0:01They say stop. There's no like and I learned that >> through my lawyer, but also like guys I've had on the show. Like they don't like sign a contract with you like you will give us Yeah. eight years. And I'm like he's like dude we can get you the drug program. We can get you know say you're a drug addict. So it's like pushing that on like the judge like my clients you know he's a drug addict and he's been dealing with addiction issues.
0:23Um, so, so the feds decided to just seize the money and drop the case and give it over to the state. So, I only had to do state time.
0:33>> But, isn't states way worse in a lot of cases?
0:37>> In certain cases, it definitely is. Um, >> you're 24, right?
0:41>> Yep. [clears throat] 24 at the time. So, it depends. If you go to a USP Yeah. If you're in Lampac or [ __ ] you know, Levvenworth. Yeah. Those are bad USPS. I mean, people get people are murdered every day there. Um, >> whereas Coleman is like [clears throat] >> Coleman's one, too.
0:57>> That's a bad one.
0:58>> There's a low. There's a low.
1:00>> Yes. If you're at a low, knowing what I know now, I'm like, yeah, I'd almost rather go to a low than a [ __ ] maximum security state prison for sure.
1:09You're hitting golf balls. Um, but yeah, I don't know. I don't know everything about the prison system, but I I'm I'm again I'm an amateur expert on the subject. Most bad USPs are worse than bad state prisons >> because people have so much money in USPS. People have so much money in the feds that they can get you killed, right?
1:32>> And that people are doing so much time and there's no parole. There's no parole out of the feds. So you can get clemency from the president.
1:41>> Well, it's 85%, right?
1:42>> Right.
1:44But >> even in, you know, I interviewed a guy, Banky Pound, he's got a great channel.
1:49He got sentenced to like hundreds of years in prison, but he went for parole at 17 years and he got out at 30, right?
1:56What did he do?
1:57>> He was a murder robbery. They were armed robbing people and the guy got killed.
2:01But it's like in >> unfortunately in May, rest in peace.
2:05[laughter] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [ __ ] him.
2:08>> Thanks. Hey, [laughter] thanks for the clickbait.
2:12Hey, maybe that should be like my tagline. You know [laughter] what I mean? Old school radio. Thank you for the clickbait.
2:20>> Um, so yeah, he got smoked. But my point is, if you get life in the feds, there's no >> Yeah, you're [ __ ] >> You're you're basically [ __ ] Again, unless you can get like a pardon or a compassionate release, uh, yeah, there is no there's no there's not much recourse.
2:35So, I don't know >> when you got arrested because you they didn't offer you bail. I guess you had to sit in county. I had no bail because of all the cash they seized, which is very rare.
2:44>> That's kind of great. You didn't have bail. It was just cash. Like, >> bro, and and like they took my passport and all that [ __ ] >> I would think that would suffice.
2:51>> Yeah. I mean, they they were which cuz they were like, "Wow, this kid's a fish." Like they were surprised. They were like, "What the [ __ ] did we just stumble into?"
3:00>> You know, so >> they thought you were a [ __ ] Walter White.
3:02>> Exactly. Exactly. [laughter] >> So, you're sitting in Connie, though.
3:06Like, did you have a moment where reality just hits you and you're like, "Holy [ __ ] it's over."
3:12>> For sure. Like, as soon as you hit the bed that first night, I mean, I slept.
3:17And any [ __ ] con, any excon will tell you. The first night you're in jail, oh, it's the deepest sleep you've ever had.
3:27Just dreamless sleep, dude. Because it's like a relief. You're like, "Oh, it's over.
3:32>> I'm not running."
3:34>> Yeah. And then you wake up, you know, and then and then it's the first I guess the first wake up. That's the worst that's the worst moment is when you wake up after your first sleep in jail.
3:44You're like, "Holy [ __ ] what have I done? This is a problem."
3:49>> When did your parents find out?
3:50>> They were the first call.
3:52>> Yeah.
3:52>> First call is always to your your parents, to your mom, dude. You know?
3:56Yeah. That they were always they were always there for me, you know. The whole community was there. That's that's what's dope. And that kind of keep keeps you in check. a little bit cuz you know we're from like a pretty good family and you know it's it's kind of a shame. It's kind of shameful to to have to tell you know my dad's friends at his tennis club that you know my my son's in prison or whatever. So the fact that everybody stood behind me that's kind of what kept me straight when I got out is like it's that expectation of like >> we had your back.
4:27>> Yeah. So, I kind of got to do this for you guys because if I keep going back to prison, pretty soon they're just gonna say, "Well, that's kind of what he does." And I was going to lose them and lose my friends. So, >> you know, that's the that's the disadvantage of being from the hood is like going to jail and prison is so normal that it's it's not as much of a social stigma, right? Like they don't have that like, you know, keeping them in check.
4:50>> I never thought of it that way. That's actually very obvious.
4:53>> Booker T. Washington talked about that.
4:55>> Yeah.
4:55>> He Booker T. I want you to talked about like how like um white people, white folks had the uh the expectation uh social expectations that keep them uh you know more focused. It's interesting.
5:08But you know all that shit's changing, bro. Like the black community's doing better than ever in my opinion.
5:14Like less black people are going to I don't know about this statistically, but just from the hood like what we see and who we talk to like cats who come out of jail now it's not cool anymore. like like you're not like a hard rock because you've been to prison. It used to be if you're from the hood and you got out of prison, you like had a stripe. Like you got felonies now. Like congrats. You know what I mean? Like Henry Hill coming home after he doesn't rat taking his first pinch. Like >> it's that cool anymore. So to me that's like progress.
5:42>> I Yeah, that would be if if you're right about that. I mean it's also like you know you have in a lot of these places the environment is shaping people because there's no economic opportunity.
5:54So they're pulled into it when they're 13, 14, and then that that's what they know.
5:59>> Yeah.
6:00>> And so the idea that like they're going to come out and do something different, like what what are they >> what are they going to do, you know?
6:06This has been their whole life. I can't imagine that cuz I I had the luxury of not having that, you know, there's opportunity like and you also got to see that too. You got to know there's a different world out there now. You made it harder for yourself because you become a convicted felon. But like you're like, "Okay, people have my back in my community and I'm a smart guy. I got talents. Like now I'm going to go balls to the walls and do what I do."
6:26>> Yeah. Yeah. You know, now the kids from the hood, they're not even selling drugs anymore. It's all into like scams and [ __ ] >> Yeah. We just have Punch Made Dev here.
6:34>> Well, he's like a I don't know who that is.
6:36>> Yeah. He's a rapper who is a former scammer.
6:39>> Yeah. Right. Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah. Uh, they're all into credit card fraud.
6:46>> It's funny. The ghetto's going white collar. Credit card fraud used to be a white collar crime. [snorts] >> We're graduating.
6:53>> They're graduating, dude. Yeah.
6:55>> How [clears throat] long were you in county figuring out your case?
6:57>> God damn. I was in there for like eight months. That's him right there.
7:00>> Yeah. Don't you love the Don't you love the social media post?
7:04>> It's a great aesthetic.
7:06>> It's [laughter] a great aesthetic.
