1 00:00:02,503 --> 00:00:08,133 (phone ringing) 2 00:00:48,382 --> 00:00:51,218 MARIANA: I've been reporting on Mexico's criminal networks 3 00:00:51,218 --> 00:00:53,553 for more than a decade. 4 00:00:53,553 --> 00:00:58,850 Cartels, human traffickers, drug smugglers, of all kinds. 5 00:00:58,850 --> 00:01:01,270 This is half a kilo of pure heroin mixed with fentanyl. 6 00:01:01,270 --> 00:01:03,063 A lot of the marijuana and heroin that ends up on the 7 00:01:03,063 --> 00:01:05,899 streets of the United States comes from right here. 8 00:01:05,899 --> 00:01:08,694 These stories all had one thing in common. 9 00:01:08,694 --> 00:01:11,572 They were about people and products moving north 10 00:01:11,572 --> 00:01:14,324 into the United States. 11 00:01:14,324 --> 00:01:18,370 But there was another story I was missing, 12 00:01:18,370 --> 00:01:22,082 about what's being smuggled south. 13 00:01:29,256 --> 00:01:31,717 MARIANA: It's military grade? T: Yes, ma'am. 14 00:01:33,218 --> 00:01:35,429 MARIANA: They call it "the Iron River." 15 00:01:36,972 --> 00:01:40,642 Day and night, American guns are flowing across the border into the 16 00:01:40,642 --> 00:01:46,398 hands of Mexican gangsters, fueling an arms race between 17 00:01:46,398 --> 00:01:52,237 the cartels and terrorizing innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. 18 00:01:55,824 --> 00:01:59,745 On a journey to discover the truth about American guns in Mexico, 19 00:01:59,745 --> 00:02:02,331 I found a reality more terrifying. 20 00:02:05,125 --> 00:02:07,002 MARIANA: Than I ever could have imagined. 21 00:02:39,117 --> 00:02:42,412 (theme music plays) 22 00:02:49,294 --> 00:02:54,466 (screeching) 23 00:03:03,308 --> 00:03:05,602 ♪ ♪ 24 00:03:07,562 --> 00:03:10,649 MARIANA: So, it's almost midnight and we're very 25 00:03:10,649 --> 00:03:12,192 close to Downtown LA. 26 00:03:14,611 --> 00:03:16,822 We're following this person who's driving this 27 00:03:16,822 --> 00:03:18,448 car right in front of us. 28 00:03:18,448 --> 00:03:22,661 It's allegedly someone who transports guns down to Mexico. 29 00:03:29,292 --> 00:03:33,171 We're just looking for an isolated place to park and talk. 30 00:03:35,132 --> 00:03:37,884 For years, I've cultivated sources in Mexico who have 31 00:03:37,884 --> 00:03:40,387 connections to the cartels. 32 00:03:40,387 --> 00:03:43,765 One of them has helped me gain access to an LA‐based 33 00:03:43,765 --> 00:03:47,727 operation that moves guns south of the border. 34 00:03:54,025 --> 00:03:59,489 ♪ ♪ 35 00:04:04,953 --> 00:04:08,957 ♪ ♪ 36 00:04:36,234 --> 00:04:38,445 MARIANA: She won't reveal her name but tells me to call her 37 00:04:38,445 --> 00:04:40,822 "La Guera" or "Blondie." 38 00:04:40,822 --> 00:04:43,033 Blondie tells me she's been 39 00:04:43,033 --> 00:04:47,621 working for the Sinaloa Cartel since she was 18 and has 40 00:04:47,621 --> 00:04:50,248 driven vehicles packed with American weapons into 41 00:04:50,248 --> 00:04:53,418 Mexico at least 100 times. 42 00:04:53,418 --> 00:04:58,298 For her efforts, she's paid $20,000 a month. 43 00:05:09,059 --> 00:05:11,311 MARIANA: Blondie's children live with her mother. 44 00:05:11,311 --> 00:05:14,773 This way, she can hit the road whenever her employers 45 00:05:14,773 --> 00:05:16,525 need more firepower. 46 00:05:29,287 --> 00:05:31,456 MARIANA: Blondie is just a low‐level courier. 47 00:05:31,456 --> 00:05:36,336 She can't, or won't, tell me who her suppliers are. 48 00:05:36,336 --> 00:05:39,840 The buyers, on the other hand, are less of a mystery. 