For centuries, brigands, gangsters and street toughs ruled the island of Java so thoroughly that they were woven into local myths. But in the 20th century, when the world bounded towards war, mob bosses in Jakarta spotted a chance to turn underworld kudos into an independent nation.
When the war ended, and Indonesia dove into chaos, a handful of kingpins wo ... Show More
Aug 19
Fidel Castro: Cuba’s Cocaine Trafficker-in-Chief?
In 1959, when Fidel Castro’s revolutionaries toppled Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, they wasted no time booting out American business owners, casinos and drug kingpins — much to the delight of US law enforcers. But as time passed, and Castro’s socialist regime sought ever-tric ... Show More
1h 4m
Aug 12
The Dixie Mafia's Texas Millionaire Murders
When Bill Richardson, a troubled oilman and pro pigeon shooter, was gunned down on his Corpus Christi doorstep in 1971, everybody assumed it was an open-and-shut organized crime hit. But when Richardson’s supposed killers walked free from court, and another body showed up in the ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 5
Mexico's New Ultraviolent Narco-Terrorists: The CDN
From the ashes of Los Zetas rose the Cartel del Noreste or Northeast Cartel, a brutal splinter group led by the infamous Treviño Morales family and headquartered in the blood-soaked border city of Nuevo Laredo. Known for their military tactics, narco-tanks, and paramilitary wing ... Show More
54m 56s
Mar 2021
El Chapo Part 3: Showdown at the Border
After escaping a hit at Guadalajara Airport, El Chapo disappears from view. Acting on a tip-off, the authorities close in on a hotel in the border town of Tapachula. Returned home in handcuffs, Chapo can look forward to a lengthy stay at a top-security penitentiary. But he'll soo ... Show More
37m 2s
Aug 2024
Drug Cartels | The Chess Master | 1
In the 1970s, a pair of brothers and their longtime friend begin smuggling cocaine from their home city of Cali, Colombia into the United States. They quickly establish a complex but highly efficient system for importing and distributing vast quantities of the drug, creating what ... Show More
21m 19s