7:07Especially when you're trying to keep a low, bro. Trying to keep up for a while.
7:11Just posting [laughter] videos of your arms filled with >> You got to talk to him. Tommy G calls me up. He's like, "Yo, I'm going to come and do a podcast and I'm bringing Punch Man." [laughter] >> I was like, "Okay."
7:23Really, really nice guy, too.
7:25>> Yeah. Know, I believe it. A lot of these kids are, man. Um, >> an innovator for sure. He's uh I don't think we're going to have him on the show.
7:32>> No.
7:32>> No. I don't know why. I just don't think he's gonna make for a good podcast guest.
7:39>> Why not?
7:39>> Because he's not going to be candid.
7:42Maybe he will be. Who knows? [snorts] >> That's an interesting way you put it. He He's very guarded.
7:47>> Yeah, >> very guarded. But there's a lot of >> There's I I don't know. This is just how I found it from my seat. You You could check it out and decide for yourself.
7:57But there was a lot of like guarded answers that were masked in uh what's the term I'm looking for? Like take the hint.
8:07>> Yeah. Sure. Sure.
8:08>> And I think I think a lot of people out there are smart enough to take the hint.
8:12>> Yeah. Yeah. I my fans we like I think what makes my show different is that we tell it exactly how it actually happens.
8:20That was my goal with the show. Like let me in a journalistic way explain how crime, drug trafficking, whatever actually works. Yeah.
8:29>> So when people come on and are guarded, you can't tell. I'm furious.
8:35>> You're like, you're going to tell me exactly. Give me the P.
8:38>> I'm become the cops. [laughter] I become like the cops in an interrogation room.
8:42>> Turn your telegram on right now.
8:44>> I'm going to [ __ ] start beating the [ __ ] out of you. I'm going to I'm going to handcuff you to the [ __ ] chair.
8:49You piece of [ __ ] >> All right. Maybe don't talk with Dev.
8:52Anyway, [laughter] >> so it takes eight months though. Did you make a deal? Is that what happened? You didn't go to jury trial or anything?
8:58>> We kept No, we kept we kept He was like, "Just hang in there because the longer you're in there, the more they want to [ __ ] they the more they want to keep >> Especially with the state, they just want to move you through." Yeah. So, the fact that they the fact that you forfeited your money, the fact that you they don't really have anything besides these several things. Also, I had uh I had a previous felony. You did.
9:21>> Yeah, I did. I The house got raided.
9:23Part of the one of the reasons that we shifted to mailing packages instead of selling locally, besides the gigantic profit margin, was that about a year and a half before I got popped the second time that sent me to prison, uh, a stash house of ours got raided and they found product. So, I had probation. I was on felony probation, but I didn't I didn't have a I had a completely clean record.
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10:20>> And I knew I was this business was about to pop. So, I just >> But you stayed in after that. That >> wasn't because I started making so much money.
10:28>> Yeah, that's what happened.
10:29>> So, but so I knew they were like at least I was going to get my probation revoked and I was at least going to have to do a couple of years. So, it was happening. It was happening regardless, you know. So, um, but I did I did some time in a in a max in a maximum security, but I got out and went to a a camp where >> How long were you in the max? I >> was in the max for six almost seven months county. Seven months in the Max and then I was in um uh for about four months at the camp.
10:58>> So, when you were in the Max, that's when you were soulmates with the Hell's Angel guy.
11:03>> Uh, no, I'm sorry.
11:07I have a friend named You got to take that out because he's the one who introduced me to all my weed plugs.
11:13>> All right. Yeah, let's let's uh make that No, it's all good.
11:17>> Yeah. Yeah. Uh and Jimmy, who I I explained on my show.
11:21>> Um he's the one who ended up killing somebody and they sent him to death row like >> almost like like day after. Yeah. The day after I got transferred out and shot to a camp.
11:34>> Wild. Some who did he kill?
11:36>> Some guy who was getting out. He was getting out and he stepped to him with a [ __ ] with a piece with a with a a knife and Jimmy [ __ ] punched his ass and either broke I don't know if he snapped his neck or the guy fell back and hit his head on the concrete but he [ __ ] killed him with a punch.
11:51>> Oh my god.
11:52>> Yeah.
11:52>> Big guy.
11:54>> He was not that tall but like solid.
11:57Like he had the build of a lifer. Like huge just pushup dip dip bar body. Like these weren't weights. These were just him just using every part of the [ __ ] furniture and then like kind of a gut >> and bald. But yeah, dude, that guy had some that guy like was he was my Walter White. Like the meth stories that that guy had cooking meth like in the 70s like turning dope when it was biker dope. Like oh just like >> the guys guys that are doing life have the craziest memories because it's like their life stops the [clears throat] minute they come into prison.
12:31>> Yeah. It's like it's over and and they just all they have are these incredibly vivid memories. Yeah. It's it's it's amazing.
12:39>> But you're in a max for first of all, how was county jail? Like is is that does that >> fights and you know all that [ __ ] like every everything in Oregon is a little less a little less intense especially than California. You know what I mean? So that's [snorts] you know to my benefit. But yeah, you're still fading. You still have to fight when you get there. Um, you know, some people are getting it when you get to a >> They probably couldn't reach your face when they tried to fight you. I mean, they're [ __ ] >> No, I got tuned up though. No, no, I got tuned up. The first fight I had was like
13:10I definitely I got my licks in, but I I was definitely like my face was swollen up. Yeah. No, I got >> You're tall as [ __ ] I was not expecting that.
13:18>> This guy was big though. He was like 6'2 and he was a [ __ ] skin head and he we were both got in we both hit the cell block at the same time. So it was like immediately like that's who you have to fight.
13:29>> That's it's just a known thing.
13:31>> Yeah. That's or else you're gonna get run off. Like you're gonna get beaten up and you got to leave the cell block and go be with the [ __ ] >> like like uh bump up before.
13:39>> I want [laughter] a good clean fight.
13:40Nothing below the waist.
13:41>> Dude, we did after. We ended up becoming friends cuz we got shot to the same prison.
13:45>> Oh, you went to the same max together?
13:46>> Yeah.
13:47>> At the same time or >> the same time? Yeah.
13:49>> Wow.
13:49>> Yeah. He was a lifer on the installment plan. He goes in and out.
13:52>> On the installment plan.
13:53>> Yeah. He comes in for five, comes out, goes back in for seven. You know what I mean? [laughter] >> So, yeah, he's doing life. He's basically a lifer, you know.
14:02>> Oh my god. But you go So, you do seven months, seven, eight months in in max.
14:08>> Yeah.
14:09>> How bad was that?
14:10>> I mean, it was it was it's good and bad.
14:14It's good because the time passes because there's so it's such a routine.
14:17>> Like county jail is like every day is a week. Every week feels like a month.
14:22Time goes by really fi fast in prison because it's just routine every day.
14:25It's like the military, you know. But uh yeah, it was I mean there was riot, there was stabbings, there was you know killings. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
14:36>> So, but um that was probably where I decided I was like, I'm going to move to LA. I want to be in show business, man. That was like where really where I was like, "Yeah, if I [ __ ] make it out of this, dude, I'm I'm going to I'm going to go do something that I like for once."
14:53>> Did you have anyone in there like encouraging you with that? Where were they like, "Johnny, you're entertaining as fuck."
14:58>> A lot of people, but I I mean maybe let not as entertaining, but cuz like I was too scared. The funniest guys in there are the black people. Go figure. So I was always scared to like be the center of attention, but people that knew me were like, "Oh yeah, he's a sharp guy."
15:12like, you know, being smart helps because it's it's like differentiates you and they're like, don't [ __ ] with the smart guy, right?
15:18>> Like he's like, this is college boy, you know? So, but also Jimmy was the one who was like, he's not affiliated. Don't touch him.
15:27>> Oh, so he protected you.
15:28>> Yeah. Yeah, bro. That guy ran the [ __ ] yard we were on. So, it's like, you know, I talk about Jimmy again in the early connect videos. Um, and yeah, he's the he's the guy that I, you know, that was like my [ __ ] guardian angel, you know what I mean? But he was definitely like, "Yeah, that's like" Like I admitted what I wanted to do and I started doing talent shows in prison.
15:47So I would go down and it was like >> it was like standup almost, but it was like insult comedy.
15:53>> So I would like Yeah. They were like, "Go after us. Go after the [ __ ] blacks. Go after" And it's Dude, if they recorded it, thank god they didn't.
16:02[laughter] Nobody had smartphones back in the day in prison, dude. I would be [ __ ] bro. [laughter] But that's just how everybody talked. It was like it was like if you didn't go hard like that was you wouldn't get any laughs. [laughter] >> And and if your talent was like you sucked like an old pedophile with a guitar would get up there and people would start throwing [ __ ] and like fights would break up.
16:25>> They let they let the chos do the talent show.
16:27>> Yeah. Yeah. But if you sucked they would [ __ ] they would they would boo you off and then or they would beat you up.
16:33So, uh, so I, so it got to a point where like I did a few of these and I was just killing I was like doing impressions of the guards. I was [ __ ] insulting the [ __ ] out of people and they'd be like, "Do yo, do my [ __ ] do my cousin next time you do that little talent thing you do." And I'd be like, "Yeah, all right.
16:49Let me go in." And so that was like the first [laughter] that was the that was like the beginning, the genesis of like standup comedy, [clears throat] even though I didn't even know like I didn't I know knew nothing about standup back then.
17:01like I wanted to be like an actor and a writer and I was like but then >> you still weren't making the connection.
17:05You were >> No, still wasn't making the connection.
17:07So, um I thought I was like writing screenplays. I was like, "Yeah, I want to be like a [ __ ] I want to make movies." That's what I wanted to do is make movies.
17:15>> You could definitely do that cuz you're you're a great storyteller.
17:18>> But I feel like now the industry is so [ __ ] up and even when I got to LA in 2012, I was like, "Oh, damn. I've definitely missed the boat."
17:26>> Even back then, you were saying >> Even back then, man. Yeah. Like I I haven't been ahead on many things, but I was ahead on looking at the end of the glory years of Hollywood. And I think that was like the last generation like The Wolf of Wall Street was 2012, 2013.
17:41I think I feel like that was the like the the beginning of the end or or aanara to the end because >> yeah, really after that they weren't making any, >> you know, that was the beginning of Instagram. That was really where like social media 2013 2014 started to just completely absorb it and I was like yeah I think this is like where is the market going to go? Everything is decentralizing you know.
18:06>> Yeah.
18:06>> So >> it's a good call.
18:07>> So that's why by 2019 2020 if you were doing standup you were like nobody was even thinking about like getting television shows anymore. Nobody gave a [ __ ] about that. It was like Rogan and podcasting. Like that was it. Well, they were ahead of the the standup community was the most ahead of the curve on this show.
18:24>> Absolutely. You because you have to be so entrepreneurial. It's like rap and then standup is the mo are the most DIY do-it-yourself kind of things. So, um, and now podcasting is going by the wayside, at least for standup comedy.
18:40>> Now it's all short form [ __ ] M >> you see these [ __ ] unfunny [ __ ] you know, some one of them in New York who I'm thinking of, but she does these really, really funny just like I'm toxic. She makes content for like Gen Z women and honestly, and she's so popular though, she pops up in my feed. I've seen her do standup though. It's it's it, you know, she's not there yet, but [laughter] we wish her well. We wish her well.
19:09>> We wish her well. But she makes like these funny sketches and they're for a niche and that's it. And like who cares?
19:18Like who cares about being mass popular anymore? It's like she's making speaking for a demographic and that's [clears throat] you're going to eat very well off that kind of [ __ ] >> Yeah.
19:27>> Yeah.
19:27>> Everyone and I mean it happens over and over again throughout humanity when when something goes right everyone runs to exactly what that is. Right. You and that's what you didn't do. you found.
19:39You're like, "Yo, I got a I'm funny as [ __ ] I'm a stand-up comic, but I'm not going to go do just the main standup comic thing. I'm going to use my life experience, my connections, no pun intended, and I'm going to go make something where I can melt my comedy into something that's gritty and niche that people want and aren't getting enough of."
19:56>> Exactly. Exactly. And thank you. And so now I'm trying to find that next thing that's different.
20:05>> But now, thanks to this podcast and, you know, the glory of God, uh, because he really threw us a bone there. Uh, now I have the resources to where like >> I can just go kind of have fun. Like I can just do [ __ ] because it's fun.
20:19>> That's a big value. Just being able freedom, bro.
20:22>> That's real freedom. And that's if you're because because I look at these people that have so much money, you know, in show business, comedians, >> and it's never enough.
20:32>> So, I don't want to fall into that mental trap against I remember how in the tour game that was like I didn't feel free even though I had so much money for being a [ __ ] kid and I didn't feel free and I never got to enjoy it.
20:43>> You know, you look at these drug king, you think Mencho is free?
20:47>> You [clears throat] think what's his name? Ignasio Oero. You think he's a free guy? He has [clears throat] to be surrounded by [ __ ] private armies and he has to live in the deepest mountains of Mitwakan. He's not free. No, he has all the money in the world. So that's what uh I'm determined to not fall into that. I mean, I want to keep obviously I love making money and I want to keep like expanding whatever enterprise is next, but um it's got to be well hopefully it's doing something that's authentic and that I I love to do.
21:21>> Well, that's key. People can read through that in a second when you're not doing it. You know what I mean? But it sounds like you're starting to see >> the light at that tunnel of where that freedom could be. And that's great because you've also like not for nothing but as you're saying >> you've experienced it where you didn't hit the hit the shoot. You know what I mean?
21:42>> And get out. So you have a life an extreme life experience >> that has hopefully now taught you that lesson that other people who are on their legal journey, right? Like it's like a standup comic or something can't understand because they've never had that moment. So, it's like, oh, well, now I'm at, you know, selling out [ __ ] 40 shows a year in stadiums. I'm making $7 million, but man, I would really I would feel a lot better if I was making 11 and I could get that private jet. There's always something they step up to. Yeah.
22:11>> You know, >> I saw that when I worked on Wall Street and I saw these ultra rich people and I'm just I'm a simple guy, right? And the clients that didn't even necessarily have the most money, but had I mean, they all had a lot of money, but like less than others.
22:25>> The ones who just lived a happy life and had Friday [ __ ] pizza and the family, never called up to [ __ ] about their nephew who wanted [ __ ] 30 grand for his stupid new goddamn ecom business.
22:36Like, they were the happiest people.
22:38Yeah.
22:38>> I was like, there is something to be said for that because they could have gotten a lot more, but they got enough, >> right? Damn, dude. Enough. Yeah. I don't have enough yet, but I'm hoping that's why I'm really hoping that this Bitcoin narrative is true. Like I'm hoping, [laughter] you know, you know, you know these these propagandists, these on all the hype videos that are just like number go up. This is this is a this is this is digital energy. This is digital property >> because then the money you make you can really like keep and it's not getting debased, you know? So, it's like you don't have to keep making money. The
23:13idea is to make money and then not have to make it anymore because it's very hard to make money. So it's like once you make it, it's wealth now >> because you're in this asset and it builds and it carries over. So >> yeah.
23:24>> Oh, I'm really hoping that's true.
23:26>> I hope for you it's true.
23:27>> Thanks. But you too, dude. You're a hodler.
23:30>> We're working on it. Yeah. But what's the, you know, have you done stories going back to some of the cartel stuff?
23:36Have you been working on stories where you're uncovering say the unholy alliance with intelligence and some of these and some of these groups personally?
23:48>> No, I haven't personally uncovered any of that. I think everybody kind of knows it already. Of course, >> GF is the closest one. He's the one that that that experienced it when he was working in special forces. Um yeah, but you know, we talked to people like we were in uh this state of Quawila, which is uh on on the east coast of Mexico.
24:08Not the east coast, but it's sandwiched between Tamo Lipas, Nova Leon, and um and some other states and it was where the Zetas really like that was their stronghold. And >> so we've talked to a number of guys that fought the ZETAS that remember the Zetta wars very vividly and they were like, "Oh yeah, dev definitely Americans, you know, School of the Americas taught these guys directly like American military generals at the School of the Americas and sometimes in Mexico taught people who became like the Taliban of Mexican drug cartels."
24:44>> That's wild, bro. Wild. And America's done that all over the world, you And you wonder, and you're never going to know. You wonder what the tradeoff is there. How many lives did they save doing that versus the lives that they ended by training it?
24:58>> Yeah, for sure. And what is the point?
25:00Like some of it seems so dubious. Like just because you want us to fight anti-communists. That's why America for decades funded uh you know worked with Felix Gallardo and the Guadalajara cartel and they you know this is a whole trope in the show Naros. I'm not saying anything new. Um, but yet you're like, was that really worth it just to get guns to Nicaragua?
25:25>> Dumb.
25:25>> Dumb. Who gives a [ __ ] about Nicaragua?
25:28But also, it's like [laughter] what?
25:29It's like Nicaragua. Higgins Ragua.
25:32Sorry. Um, that's a real call back.
25:35>> Uh, Nicaragua. You got to say, you can't say Nicaragua. You got to say Nicaragua.
25:39>> Don't do the Fioon, please.
25:40>> U. [laughter] So, uh, Higgins, bro. I cannot hear the word Higgins anymore. Um, was that a worthy trade-off? It's It's Do you know what it is though? And and I really do think that is the con. It's one of the consequences of like fiat money. Like being the the empire that can print the money.
25:58>> There's so much slush and waste in these budgets of the military. They've got to go somewhere. So that they just create these problems because they're like, "We got to everybody's getting paid and if we don't use the budget next year it won't be there. So we just got to spend." And that's why they come up with all these like proxy wars and like why would anybody be doing this? It's because energy has to go somewhere.
26:21>> Yeah, man.
26:21>> That's kind of what how I see it.
26:23>> You know, people get like on like the Bitcoin maxis and stuff for just making every goddamn thing about fiat and printing or whatever, but like money, it's like the most obvious thing, but the other people who detract from that want to ignore this. Money is what runs every [ __ ] decision in some level that's made in the world, >> right? You know, I used to have this thing I would ask clients when I worked on Wall Street. I'm like, "What are the two most important things in your life?"
26:48And usually they'd say some version of like health and family.
26:51>> Health and family. And I'd say >> money pays for both.
26:55>> Yeah.
26:55>> And it sucks. I hate that. But like it's that's a very real thing. And so you you see you see something like Mexico and where it's gotten with cartels. Well, why did all that start? It started from economic in opportunity. And then guys who were going to seal [snorts] the vacuum in that void >> and that's the story around the world.
27:14>> But countries that have to balance their budget because they can't they know if they print money like grow it their currency will lose 50% of its value.
27:23Venezuela you look at the stock market stock market's doing great because you need like a 100 million boulevard of bars to get a cup of coffee. You know what I mean? So there's real consequences for everybody besides us when it comes to printing money. So they're literally like countries around the world are like if we want to go to war, if we want to fund military [ __ ] it has to come from taxes >> and and therefore if we don't have enough taxes, we just can't do this.
27:53Whereas like we don't even have to think about that. It's it's a it's a brilliant kind of >> Ponzi scheme.
28:00[snorts] >> So you can make that argument. It's [ __ ] sick.
28:03>> Yeah. You really look at the Fed >> and how it's done here.
28:07>> Yeah.
28:08>> It's like, >> how's that leg? It's it's it's legalized ultra taxation, >> right? Every time >> just mathematically >> it's a tax every inflation is just a tax and you don't vote on it, >> but you pay for it.
28:21>> Yeah.
28:22>> And it wasn't like that until like what 1914 or something like that.
28:26>> Yeah. I there's way better people than me to comment on that. I mean when I >> I believe it was 1914 is when >> what was 1914?
28:34>> 1914 was when basically the US took over the uh responsibility of >> safeguarding people's gold. It's when Britain broke its economy when they broke off from it was there 1971 but that was really the beginning of the fiat currency era and then it went crazy after Nixon and the gold standard of 71.
28:54But it began in 1914 when we gave a bunch of like credit credit swaps. Let's just read about it. The AI can tell you better.
29:01>> In 1914, the United States took significant steps to safeguard its gold reserves. This was largely due to the Federal Reserve Systems establishment and the start of World War I in Europe.
29:10So, we took advantage of that. Federal Reserve Act of 1913. This act established the Federal Reserve system to stabilize the financial system and address banking prices. Gold standard and Federal Reserve notes. The US used a full gold standard with paper currency convertible to gold coin. The Federal Reserve notes needed to be backed by at least 40% gold. And then World War I and increased gold holdings. The outbreak of World War I in Europe led to a financial crisis and increased the amount of gold flowing into the United States. That makes sense because we didn't get involved till 1917. This increased the
29:39Federal Reserve's gold holdings which could be used as reserves. And then, and this is the part I have learned more about from other people telling me about this on the podcast, but you had two events like you've been mentioning the Nixon one. That's like the big line in the sand because it takes us off the gold standard. But back when the Great Depression happened and FDR had to come in and do like the New Deal, there were there was something I forget it what it was, but there was something in there.
30:03>> Oh, he devalued gold, >> right? Yeah.
30:05>> Right. He he reset the price on gold to like help the economy at the time, but that's just kicking the can down the road.
30:12>> He did that and then he actually made it illegal to own gold, which I don't know what effect that had, but abandoned the gold standard. Executive order in 33 to address the economic crisis, FDR issued executive order 6102 which prohibited private ownership of gold millions bullion. So imagine that. Imagine how crazy that is. It's illegal to have gold. Imagine they did that now. That's nuts. Like >> I'm [ __ ] >> Yeah, dude. Camera. [laughter] >> Yeah. Yeah. Those Cubans in Miami are [ __ ] dude. Yeah. You basically you might as well say uh [ __ ] Italians and Cubans.
30:45>> Just New Jersey and Florida report [laughter] to jail.
30:50Puerto Rico is going to get a lot of [ __ ] migrants, dude.
30:54>> You know, there's I'm sure you can relate to this with all the people you talk to, but there's these moments that happen in podcasts where you're like where like things connect and all that and you're like, "Oh my god, that explains what this guy said and whatever." And when I had Ed here in March, at one point he was like going off on the national security state and how like CIA is involved with cartels.
31:17And he goes, "And are we going to talk about the CIA going to top five, top 10 banks and flipping regular old bankers who are top 10 seauite into being money launderers for the cartel." And I'm just sitting here looking at him going I'm going, "Ed, funny you say that." That was that was March 13th. I said on March 6th, I had the guy sitting there who did that and told the story of how he did that.
31:39>> Wow. And he was a banker who got flipped by the CIA.
31:42>> He was a CIA knock who did it.
31:45>> Wow. and he explained how he went and fli he started at a bar with the guy and how he flipped him and his his micro job he didn't know the bigger picture because they keep you compartmentalized like just go do this his micro job was flip this guy because we need to use this bank he wouldn't say obviously what bank it was but it was a major bank >> and we're going to funnel money from the cartels through there because his job as a knock was a money launderer for the cartels that was his cover >> right >> and then you know we're going to flow it for national security >> so what And that's currently happening.
32:17>> It was when Matt was doing it in 2015, 2016. So why wouldn't it be happening now?
32:24>> Wow.
32:24>> I mean, which organization and why?
32:28>> Which organization?
32:29>> Which organization and why? And I ask you that because >> when you say organization, [clears throat] >> cartel, >> nobody, by the way, nobody calls them I'm getting out of the habits of calling them cartels.
32:39>> Why?
32:39>> Because Americans call them that and they don't nobody really says that down there. They call them criminal organizations. They don't even call them that. Like the ordinary people call them hente malo. Okay. Malo, malandro, thieves or whatever, you know. And and yeah, nobody calls them cartels with us.
32:55>> So we've culturally appropriated cartels.
32:57>> Exactly. And if you listen to like Luis Chabaro, who you used to have on your show, he calls them their criminal organizations because they're more than just cartels. Like cartels kind of Yeah.
33:06They do set the price of drugs as much as they can, but they're all they're into so many different rackets, dude.
33:12They're into, you know, again, oil theft. They're into extortion, some of them. They're into um, you know, white collar crime, you know, Puerto Varta.
33:25They're calling people up with scams, ripping off [ __ ] foreigners, selling them time shares that don't exist, you know. So, they're all off in it, bro.
33:34They're way more dynamic. But, okay, back to my question. What was his speculation on why the CIA was helping cartels helping cartels in the 80s? We knew with Rick Ross and with the Nicaraguans that was all because they were funding illegal wars that were to fight communism. I can I can get that. But why in 2016?
34:00>> So, I'm going to tell you what he told me. Before I do that, I'm going to say that naturally I think he probably knows more about the bigger picture, but he would never [ __ ] say it on a podcast or off record with me. But what he was saying is, and this is definitely part of it, is that when you are doing a white collar job for the cartels, such as money laundering, because they got a lot of money to launder, you are a very valued person if you are great at it and have a connection like say a [ __ ] top five bank to be able to do this through such that you get to some of the highest levels of these organizations that he
34:37did not specify which one it was. So it could have been multiple, could have been one of them. Your guess is as good as mine, but in doing that, you are working with an international crime syndicate at the highest level. You're working with the [ __ ] Apple or Google of international crime. And what that allows him to do is have proper cover when he goes to other countries as this character where, let's make one up.
35:02Let's say he was going to Hungary for something for the cartels. I don't know, some [ __ ] you know, they're working on a supply chain for money laundering.
35:10when he goes into that country, there may be a book on him with their intel agency or their FBI, Hungary's FBI, where they're like, "Oh, yeah, it's a cartel moneyaunderer." So, they're looking at him for that. So, when he [ __ ] throws a mask on and goes out at 11:55 p.m. and puts on his CIA hat and goes and meets with some [ __ ] Russian oligarch to get a nuclear code, completely unrelated to what he does, he's got the proper cover as a criminal going into the country such that they would never look at him for doing that type of job. Uh, you mean the Russian oligarch, >> right? They would they would never look
35:41at him meeting with him, >> right? Oh, I see. Sure. Sure.
35:43>> It's like a diversion. It's like, "Look at the crime. LOOK AT THE CRIME. LOOK AT THE CRIME. DON'T LOOK OVER HERE."
35:47>> RIGHT.
35:47>> That's all it is. It's like It's like a lot of nothing. And the nothing is he's [ __ ] funding cartels before he does something, which is five minutes over here to do something for CIA. It's a moral quandry the likes of which I can't even.
36:00>> Right. But we still don't know why.
36:01Still doesn't explain why. like why >> what is what is the value to the CIA for collaborating with Mexican criminal organizations?
36:10>> Well, the why and and again I think there's more than just this for the why, but the why is that is it it is a phenomenal cover. They're basically using it as a Trojan horse so that when he goes to these places, >> they can be like, "Oh, cartel guy instead of that could be a CIA guy.
36:28Let's watch what who he meets with." See what I'm saying?
36:31>> Yeah. So this is a great deal for the cartels because it seems like they get all the benefit from it.
36:36>> Yep. That's that's what it Well, the US gets benefit in this if this is how it turns out in the sense that they have an agent who's able to go do things and get away with it without anyone looking at them that are important for national security while the cartel gets the benefit of oh no we we're not in here to investigate you. Not that they're talking to them like that cuz he's undercover but it's like we're going to help you keep this going. Well, also, you know what the benefit is? They don't get all they don't get money laundered by the American government for free.
37:05What they do is they give up the other people. They give up their competitors.
37:09So, I should have put that together because we know that very well. It was probably, you know, obviously Isma Zimbab comes to mind.
37:16>> Took the words out of my mouth.
37:17>> Yeah. He was probably he was the one that was most entrenched with foreign intelligence services for the longest cuz he's been around, you know, in the game since like really since the late60s, but he's he's been on top since the 80s. So that's probably, you know, really he's very very connected with, you know, the Mexican federal government and that's and his sources within the DEA and the CIA for sure. For sure. I remember when you did the podcast with Danny. This was a few years ago, but I distinctly remember you talking about Elmo and I think you were speculate and I think other people were too who know what they're talking
37:53about like you. I think you were speculating even back then that like that's a total front like he's got some sort of deal. And now fast forward I guess two years after that to last summer >> there's no way. You know what I mean?
38:06>> That was a CIA job collaborating with Chapo's kids. Finally, the tables turned on the old man because he's been feeding them people for years. You know, he he fed them the the Beltron leav Chapo did too. He fed them Chapo. He fed them Chapo's uh some of Chapo's kids. Then he also helped the kids out. That guy is like a spy >> when you look at if you dig into the weeds of how he operated, it's like espionage.
38:33>> It's [ __ ] fascinating. But yeah, um you know, giving up members of the Huadees cartel. This all goes back and it's it's documented. There's no way that guy's staying out of prison that long without, you know, handing people over.
38:49>> What do you think happened there to finally turn in on him like it did?
38:52>> Well, his uh his kids finally, uh, you know, they're they're the reason that Chapo's withering away in a [ __ ] you know, hell hole in Colorado. So, I think that's part of it. I think maybe they saw their opportunity, you know, but those families are very there's a lot of intermarriage there. There's a lot of because we found out that they're still selling drugs. All the killing that's happening in Senoloa, the the war, it's a war of attrition. They're just pissed off. It's their organizations are still operating and moving drugs through their their separate drug routes. So, this is just over like beef.
39:27>> And so, um you know, I can't be onyond that I'm not sure, but I think it was just the right time. He's getting old and they saw an opportunity and pro probably they had and they when Ovidio Raton they call him got extradited to the US he was probably he was saving his own skin. and he was like, "Hey, I I think we can we can get you Mayo."
39:51But the government, which begs the question, couldn't the government be like, "Well, we have Mayo. He's our partner, dude." [laughter] But, you know, but again, these are I think with the CIA, it's like when there's turnover, like say Mayo's got a handler within the CIA and he retires, the next guy's probably like, "Fuck this guy."
40:09Yeah, he's a boy scout. He's younger. Or maybe he's got a better asset, you know?
40:14Maybe Meno is working with him now. Who knows? But that it's it's not it's not a conspiracy that goes to the top. It's very very compartmentalized. So, you know, the agencies have different field operatives, right, who they use and and leverage for cover or whatever they need them for. And so, the next guy could be like, "Yeah, no. Let's take down Mayo.
40:36And this is the way this is what Ed Calderon thinks. This is a catalyst to finally invade Mexico because we know this is going to cause a huge war, huge beef between the factions of the cartel, the Senoloa cartel, and this is going to implode them and cause Mexico to go up in flames. And >> yeah, >> but they Hold on a minute. That's interesting because they also did this.
40:58This was, I believe, July 2024. So they did this before like Trump's re-elected or whatever and has a chance to declare them terrorist organizations. But you think that might have been a bipartisan type thing? That's what Ed thinks. I think it's it's a it's look, it's only good for them when the cartels are at war because that means they can fund their own, you know, counter intelligence services. Ed thinks the war on drugs is over. He thinks it's a war on terror now. And the war on terror just means bigger budgets for, you know, everything that goes into that. Drone equipment, missiles, >> Eric Prince,
41:32>> right? Yeah, exactly. Eric Prince is [ __ ] loving this [ __ ] He's [laughter] getting paid, dude. So, uh, you know, these are all the war pigs that fiat money, uh, services.
41:42[laughter] >> They don't offer anything on the free market. Like, you know, Eric Prince says he does, but it's still funded by the the government.
41:51>> Well, all of it >> for sure.
41:53>> Probably not all of it.
41:54>> Who else is Who else is giving Blackwater Who else is giving Blackwater money?
41:58>> Well, at the time, yeah. Yeah. Back then, I would have said that's probably fair, >> you know? So, I mean, there might be warlords and [ __ ] but that's like peanuts compared to the money we can just print from the Pentagon. budget.
42:08So, um, yeah, that guy, I mean, he thought I liked Mark Lacia. Wait, wait till I give you my opinion on Eric Prince.
42:15>> Am I gonna get my head blown off for this?
42:17>> Seriously, get drone struck. [laughter] Um, so yeah. So, >> you had him on your show, right?
42:24>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And he was he was good enough to come on and [laughter] we got really good views out of it. So, thanks.
42:30Um, you only gave us 40 minutes and it was through Zoom, but hey, it did well.
42:35Um, so yeah, that's all it does is just lead to bigger budgets. So whether that's whether it was conniving enough for the CIA to be like, "Yeah, once we cause this war, we know Trump's going to get elected." We kind of already knew by July 24 that he was going to get elected. He just got shot, you know. So you could see the writings on the wall.
42:58And then they were like, "Yeah, this means we're going to invade possibly."
43:01>> Like they do think that way.
43:03>> Sure. They do think like, you know, like they were like, >> not out of the realm of possibility.
43:08>> Yeah. It's not, you know, they knew 9/11, you know, they knew the Twin Towers were vulnerable. There have been threats.
43:14>> They tried to bomb it in 93.
43:16>> Right. Exactly. Close. Exactly. So, they know these things. Just like Netanyahu was like, "Yeah, if they invade, this is a perfect excuse."
43:25It's a strategy they teach. I can't remember. McGregor is a guy who talks about it the best, but it's it's a strategy. We get them to invade. It gives us an excuse to cause, you know, conflration everywhere.
43:36>> Yes. People like a wartime leader if it's done, you know.
43:40>> Exactly.
43:41>> In a way they can support.
43:42>> Exactly. So, I think that's that's what led to the undoing because it's a zero- sum game. Even when you have the you, you know, Mayo had the the the government in his pocket. It's still >> by the end you you lose your usefulness.
43:54>> You have an expiration date.
43:56>> So, he finally there was no one left to tell on.
43:58>> Yeah. You know, you telling everybody and it's like, damn, you're the last [ __ ] standing. So, >> like you said, they're never fully free.
44:06>> No, >> they they may have a lot of land. They may have whatever, but they're going to live their whole life looking over their shoulder.
44:11>> Yeah. And they're imprisoned in their their province in Mexico.
44:16>> Do Do you think El Chapo was propped up, meaning like he wasn't really what they said, or do you think he legit had that power?
44:25>> People think that he was propped up by Mayo. really >> cuz he was flashy. He was arrogant. He was a tiny little guy.
44:34Super poor from a [ __ ] from Baria Barawato. Just this tiny little or Latuna I think he's from. It's this little town in the hills of Sinoaoa. And he was, you know, he's an underdog. He had little man syndrome. So that's why he was like dating nolla actors. And what are you doing? You you're on you're the most wanted man in the world.
44:52>> Sean, come on.
44:53>> Let's sit down with Sean [laughter] Penn, dude. He calls him Sean Pen. Hola.
44:57San Ben. Um, so he definitely and Mayo saw that and definitely almost we know from how Mayo acted. He was like he did not like the Flash and so he was definitely pushing him up as like the face of it.
