Real Narcos

NOISER

If the US Government asked you to move to Colombia to hunt down the world’s most brutal narco-terrorist, what would you say? Real Narcos meets the real DEA agents tasked with bringing down some of history’s most notorious criminal masterminds - from the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, to the most powerful drug trafficker on the planet, El Chapo. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started with a 7-day free trial. Or, if you're on Spotify or Android, head to noiser.com/subscriptions. For advertising enquiries, email info@adelicious.fm read less

Our Editor's Take

The Real Narcos podcast sounds like something out of the movies. But the exciting stories here are real. This show features real-life stories of US Drug Enforcement Agency agents hunting down drug kingpins. The show guides listeners on an adrenaline-fueled journey. They learn about the worlds of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. The show debuted in 2020.

One DEA agent explains that their jobs involve acting. But he says that working undercover means "playing a role." The stakes are much higher here, of course. An actor who messes up a part may lose a chance at an Oscar, he notes. An undercover agent who messes up could lose his life. Because of this, the tension in each Real Narcos podcast episode is high.

John Cuban hosts theReal Narcos podcast. The show specializes in interviews with former DEA agents. They talk about their involvement in these drug-busting operations. Other key players from law enforcement agencies around the globe speak on the show. So do some journalists who reported on these cases. Each episode provides insight into the way law enforcement agents work, gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, they risked their lives every day until bringing those kingpins behind bars.

Real Narcos talks about the cases to bring down infamous drug lords like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo. Barry Seal, Matta Ballesteros, and Griselda Blanco are less famous. But that doesn't make them less powerful and scary. The podcast talks about how all of these kingpins faced justice. Listeners looking for an action-packed podcast may enjoy this program. Most episodes of the limited-run series last about 45 minutes. Each one has plenty of drama and excitement. Fans may like hearing when bad people face consequences for their actions.

read less
HistoryHistory
Play Trailer
Introducing: Real Narcos
Mar 25 2020
Introducing: Real Narcos
If the US Government asked you to move to Colombia to hunt down the world’s most brutal narco-terrorist, what would you say? Real Narcos meets the real DEA agents tasked with bringing down some of history’s most notorious criminal masterminds - from the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, to the most powerful drug trafficker on the planet, El Chapo. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episodes

