrong place,
284
00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,960
because it was this giant hotel.
285
00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:35,400
I went into the lobby, and I was
met by this pair of sales reps,
286
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:39,520
and these were women who
both called themselves Amy.
287
00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,560
They showed me the sales floor,
288
00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:54,920
you know, with these
hundreds of salespeople.
289
00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,640
I asked about
the fentanyl precursors,
290
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,360
and the two Amys chatted
among themselves in Mandarin,
291
00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,400
and one of them left the room.
292
00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,320
I was kind of nervous
wondering what was happening,
293
00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:15,720
or if they suspected me,
294
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:20,480
but then she came back and
basically said, "No problem."
295
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,760
Some of the salespeople
showed me the fake packaging
296
00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,520
that they send
the fentanyl ingredients in.
297
00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,000
One of them looked
like dog food,
298
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,360
another looked like
banana snacks,
299
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:34,480
and I was surprised
how cheap these drugs were.
300
00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,600
You can turn $3,000
worth of product
301
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,160
into hundreds of thousands
of dollars, if not more.
302
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,280
And a million doses of fentanyl
303
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,920
might just fit in
a very small box.
304
00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,960
Ye Chuan Fa is the CEO of
the Yuancheng Chemical Company.
305
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,640
I was very surprised when
the sales reps just brought me
306
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,800
right up to his desk,
and I got to meet him.
307
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,720
{\an8}When I think of
an international drug kingpin,
308
00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,480
{\an8}I definitely did not
think of this guy.
309
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,560
He did not have sort of
an intimidating look
310
00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:18,040
about him at all.
311
00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:24,720
He looked like a typical nerdy
manager of a chemical company.
312
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,840
I basically said I wanted to
think about it a little more,
313
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,040
and I would get back to them.
314
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,320
I was very nervous when
I got to the airport.
315
00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,720
I was afraid they
were gonna stop me
316
00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:38,800
or I was gonna be apprehended,
317
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,640
but I was able
to get on the plane
318
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,720
and got the heck out of there.
319
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:50,480
I found out that
one of the clients
320
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,440
buying the fentanyl precursors
321
00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,480
from this Chinese
chemical company was CJNG.
322
00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,560
Tonight we
continue our investigation
323
00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,360
of the opioid epidemic,
324
00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:07,560
which is taking
more than 80 lives a day.
325
00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,960
Each year
nearly 7 million Americans
326
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:11,680
abuse prescription drugs.
327
00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,280
That's more than cocaine,
328
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:14,840
heroin, hallucinogens,
329
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,680
ecstasy,
and inhalants combined.
330
00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:18,760
DURR
When the cocaine dealers
331
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:20,160
{\an8}are turning into
pharmaceutical dealers,
332
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,920
{\an8}that's, you know, that tells
you how lucrative it is.
333
00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,360
The entire opioid
crisis really has its root
334
00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:36,760
{\an8}in the massive promotion
of narcotic painkillers
335
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:40,760
{\an8}by drug companies to doctors,
336
00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:46,400
and doctors then prescribing
those to their patients.
337
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,040
At a certain point,
doctors began cutting back
338
00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:50,880
on the amount of prescribing
they were doing,
339
00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,000
more regulation
by law enforcement,
340
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,560
those addicts began
to look for new places
341
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,280
to procure their pills.
342
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,880
{\an8}El Mencho was already
manufacturing methamphetamine.
343
00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:08,080
He knew that the opioid
crises was ongoing
344
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,080
in the United States.
345
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,920
And as a result
of that relationship
346
00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,000
between his cartel
347
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,920
and Chinese traffickers
of precursor chemicals,
348
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:24,480
he made a strategic decision
to start getting into fentanyl
349
00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:30,800
to basically feed the appetite
of U.S. consumers for opioids.
350
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,880
Eventually, as they
learned to make fentanyl,
351
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,760
the traffickers in Mexico
begin to make quantities
352
00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,520
that are just staggering.
353
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:46,480
So, how to market it,
how to, how to sell it.
354
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:51,160
So they begin to make all these
different counterfeit pills
355
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,960
that contain only fentanyl.
356
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:56,840
And counterfeit pills
357
00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,720
are a perfect way
for sending fentanyl north.
358
00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,840
El Mencho looked
at the United States,
359
00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,480
and he knew that he was in
competition with other cartels
360
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:26,240
{\an8}for major metropolitan areas.
361
00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,160
So he decided, I'm going to go
362
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:37,280
into the rural areas of America.
363
00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:44,840
Because it's an untapped market.
364
00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,480
Fentanyl shows up
in the states
365
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:52,160
where the opioid epidemic
really begins,
366
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,320
primarily Ohio,
West Virginia, Kentucky.
367
00:27:57,320 --> 00:27:59,080
And making these
pills are people
368
00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,880
who really don't have
any background in chemistry.
369
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,120
{\an8}This was a pivotal moment.
370
00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:37,080
{\an8}It was the moment when
the Mexican trafficking world
371
00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,160
discovered fentanyl,
372
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,800
and that this was
the most profitable drug
373
00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,000
that they had ever encountered.
374
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,080
{\an8}El Mencho builds
his own private army,
375
00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:05,080
{\an8}a huge paramilitary
organization.
376
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,640
{\an8}He can use this to fight
rivals for territory,
377
00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,880
{\an8}but also to defend himself
against the government.
378
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:25,840
If something happens to your face,
so that it will never be the same
379
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,840
it does affect you.
380
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:54,160
We weren't told what
we were doing on that operation
381
00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:55,520
My name is
382
00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:59,800
Deputy Officer Ivan Morales
Corrales from the Federal Police
383
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,240
Intelligence Division.
384
00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:11,000
We were told we were behind
a convoy of pickup trucks
385
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,640
I told my partner
386
00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,960
to watch out as
anything could happen
387
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:20,080
because we knew
it was dangerous
388
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,160
The shooting began with
bursts of machine-gun fire
389
00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:41,040
and that's when
everything hits
390
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,840
You could hear it
hitting the (armored) plate
391
00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:51,120
When they hit the rotor,
the roof of the helicopter caught fire
392
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:52,920
That's when we
started falling
393
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:08,480
When the aircraft crashed on
the ground, I was in shock
394
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,360
I knew I was
going to get burned
395
00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,360
because the flames
were all around
396
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:20,960
My wife was pregnant
397
00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,120
I didn't want to die
and not meet my son
398
00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:29,080
That's what helped
me push through
399
00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,240
I got out and I
tried to put out
400
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,720
the fire as fast as I could
401
00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:42,120
but the helicopter's fuel,
the kerosene
402
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,920
meant that my
jumpsuit burnt quickly
403
00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,960
El Mencho escaped
from that operation
404
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:04,120
I don't remember more
405
00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:21,840
I think being in the hospital and having
my wife visit me every day
406
00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,480
was what helped me pull through
407
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:30,560
When I left the hospital,
I left wearing my uniform
408
00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,400
because that's what I wanted
409
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:45,680
It's believed
that the current attacks
410
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:50,440
are related to the
operation to arrest
411
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:52,360
the leader of the
412
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:57,600
Jalisco New Generation Cartel
413
00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:58,840
El Mencho
414
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,720
When El Mencho sends
his operatives to spread terror
415
00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:21,640
to defend himself
from being arrested,
416
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:23,200
he's really upping the stakes
417
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:24,800
and putting huge amounts of
pressure on the government
418
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:26,920
and saying,
if you want to take me down,
419
00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:31,560
it's gonna be
very costly to you.
420
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:35,880
{\an8}When the CJNG knocked
down the military helicopter,
421
00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:41,600
the entire world knew about
their ultra-violent tactics,
422
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:46,360
so it put them in
the crosshairs of Mexico
423
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,000
and then also the United States.
424
00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:24,760
Well, anytime
law enforcement's conducting
425
00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:27,240
an investigation that they
know that has a connection
426
00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:29,720
{\an8}to a very dangerous
organization,
427
00:34:29,720 --> 00:34:33,240
{\an8}like New Generation,
you have no idea what to expect.
428
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:38,520
Keep in mind, we just
did a sting operation
429
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:42,520
where we just took off nearly a
million dollars' worth of drugs.
430
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:47,200
Quite frankly, someone's gonna
be (bleep) about that.
431
00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,040
Do you have
anything else on you?
432
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,400
No? Nothing illegal
they're gonna find?
433
00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,520
Okay, if you do, it's gonna
be additional charges,
434
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:54,920
you know that, right?
435
00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:56,320
Okay.
436
00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,320
These are the 4 kilograms
of fentanyl that we recovered
437
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,400
{\an8}from the stop of the vehicle
on the roadside today.
438
00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,320
Roughly 40,000 unit
doses in its entirety
439
00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:25,440
taken off the streets
of Columbus.
440
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:37,600
We're gonna
call for knockers
441
00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,160
on the second level,
and then head up the stairs.
442
00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:46,920
This is the
Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
443
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,480
We have a search warrant
for (bleep).
444
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,000
DEA here
in the United States
445
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:08,240
oftentimes say as little as
2 milligrams can be fatal.
446
00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:15,360
And so if 2 milligrams
is enough to kill somebody,
447
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:16,440
how many lives did we save
448
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:18,560
by taking 4 kilograms
off the street?
449
00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:20,840
I mean, well over
a million people
450
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:22,280
that we potentially saved,
451
00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:23,880
and so that's the money shot.
452
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,560
That's why we do what we do.
453
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:33,840
Growing up 20, 30 years ago,
454
00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,880
when I first got
into the business,
455
00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,640
the Columbus, Ohio, area was
kind of known as a cow town.
456
00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:43,280
Lots of cornfields, rural area,
457
00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,480
not really on the map,
so to speak.
458
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:47,600
But over the last 20-plus years,
459
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,480
Columbus area has
grown pretty fast.
460
00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:58,120
And many people don't know this,
461
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,800
but Central Ohio, if you go out
500 miles in any direction,
462
00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:03,240
you touch somewhere
in the neighborhood
463
00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:07,720
of about 70% of the population
of the United States,
464
00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:10,920
and so location,
population, proximity,
465
00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,320
all make it a very ripe
area for drug trafficking.
466
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,040
{\an8}It is now safe
to touch the patient
467
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:39,640
{\an8}to start CPR.
468
00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:44,480
Help me pull him out,
get him on the ground.
469
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,240
He's not breathing
470
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,200
VIGIL (off-screen): Family means
everything to El Mencho,
471
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:09,200
and the United States and Mexico
have gone after family members.
472
00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,840
They arrested his wife
for money laundering.
473
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:17,880
She was the primary
money launderer for the CJNG.
474
00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,000
GRILLO (off-screen): Now, the
man overseeing that arrest,
475
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,240
heading the investive
criminal agency,
476
00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:34,600
{\an8}is Garcia Harfuch,
477
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:39,640
{\an8}who will go on to head
the Mexico City police force.
478
00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:44,760
So you have this crazy attempt
to assassinate him.
479
00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:02,800
My name is
Omar Hamid Garcia Harfuch
480
00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,240
I am the Chief of Police
for Mexico City
481
00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:12,040
All ranks within the Mexico City
Police start work really early
482
00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:13,080
not just me
483
00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:26,480
Edgar was driving
484
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:30,040
In the back was Rafael, who was
the head of my security detail
485
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,160
and had been with
me for 12-13 years
486
00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:37,160
Our SUV stopped
at a speed bump
487
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,520
and I saw a 3.5-ton
truck cut us off
488
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:50,240
and I looked up
and I only saw... like
489
00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:57,880
individual faces that were popping up
out of the back of the 3.5-ton truck
490
00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:08,600
It was totally
silent in the city
491
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:11,520
and the first
made a tremendous sound
492
00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:13,520
especially on the windscreen
493
00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,520
Afterwards, the only
things you could hear were
494
00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:26,080
a rainfall of
gunshots hitting the SUV
495
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:32,640
There was a lot of
smoke, a lot of powder
496
00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,880
Every hit would splinter
bits of everything
497
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:42,760
I told Edgar, who was
driving, to reverse
498
00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:46,880
He reversed and he said the
SUV wasn't working anymore
499
00:40:55,240 --> 00:40:58,800
I couldn't see Edgar because he
was in the seat in front of me
500
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,840
Rafa was literally next to me
501
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,040
He didn't suffer,
it was very quick
502
00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:30,720
I was just waiting for the one gunshot
that would inevitably end it
503
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:32,600
That's what I was waiting for
504
00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,960
When I heard the first siren,
it was truly a relief
505
00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:57,480
I had 15 wounds, four
of which were serious
506
00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:04,880
After the attack,
my life changed
507
00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:09,480
Obviously, I don't have the
freedom to go out as I'd like to
508
00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:23,640
I don't regret
chasing after any criminal group
509
00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:27,840
or any leader, including
El Mencho, or whoever
510
00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,440
This drug is
now a little bit like
511
00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,320
{\an8}the way we use salt on food,
kind of just thrown on there,
512
00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:59,240
just mixing it with anything.
513
00:42:59,240 --> 00:43:00,480
A lot of people have been dying
514
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,360
because they think
they've been using cocaine
515
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:04,480
or methamphetamine,
516
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,720
and it's got fentanyl in it.
517
00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:09,400
You see this all
across this country.
518
00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:15,120
So why would you want
to risk killing people?
519
00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:22,040
The reason is you replace
a cocaine customer
520
00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:25,000
who may buy from you
weekly, maybe biweekly,
521
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:29,280
with an opioid addict who has to
buy from you every single day,
522
00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:31,680
and that makes
total business sense.
523
00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,920
{\an8}So now anybody who's
using drugs on the street
524
00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:37,000
{\an8}is going to assume
that anything they use
525
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:38,960
{\an8}is gonna contain fentanyl.
526
00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:45,520
{\an8}The truth is, the days
of recreational drug use
527
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:50,560
{\an8}are over in America,
and fentanyl is the reason why.
528
00:43:50,560 --> 00:43:53,280
{\an8}All those myths that
we once laughed at
529
00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:57,320
{\an8}about what drugs were
and how deadly they were,
530
00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:01,000
{\an8}all of those myths
have become reality.
531
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,280
{\an8}Captioned by
Cotter Media Group