45:14>> He's Don Corleó to this guy's, you know, regular old good fella way.
45:19>> Right. Exactly. And so, um, yeah, I mean, the guy, we have him on on record, Maya, with his son in a jail in Chicago and, uh, he basically tells his son, "You go ahead and go ahead and do what you got to do. Let him know about Chapo.
45:35>> Get yourself out of there." Yeah. And um and then when Chapo's uh kids got kidnapped by Mencho in Puerto Vayarta, they they walked into a restaurant that they were having dinner at and they just said, "Come with us." Kidnapped, bro.
45:52Meno neg uh Mayo negotiated to get those kids to get those kids sent back safe.
45:57So he would he would he would give up Chapo, but also help the family out, >> right? He's a chess player. He's a master chess player.
46:06>> It ran out. Yeah. Yeah. He didn't have anybody left to tell on and you know he doesn't know enough about men show you know he's uh the CJ just keeps growing bigger and and you know and they just got their [ __ ] together man like when we were inter when we we interviewed Mayo's bodyguards. We they didn't >> Is this out yet?
46:25>> It's not out because we didn't get it on camera because they wouldn't let us. We thought we were we had a fixer that was going to let us that that brought us to them. A fixer in Quaon. This is before this is 2022. When you say fixer, can you define what that means in Mexico?
46:40>> A fixer is a guy well anywhere. It's not just Mexico. He's the local guy that's going to take you to different Mexico though. Who was talking about it was Ed or maybe Luis was talking about how a fixer? Maybe it was Jorge. I I don't remember. Someone was telling me like a fixer could be a it's like someone who's not a journalist, but they cover I might be.
47:03>> But that's this guy. He wasn't a journalist. He was the guy that our journalist friend Luis who we were in KO with. He was the guy on the ground that Luis was like okay >> he's going to take us around show us some [ __ ] There's some guys who we pretty sure are guarding Mayo and we were confirmed Luis was like they're definitely guarding Mayo because they were the ones sitting around with nothing to do cuz the ones closest to him are the safest cuz you know it's the guys because these guys got layers of security just like the military. So, it's like if you're uh from the Mexican Marines and and you get within 20 miles
47:37of Mayo, his first sentries are going to the Marines are coming [laughter] and then they go by, you get 10 miles close to him, the Marines are coming and then they're like, get him out of there. So, that when you're closest to the boss, you're the safest because you got to get through so many security people before you get to them. So, these young kids, like 20s, bro, this one kid has braces and a [ __ ] AK. You're like, "Praces, wild braces, brackets, they call them in Spanish."
48:06Uh, and uh, he gave me a Rosario. I should have worn it. He gave me a rosary. Like, they're nice people, but it's we're in cartel country. Like, these are tiny little villages. People driving around on [ __ ] you know, three-wheelers and [ __ ] Yeah, bro. We are deep in the [ __ ] hills of Mexico.
48:23No government around.
48:24>> What's your playlist when you go in there?
48:26>> Uh, jamming a little.
48:27>> You're like a little Bad Bunny, dude.
48:29Yeah. [laughter] Yeah.
48:32>> We like a little Bad Bunny. I put on some JLo. I'm like, "You guys are Spanish. Do you like JLo?" They're like, "What the? We [laughter] should kill you.
48:40>> We like a little Malo Konjo." Um, [laughter] so uh my point is we were we were with these kids and they were kids. They were in their 20s. And um what was I telling you? What was the point of that story?
48:55you were going deep and they kept on shooting.
48:58>> So, we couldn't we couldn't um >> they didn't Our fixer brought us to them >> and >> they wouldn't let you on camera.
49:05>> Yeah. They were like, "We'll talk to you, bro, but we can't or we can't you can't film us. We're guarding the most wanted, longest living, longest free drug lord in the world."
49:17>> Did Did you record them?
49:19>> No. Cuz bro, >> like like with like just vocally.
49:21>> No. Uhuh. They were like, "You can film around us, but you can't film our faces.
49:25We're not going to talk to you."
49:26>> And they're not gonna vocalize anything.
49:28>> Uhuh. No. No. And And >> when was this again?
49:30>> Uh, November of 22. And in no in January of 23 is when they did the big raid and got So, um, yeah, I don't remember the point. I don't remember. Well, we were you were talking about like going in deep there and how he was so separated >> from society essentially. Like he was he had an army that was surrounded by an army.
49:54>> That separated though. Like that's that's what's wild is like you think you think these guys are in like some glass palace. They're living like Bin Laden.
50:02They're living a little better than Bin Laden. They're living on a ranch and they're in communication with two or three people. One guy is an accountant.
50:09The other is his lawyer. And those are the guys that are going out to make deals with the government or make deals with the local mayor of this town because they're opening up a drug route and they're like, "Look, we're moving a lot of migrants through this area. You know, bodies are going to start dropping so we need you to play ball. Here's this is your cut every month. You work for us now." Like it's it's very sophisticated but also very country. Like it's not very elegant. I would say >> you're not like when you're doing this though because you're literally going right near the top guy like allegedly
50:41the most wanted guy in the world at that time. You're not like a little scared. I know you got a fixer in there. I know you got some security but like >> I was I was scared. I was uneasy. Let's put it that way. I was uneasy. I was uneasy. And the scene alone in Spanish is [ __ ] crazy. It's so ghetto. It's so [ __ ] country. It's like it would be like a if somebody who spoke who learned English as a second language in Britain really proper English went to the bayus of Mississippi and tried to understand what those [ __ ] are saying like it's deep and now I I I know Mexican Spanish better now. So uh I I
51:19could get by a little better. But that always makes me uneasy. You're at their mercy.
51:23>> Yes.
51:23>> Anytime I'm at someone's mercy, I get a little uneasy. You know, it's the same way when I'm on a flight. I'm a little uneasy >> cuz I I have no control. So, um, but look, those guys don't they're chilling.
51:36They don't want they don't want you dead.
51:38>> You seem like there's a piece of you though that lives for that a little bit, that action, that touching that touching the [ __ ] coffee long enough before it's hot just to know what it feels like.
51:47>> Yes.
51:47>> Yeah.
51:48>> I just like to cut just open a vein just a little bit.
51:51>> What's that feel like?
51:52>> Yeah. I it is it is it is pretty [ __ ] I am going to miss that if I stop doing this show. That's why yeah I want to incorporate that into moving on. Like I don't want to stop talking about cartels and I want to do topical [ __ ] because people are interested in this.
52:12>> I don't need to talk to Italian mob guys from the 80s anymore. But like this [ __ ] is like ever evolving.
52:18>> I can hook you up with a few.
52:20>> Ah no I'm good. I've talked to I I I don't need to I don't want to I don't want to feel the wrath of uh John Sheay.
52:26[laughter] >> Yeah, dude. But that's Isn't that wild?