Introducing: Real Narcos
Mar 25 2020
Introducing: Real Narcos
If the US Government asked you to move to Colombia to hunt down the world’s most brutal narco-terrorist, what would you say? Real Narcos meets the real DEA agents tasked with bringing down some of history’s most notorious criminal masterminds - from the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, to the most powerful drug trafficker on the planet, El Chapo. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pablo Escobar Part 1: Baptism of Fire
Apr 17 2020
Pablo Escobar Part 1: Baptism of Fire
In the 1980s, a new generation of American special agents lands in Colombia, tasked with capturing the most infamous cocaine trafficker on the planet: Pablo Escobar. We’re embedded with the DEA as they track down a man who blows up commercial airplanes, bombs civilians and murders government officials virtually at will. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pablo Escobar Part 2: Making a Narco-Terrorist
Apr 17 2020
Pablo Escobar Part 2: Making a Narco-Terrorist
We pull back the curtain on Escobar’s empire and follow his rise to power – from the rough streets of Medellin to the forefront of the international drugs trade. Journalist Simon Strong goes in search of Pablo’s father. Agent Kane uncovers a plan to kidnap the children of DEA agents in Colombia… While Escobar himself begins construction on a lavish mansion, complete with bullring, waterpark, and a private zoo. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pablo Escobar Part 3: Murder at the Mansion
Apr 26 2020
Pablo Escobar Part 3: Murder at the Mansion
Pablo Escobar launches all-out war on the Colombian government, firing RPG rockets at the man about to become President. A new DEA chief arrives in town with a maverick plan. And at a lavish party at Pablo’s mansion, a murder in the night threatens to turn the Medellin kingpin’s empire upside down… For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pablo Escobar Part 4: On the Run, the Game is Changing
May 3 2020
Pablo Escobar Part 4: On the Run, the Game is Changing
Pablo escapes from his luxury prison and vanishes into the Colombian countryside. Agent Ken Magee finds himself on a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany… with Pablo Escobar’s wife. And Escobar’s teenage son makes a surprise appearance at the office of DEA Agent in Charge, Joe Toft. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pablo Escobar Part 5: The Final Battle
May 11 2020
Pablo Escobar Part 5: The Final Battle
The DEA agents finally discover Escobar’s whereabouts. Pablo’s empire comes crashing down. Shot dead on a Medellin rooftop, the most powerful cocaine smuggler of all time meets a grisly end. The agents reflect on their journey, and where the death of their number one target leaves the war on drugs. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Barry Seal Part 1: The American Pilot
May 18 2020
Barry Seal Part 1: The American Pilot
Pablo Escobar couldn’t have reached the heights he did without smugglers willing to traffic cocaine by land, sea… and air. The story of Barry Seal starts in a bar in Baton Rouge in 1981. It will take us flying over the Gulf of Mexico all the way to South America, then back again to the South Louisiana swamps. This is the tale of the over-sized American airline pilot who gave up the dream of the white-picket fence to become the biggest home-grown narco-trafficker the United States had ever seen. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Barry Seal Part 2: Into the Lion's Den
May 25 2020
Barry Seal Part 2: Into the Lion's Den
Tom Cruise played him in a Hollywood blockbuster movie. Barry Seal’s name has passed into legend. In this episode of Real Narcos, Barry Seal flips. The world’s most illusive smuggler becomes the DEA’s most highly prized informant. With a mission brief from his handlers, Seal embarks on a death-defying mission into the mountains of Colombia. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Barry Seal Part 3: Sleep With One Eye Open
Jun 1 2020
Barry Seal Part 3: Sleep With One Eye Open
Barry Seal has gone from smuggler to informant, and now penetrates further into the heart of the Medellin Cartel than any American before or since. But this daredevil pilot flies too close to the sun. As Seal’s identity is exposed, the tables are turned. Can he disappear into the ether before the Cartel track him down? For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing: Real Dictators - Kim Jong il
Jun 8 2020
Introducing: Real Dictators - Kim Jong il
From the creators of Real Narcos comes Real Dictators, the show that explores the hidden lives of history's tyrants. Kim Jong-il built a volatile rogue state with nuclear missiles trained on its enemies – all while living a life of the utmost luxury. In the first episode of Real Dictators, we piece together the early life of this tyrant and that of the country he came to rule. Follow Real Dictators for more episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Griselda Blanco Part 1: The Cocaine Godmother
Jun 22 2020
Griselda Blanco Part 1: The Cocaine Godmother
In the early 1980s, the US Coast Guard are inundated with speedboats, propeller planes and helicopters loaded with ton upon ton of high-grade cocaine. Sleepy towns find themselves on the front line of the war on drugs. Miami goes from quiet southern resort to international front-page news. Behind this tidal wave of white powder? The world’s first female narco-terrorist - a fearsome woman they call The Godmother. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Griselda Blanco Part 2: The Black Widow Devours Her Mate
Jun 29 2020
Griselda Blanco Part 2: The Black Widow Devours Her Mate