49 00:05:41,675 --> 00:05:44,469 (speaking native language) 50 00:05:46,513 --> 00:05:48,515 (rapid gunfire) 51 00:05:48,515 --> 00:05:49,933 MAN: Hey! 52 00:05:51,059 --> 00:05:55,480 MARIANA: Over 35,000 murders were committed in Mexico in 2019, 53 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,607 the most ever recorded. 54 00:05:58,650 --> 00:06:00,110 (speaking native language) 55 00:06:03,029 --> 00:06:06,908 MARIANA: And yet there's only one gun store in the whole country. 56 00:06:09,119 --> 00:06:12,414 It turns out 70% of the weapons seized by Mexican 57 00:06:12,414 --> 00:06:16,668 authorities originated in the United States. 58 00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:24,926 You see, this story isn't a "Who done it?" 59 00:06:24,926 --> 00:06:28,013 Everyone knows the cartels are behind Mexico's 60 00:06:28,013 --> 00:06:30,640 skyrocketing murder rate. 61 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,894 What's less well known is how these weapons move so freely 62 00:06:33,894 --> 00:06:39,524 across the border and what's driving this insatiable demand. 63 00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:48,033 The following night, my cartel contacts set 64 00:06:48,033 --> 00:06:49,743 me up with Blondie's LA‐based suppliers. 65 00:06:49,743 --> 00:06:50,827 How are you? 66 00:06:50,827 --> 00:06:51,995 T: T. Nice to meet you. 67 00:06:51,995 --> 00:06:53,204 MARIANA: Nice to meet you, I'm Mariana. 68 00:06:53,204 --> 00:06:54,497 T: Come on in. 69 00:06:57,250 --> 00:07:00,545 ♪ ♪ 70 00:07:05,717 --> 00:07:07,427 MARIANA: Thanks for meeting me. 71 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:10,805 The lead supplier tells me to call him "T." 72 00:07:10,805 --> 00:07:14,726 Then introduces me to his cousin and his 17‐year‐old niece. 73 00:07:14,726 --> 00:07:17,520 This is the, you guys all work together? 74 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,773 T: Yes. We do a family business and all. 75 00:07:19,773 --> 00:07:21,524 MARIANA: So, it's somebody down in Mexico, 76 00:07:21,524 --> 00:07:23,193 who's your relative who called you and said, 77 00:07:23,193 --> 00:07:26,321 asked you to do this favor to show us this operation up here. 78 00:07:26,321 --> 00:07:27,447 T: Yes. 79 00:07:31,451 --> 00:07:33,036 But like I said. 80 00:07:33,036 --> 00:07:35,121 MARIANA: We're not cops. T: I know you guys not cops. 81 00:07:35,121 --> 00:07:36,581 MARIANA: I'm a journalist. 82 00:07:36,581 --> 00:07:38,708 T: And that's why I'm doing what I'm doing right now. 83 00:07:38,708 --> 00:07:41,378 Or else you guys wouldn't even be this close. 84 00:07:41,378 --> 00:07:44,130 MARIANA: I see that you've got some stuff ready here. 85 00:07:44,130 --> 00:07:45,298 T: Yes. 86 00:07:45,298 --> 00:07:46,800 MARIANA: Could you tell me what this is? 87 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,303 T: Well, I have a AR‐15 with a scope, I have a .45 Ruger, 88 00:07:50,303 --> 00:07:51,846 I have Mossberg shotgun. 89 00:07:51,846 --> 00:07:55,433 I have a AK‐47, and I have another AR‐15, wrapped around. 90 00:07:55,433 --> 00:07:56,643 Brand new. 91 00:07:56,643 --> 00:07:58,269 MARIANA: And are these going down tonight? 92 00:07:58,269 --> 00:08:00,146 T: They're going, they're getting shipped out tonight actually. 93 00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:01,690 MARIANA: Whoa. 94 00:08:01,690 --> 00:08:04,943 "T" tells me he's been helping his family smuggle guns into 95 00:08:04,943 --> 00:08:07,737 Mexico since he was seven years old, 96 00:08:07,737 --> 00:08:11,408 and he's served his share of prison time. 97 00:08:11,408 --> 00:08:14,828 This life of crime has helped him foster some savvy business 98 00:08:14,828 --> 00:08:18,540 connections on both sides of the law. 99 00:08:19,124 --> 00:08:21,084 So, where, where do these come, 100 00:08:21,084 --> 00:08:22,627 how do you get a hold of so many weapons? 