52:31Like how deep the politics >> of Mexican cartel. They're their own government man. They're politicians, dude. Podcast studio. I can't even fathom it. I've never been. And I don't, you know, like I live vicariously through some secondhand content I get from guys like you who actually understand what's going on, but that is far from try to, you know, I've got a better understanding, but I mean it's very deep and it it's you pull back the layers little by little, but >> you know, if uh if I can keep doing these stories though, if I can keep getting on like that kid who we interviewed, what time when does this
53:07come out?
53:08>> Probably like three weeks or so.
53:10>> All right. It might be out on our channel. We are going to release this video in Spanish of this interview I did with this kid. He was 17 years old when he, you know, saw a recruitment video uh from the Halisco New Generation Cartel.
53:24He went and joined up with them. They take him to this he he's forced to kill people, blow people away. Like he said, these government guns were so big he blew a guy's head off in training.
53:36>> So you imagine what it's done to this guy's brain already, right? Yeah, >> he he he's driving. He's he's in a cartel tank fighting, shooting at the Mayo, the the Senoloa cartel in Zakatkas. He's witnessing um >> and he's like 16 when he's doing that.
53:52>> Yeah. Now he's I know I think he's like 17 or 18. Uh I can't remember doing that when he's doing that. Yeah. This was a couple of years ago >> still.
53:59>> Um >> a kid.
54:00>> Yeah. And so he's lucky he got out alive. He was cool with his commander and he was like I just this isn't for me.
54:06>> His commander.
54:07>> Yeah. Yeah. Of course they have commanders, bro. This is a military we're talking about. Um, oh, this is my point.
54:14>> The reason that, and this is a good way to bring it home, the reason that Halisco, the Halisco New Generation Cartel, they have their [ __ ] together, like they're doing, when we're with these Cenoloan guys, they're all sniffing coke. They're all smoking weed.
54:28They're all just non-stop takate. Takate lights. That's what they drink down there. Halisco. All business, >> bro. all business. They're testing your the the the DNA under your fingernails to make sure there's no drugs in your system.
54:43>> And that's why >> like they're gonna last longer than people think. They're really they're going to be around a while, you know, with that kind of discipline, that kind of money behind them and that kind of ability to adapt to like now we're going to blend in a little more. Like there are certain places where we're going to make war, but we're in the cities now.
55:05We are we are going to work for the people. You know, they built we were in this little town by the ranch we went to. All the roads paved by them.
55:15>> Dirt roads in Mexico where the World Cup is coming. Yeah.
55:18>> And people were living with dirt roads cuz the government wouldn't do anything.
55:22They're like, "Oh, we got you, bro."
55:23>> Yeah.
55:25>> Do you think 20 years from now we're going to be sitting here possibly in a world where the cartels have 50% of the power they have now?
55:32>> Um, that's a good question. Yeah, I think that's about right.
55:36>> I think that's [clears throat] about 50.
55:37So, they've lost about half their power.
55:39Yeah. Yeah, I do.
55:40>> What makes you say that?
55:41>> Uh 20 years. Okay. So, this is my prediction. This is fun. This is just going to be, you know, take it for what it what it is.
55:48>> I think I think America in 20 years will finally have to face a sovereign debt crisis. And so, just our standard of living will be rocked by it. people that are sitting on cash will lose big time.
56:05So I think a lot of people are going to move to Mexico.
56:08>> So anytime Gringo's move to Mexico that that means that they have to shape up >> safety measures.
56:15>> Exactly. Exactly. So you see it everywhere now. Tijana is a the best example like cartels can't operate like they did even in 2008. Mhm.
56:25>> So, I think that's going to happen. And I think a ton of foreign investment.
56:30There's so much upside in Mexico. So much underdevelopment that people can get in on, right? It's like the [ __ ] early 70s in New York City.
56:39>> Imagine that. Like it looked like [ __ ] The city was almost bankrupt. It was run down was bad.
56:44>> But but >> forward thinking people, Trump, that's how he made his fortune, right? Was buying buildings up like that. So, I think more and more, you know, Chinese investment is going to be huge.
56:54>> Well, that was the last thing I wanted to ask you about, too. The Chinese thing. How, cuz you said this earlier, and this is sticking my head. You said a lot of people that I may have had on here talking about this outside of Ed Calderone, they may not know what he knows or be on that level. I hear a lot of people, including people that aren't covering the cartels, but maybe come at it from the special forces angle or personal experience, they talk about the funnel of China through Mexico. How real is that? Like I I mean it seems real to me, but you know, >> well, outside of the fentanyl precursors
57:24that they're shipping there, >> you can talk about that, too. I mean, that seems real as [ __ ] >> Outwardly, China says they're cracking down on it. China says they're cracking down. So, we can't believe them, obviously, right? You can't even really believe the Mexican government, but [ __ ] all that. Who cares about fentanyl?
57:39Drugs are like a sliver of the money that's out there, bro. I'm talking about the [ __ ] the land bridge that they're that's going to be like >> way bigger than the Panama Canal that's going to run through the Pacific side of Mexico. I think it's Waka. You could look this up. Or Chiapa state. One of the states towards the very bottom. And it's going to connect the Pacific side through Vera Cruz, I think, which is the Caribbean side.
58:05>> China.
58:06>> What >> is this being built by China?
58:08>> Um, but they're definitely money behind it for sure.
58:11>> Sure. What is it called? It's called It's a really shitty name. They got to make the name cooler. Pacific, Mexico.
58:19Just Just say the port they're going to build between >> camera.
58:27>> Uh, basically Mexico's Panama Canal. You could just call it that.
58:30>> Okay.
58:31>> Mexico's Panama Canal.
58:32>> Story I feel like on this.
58:35>> It's a real [ __ ] name. They got to make it better. There we go. Mexico is developing a new trade route called the ismas of teat teatek introanic corridor that aims to comp compete with the Panama Canal. So it's going to connect the Pacific side of Mexico to the Caribbean >> 186 mile route.
58:54>> Yeah. And it's going to be dude think about how much time ships are going to be able to save. They don't have to go down to Panama. They can go through Mexico. That is going to [ __ ] catapult them. And it might take a while. They got a lot of [ __ ] they got to clean up, but they're going to build it eventually. So, in 20 years that could be built and it's going to make Mexico one of the most powerful countries in the world, I think with all that money.
59:18>> So, is the implication there that outside investment with stuff like China won't be as necessary when they can be self- sustainable?
59:26>> Well, it depends on how much money is behind that though because if there's there's a lot of people that are going to be chomping at the bit trying to invest in that. China's already doing that in Lima, Peru. Look this up. The Chinese uh already have money in this huge port in Lima. Lima is going to come up, dude. Like the global south, I I do believe in it. Like >> Lima's [ __ ] huge.
59:47>> Lima's huge. And uh >> it's like 11 million people that live there.
59:50>> Yeah. Yeah. Have you been?
59:52>> I landed there. I went to the Amazon and Paul Rosley decided to go through there and I was looking it up when I got there. I'm like, what the [ __ ] This is huge.
59:58>> Yeah. So imagine that port $1.3 billion.
60:02the chun chunk chunk port.
60:05>> Um, so so yeah, Peru's really China's really got their mits in Peru, but I think I think in Mexico, too. I think this is all just indicative of the the unwinding of the American Empire.
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