Griselda Blanco outhustled and outwitted the men in her orbit to rise from desperate poverty on the streets of Colombia to remarkable wealth on Miami Beach. In Bogotá, a domestic dispute between Griselda and her husband snowballs into a shootout in a nightclub parking lot. In Miami, a rookie cop is called to a homicide bearing all the hallmarks of a Godmother hit. An informant is planted at the heart of Griselda’s family network. And DEA agents come face to face with the Godmother herself. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matta Ballesteros Part 1: The Faceless Phantom
Aug 2 2020
Matta Ballesteros Part 1: The Faceless Phantom
The drug lords in this series tend to be larger than life. This guy is a little different. The man they call ‘El Negro’ – ‘The Black One’ – is an elusive, faceless phantom. Hunting him is like trying to catch smoke. But in September 1981, the DEA make a huge cocaine bust in Los Angeles, California. The raid throws up clues that point the agents towards a Honduran cocaine chemist. The hunt for Matta Ballesteros begins... For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matta Ballesteros Part 2: Face to Face With the Cocaine Chemist
Aug 10 2020
Matta Ballesteros Part 2: Face to Face With the Cocaine Chemist
Everyone assumed Matta Ballesteros was just a low-level pusher. But it turns out he’s the shady mastermind funnelling eye-watering quantities of cocaine into the United States. After a long and gruelling pursuit across multiple borders, US agents hatch a plan to snatch Matta off the street. Finally, Mike Vigil of the DEA comes face to face with the man he’s chased halfway across Latin America. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Félix Gallardo Part 1: The Mexican Godfather
Jan 25 2021
Félix Gallardo Part 1: The Mexican Godfather
In 1981, DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena lands in Mexico. His task is to bring down the man known as El Padrino (The Godfather). This drug lord's real name is Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Gallardo sits atop an industrial scale cocaine and marijuana operation, propped up by millions of dollars’ worth of bribes. He’s a man intertwined with the upper echelons of the Mexican establishment, a deadly spider at the centre of a web of corruption. Agent Camarena is only supposed to be stationed in Mexico for a few years. But his stint will end in horrific, unprecedented circumstances. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Félix Gallardo Part 2: A Kidnapping Like No Other
Feb 1 2021
Félix Gallardo Part 2: A Kidnapping Like No Other
In Guadalajara, DEA agents search frantically for their missing friend and colleague, Kiki Camarena. The US-Mexico border is almost shut down as 50% of all cars crossing at San Ysidro are searched for leads. The massive effort soon pays off. Meanwhile, on the runway at Guadalajara Airport, DEA agents are caught in a Mexican stand-off with the Godfather’s right-hand man. And out in the remote countryside, a farmer makes a gruesome discovery. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Félix Gallardo Part 3: The Fall of El Padrino
Feb 7 2021
Félix Gallardo Part 3: The Fall of El Padrino
With one of the Cartel leaders behind bars, the DEA have taken a big step in rounding up Agent Camarena's killers. The search is ramped up for the remaining fugitives. The noose tightens around Félix Gallardo, as DEA agents raid properties across Latin America. But the end of Gallardo will not close the curtain on the North American narcotics trade. Into Gallardo’s shoes will step his former understudy. He’s a fresh-faced, fearsome enemy for the authorities to deal with - a new godfather whose story will bring us right up to the present day. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
El Chapo Part 1: Public Enemy Number One
Feb 15 2021
El Chapo Part 1: Public Enemy Number One
El Chapo: the scourge of Mexico and America’s most-wanted. Joaquín Guzmán Loera, to use his real name, escaped from custody multiple times and dodged death many more. For years, he rode roughshod over Mexican justice and evaded the long arm of the US Government. He became an A-list celebrity criminal - a subject of fascination and even reverence - despite a never-ending list of heinous crimes and innocent victims. But how did this semi-literate psychopath from the rural hinterland of Sinaloa do it? In the aftermath of Félix Gallardo’s downfall, in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, the old drug empire is divided up among heirs. Some will fare better in this new landscape than others. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
El Chapo Part 2: The Tunnel King
Feb 22 2021
El Chapo Part 2: The Tunnel King
In the early 1980s, Chapo Guzmán is still in his mid-20s. But he’s already grabbed the attention of the Guadalajara Kingpin. Promoted to the Cartel's inner circle, he uses tunnels, ships and even submarines to transport contraband. Chapo assumes personal control of Sinaloa State and the Pacific Coast, turning his own operation into a supersized cartel. As a brutal drug war breaks out, DEA agents go undercover in an attempt to unpick Chapo’s distribution network. In doing this, they’re taking their lives in their hands... For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
El Chapo Part 3: Showdown at the Border
Mar 1 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 soon win over the prison guards. The flow of drugs into the United States continues unhindered. DEA agent Joe Bond prepares to go undercover into the jail for a secret face-to-face with Guzmán himself. For ad-free listening, exclusive content and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Now available for Apple and Android users. Click the Noiser+ banner on Apple or go to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started with a 7-day free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices