Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller: Spotlight on Crime | MEGA EPISODE | National Geographic

Key Concepts

• Iron River: The flow of American guns smuggled into Mexico.
• Sinaloa Cartel: A dominant drug cartel in Mexico.
• Sicarios: Hired killers employed by drug cartels.
• Los Desaparecidos: "The Disappeared," referring to the 40,000 unaccounted for individuals since the war on drugs began in Mexico.
• Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs): Substances used to enhance physical performance, including steroids and SARMs.
• SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators): A class of therapeutic compounds that have similar anabolic effects as steroids, but are more selective in their action.
• Enhanced Athlete: A supplement company associated with Tony Huge that was raided by the FDA.
• Pimping/Sex Trafficking: Exploitation of individuals for commercial sex.
• The Track/Blade: Infamous areas in Los Angeles known for prostitution.
• Crystal Meth: A potent and highly addictive stimulant drug.
• Shake and Bake: A method of producing meth in small, portable labs.
• PnP (Party and Play): A term used in the gay community to refer to using meth and having sex.
• Cocaine Queens: Women involved in high-level drug trafficking.
• Los Caparros: A criminal cartel in Colombia.
• Clan Del Golfo: A rival drug trafficking organization in Colombia with alleged links to the Sinaloa cartel.

The Iron River: American Guns Flowing into Mexico

• The Problem: American guns are smuggled into Mexico, fueling violence and an arms race between cartels. 70% of weapons seized in Mexico originate in the US.
• La Guera ("Blondie"): A low-level courier for the Sinaloa Cartel, paid $20,000 a month to drive vehicles packed with American weapons into Mexico. She claims to have done this at least 100 times.
• The Suppliers: "T," an LA-based supplier, obtains weapons from various sources, including a corrupt LAPD officer who sells confiscated weapons back for $1,000 and a marine in San Diego.
• The Weapons: AR-15s and AK-47s are common, military-grade weapons used in Mexico's violence and mass shootings in America.
• The Route: Guns are stashed in cars in Los Angeles and driven to Mexicali, where they are handed off to other cartel members.
• Hector: A middleman in Mexicali who sells weapons to cartels with a massive markup. 9mm and .22 caliber guns sell for $3,500 each, and AR-15s for $5,000.
• The Cartels: Compete to supply the US drug market, leading to violence and a need for firepower.
• The War on Drugs: Launched in 2006 by the Mexican government, it backfired and increased violence.
• Culiacán: The capital of Sinaloa, experiencing a spike in gun violence, with 82 people killed the month before the reporter's arrival.
• Sicarios: Hired killers employed by the Sinaloa Cartel to protect their product and eliminate competition.
• Los Desaparecidos: Since the war on drugs began, 40,000 men, women, and children remain unaccounted for. Maria Isabelle Cruz leads a group of mothers searching for their missing children. Her son, Josimar, a police officer combating the cartels, was kidnapped in 2017.

The Rise of Superhumans: Performance-Enhancing Drugs in America

• Tony Huge: A retired lawyer and the face of a movement promoting performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) like steroids to "evolve" humans. He believes steroids have been unfairly stigmatized.
• Underground Steroid Use: People are increasingly using experimental versions of PEDs.
• The Locker Room: Tony Huge injects his "guinea pigs" with generic Chinese growth hormone and underground testosterone before workouts.
• Molly: Uses steroids to gain confidence and build muscle.
• Soldier: A member of US Special Forces uses PEDs to perform like a superhuman in life-or-death situations.
• Users: Range from teenagers to older women, including police officers and house moms.
• Sources: Users are reluctant to reveal their sources, fearing legal repercussions.
• Underground Lab: Tony Huge shows the reporter an underground lab where they develop new drugs.
• Enhanced Athlete Raid: Tony Huge's supplement company was raided by the FDA in 2017. His CEO went to prison for selling fertilizer disguised as fat-burning pills.
• Coach Trevor: Tony Huge's lead chemist, who can make almost any drug, including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and meth, but chooses to make steroids because he can sell them to a lawyer and improve his life.
• Raw Chemicals: Almost everything comes from China, disguised as food to evade customs.
• ASARM: Tony Huge and Trevor are developing a new, injectable version of ASARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator), claiming it has all the benefits of steroids without the side effects.
• Jeff: A former bodybuilder who started using steroids in his 20s and was diagnosed with heart failure a decade later. He had to have parts of his butt and legs amputated due to a severe infection from underground steroids.
• Doctor's Warning: There is no safe way to use steroids. Autopsy studies show young men having heart attacks and strokes, with sudden death as the first symptom.
• Dr. Thomas O'Connor: A physician specializing in steroid abuse, calls Tony Huge a "very dangerous guy" who is "destroying lives." He states that creating a steroid without side effects is beyond the science of today.
• FDA Statement: SARMs can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and liver damage, the same side effects as steroids.
• Tony Huge in Thailand: Building an epicenter of chemical transformations to push the limits on performance enhancement. He is moving his operation to Asia to avoid US authorities and conduct research more quickly.
• Tony Huge's Belief: There is nothing wrong with wanting to be superhuman. He believes it is the next step in human evolution.

The Pimp Game: Exploitation in the Sex Trade

• Pimping in America: A common variety of sex trafficking happening in every US city, where Americans exploit other Americans.
• Instagram Pimps: Pimps use social media to market their lifestyle, displaying wealth and power to attract women.
• Mickey Royal: A former pimp who offers the reporter a tour of Figueroa, the most infamous track in LA.
• Figueroa (The Track/Blade): A 95-block area known for prostitution, where sexual assault and rape are daily hazards.
• Nina, Bee, and Honey: Three women involved in prostitution. Nina tried pimping but didn't like the violence and jealousy. Bee is a nurse who prostitutes to pay for school. Honey was sexually abused by her friend's father, who then pimped her out to other men.
• Pimp Tactics: Pimps exploit women with daddy issues, seeking attention, or who have been molested.
• Snitches Get Stitches: The lingo used to discourage women from talking to the police.
• Chill and Lady P: A pimp and his business partner who recruit women in clubs by offering them a VIP lifestyle with drugs, alcohol, and money.
• Jack Knife and Gotti: Two more pimps who recruit women on the street, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Candy: A woman working for Chill who gives him a glowing review, but her words seem rehearsed and Chill looms over the interview.
• Honey's Anger: Honey is angry knowing that men are doing to women what her pimp did to her.
• Mickey Royal's Perspective: "A ho to a pimp is worth nothing. She's actually worth everything." Pimping is premeditated and requires a sadist who enjoys exploiting women.

The Resurgence of Meth: A Deadly Epidemic

• Meth's Comeback: After a US government crackdown, meth is back with a vengeance.
• Mike: A meth dealer from Austin who deals at a hotel for a "cattle call."
• New Faces of Meth: Users are no longer just rural white Americans. They include professionals like lawyers and interior designers.
• Dopamine: Meth unleashes a concentrated high to the pleasure sensors of the brain, making it highly addictive.
• Injection: A more addictive way of using meth.
• Mike's Addiction: Mike lost three houses and two cars and was homeless for four years due to his addiction. He has three felonies for possession and faces a life sentence if he gets another one.
• Ricardo: A trafficker who smuggles meth from Mexico into the US on a motorcycle.
• Huevos (Eggs): Packages of meth wrapped in duct tape and plastic.
• Cartel Profits: The meth pipeline brings in an estimated $30 billion in revenue a year for the cartels.
• Pablo: A cartel operative working on a new initiative: Shake and Bake labs in Los Angeles.
• Shake and Bake Labs: Funded and run by Mexican cartels, these labs lower production costs, eliminate transport risks, and cut out middlemen.
• Ingredients: Sourced from pharmaceutical companies.
• Profits: Pablo's network of labs in LA makes $12 million every year for his bosses in Sinaloa.
• Zombieland: The term used to describe the state of people using crystal meth.
• Mike's Unraveling: Mike's life is spiraling out of control. He is using meth heavily and is paranoid.
• Shipping Meth: Mike ships meth in lunchboxes to clients across the country.
• Social Media: Mike uses social media, particularly Grindr, Scruff, and Adam4Adam, to find clients in the gay community.
• PnP (Party and Play): A term used to describe using meth and having sex.
• Secret Language: Online, users use a secret language to communicate about meth use, such as "T" for Tina, teacups, clocks, and diamonds.
• Mike's Mom: Worried about him and his drug use.
• The Curse: For millions of addicts and their families, meth is a curse.

Cocaine Queens: Women in the Colombian Drug Trade

• Sonia: Rumored to be the second in command of Los Caparros, a criminal cartel in Colombia.
• Bajo Cauca: A violent region in Colombia with a high murder rate.
• Kidnapped Soccer Players: Eight teenage soccer players were kidnapped by Los Caparros.
• Shakedown: Sonia's Sicarios try to shake down the reporter for more money.
• La Comandante: Sonia, the commander of Los Caparros.
• Clan Del Golfo: Sonia's main rival, a drug trafficking organization with alleged links to the Sinaloa cartel.
• Sonia's Background: Grew up in poverty. Her father was murdered by a local paramilitary gang. She fell in love with the regional commander of Los Caparros at 16 and had his children.
• Initiation: Sonia earned respect by killing a disabled man.
• Coca Plantation: Sonia manages some 30,000 acres of coca plantation.
• Recruitment: Many Caparros members are kidnapped and forced to join.
• Kidnapped Teenagers: Sonia ordered the kidnapping of the eight teenage soccer players.
• Sonia's Escape: Sonia is on the run after the Colombian military killed the leader of Los Caparros and captured one of his chief lieutenants.
• Dismantled Gang: The Colombian government has declared Los Caparros "thoroughly dismantled."
• Equality in Crime: Women are pushing for equality in the most ruthless workplace of all.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The documentary explores the complex and interconnected nature of black markets, from the flow of American guns into Mexico to the resurgence of meth in the US and the rise of women in the Colombian drug trade. It highlights the devastating consequences of these illicit activities on individuals, families, and communities, while also revealing the economic incentives and power dynamics that drive them. The stories of individuals like Blondie, Tony Huge, Jeff, Honey, Mike, and Sonia offer a glimpse into the human cost of these black markets and the challenges of breaking free from their grip.