101 00:08:22,627 --> 00:08:24,170 Where? 102 00:08:24,170 --> 00:08:25,672 T: Well, actually, honestly, I'm gonna be honest with you. 103 00:08:25,672 --> 00:08:27,382 This one, we just got it from a police officer that just 104 00:08:27,382 --> 00:08:29,300 took it away from one of our fellas. 105 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:31,678 And he gave it back to us for $1,000. 106 00:08:31,678 --> 00:08:33,388 And we just get that for like 700, 107 00:08:33,388 --> 00:08:35,014 so he made $300 worth of that. 108 00:08:35,014 --> 00:08:36,850 MARIANA: Wait, wait, wait, wait. LAPD? 109 00:08:36,850 --> 00:08:38,309 T: LAPD. 110 00:08:38,309 --> 00:08:41,438 MARIANA: So, the officer confiscated the weapon and 111 00:08:41,438 --> 00:08:43,857 then you paid him $1,000 to get the weapon back? 112 00:08:43,857 --> 00:08:45,942 T: Yes, ma'am. MARIANA: Oh, wow. 113 00:08:45,942 --> 00:08:47,652 T: And then this one was actually bought from a 114 00:08:47,652 --> 00:08:49,988 marine in a military base in San Diego. 115 00:08:49,988 --> 00:08:51,406 All this is different. 116 00:08:51,406 --> 00:08:52,949 MARIANA: Right, but they're, all ultimately come from 117 00:08:52,949 --> 00:08:54,701 law enforcement here in California. 118 00:08:54,701 --> 00:08:56,119 T: Yes, ma'am. 119 00:08:56,119 --> 00:08:58,079 MARIANA: So, in general, just outside of California, 120 00:08:58,079 --> 00:09:00,707 in general, how easy is it to get guns in the United States? 121 00:09:00,707 --> 00:09:02,000 T: Easy. 122 00:09:05,545 --> 00:09:06,838 MARIANA: So, this is the AR‐15, right? 123 00:09:06,838 --> 00:09:09,174 T: Yes, that's the AR‐15. 124 00:09:11,259 --> 00:09:12,886 MARIANA: It's military grade? 125 00:09:17,724 --> 00:09:21,102 MARIANA: So, this, for me, is so insane, 126 00:09:21,102 --> 00:09:23,438 because I live here in Los Angeles. 127 00:09:23,438 --> 00:09:27,358 This is my backyard and the fact that I'm holding an AR‐15, 128 00:09:27,358 --> 00:09:29,235 with another one next to me, and an AK‐47, 129 00:09:29,235 --> 00:09:33,031 these are the guns that are killing Mexicans on a daily basis. 130 00:09:37,327 --> 00:09:40,246 But that's the killing machine you got right there. 131 00:09:42,582 --> 00:09:45,168 MARIANA: These are the same weapons being used in many of 132 00:09:45,168 --> 00:09:48,671 America's mass shootings. 133 00:09:48,671 --> 00:09:50,632 So, what would happen if you're caught with a gun like 134 00:09:50,632 --> 00:09:51,841 this here in LA? 135 00:10:02,268 --> 00:10:03,812 MARIANA: My time is up. 136 00:10:03,812 --> 00:10:06,898 T tells me they need to get the merchandise out the door 137 00:10:06,898 --> 00:10:09,609 and on the road. 138 00:10:12,821 --> 00:10:14,906 This is (bleep) crazy, because we're on a corner, 139 00:10:14,906 --> 00:10:17,617 out in the open, there's cars passing, 140 00:10:17,617 --> 00:10:22,789 it's like 10 PM on a regular weekday night in Los Angeles, 141 00:10:22,789 --> 00:10:25,750 and they're going to stash the guns in this car and 142 00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:28,044 then the car's gonna go to Mexico. 143 00:10:28,044 --> 00:10:33,675 T and his family stash about 15 guns throughout Blondie's SUV. 144 00:10:34,926 --> 00:10:37,720 They refuse to tell me the exact number and claim some of 145 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,265 the hiding places are trade secrets. 146 00:10:59,576 --> 00:11:04,539 ♪ ♪ 147 00:11:10,879 --> 00:11:13,256 The Iron River moves quickly. 148 00:11:14,674 --> 00:11:18,094 I can't ride with Blondie and her cargo, 149 00:11:18,094 --> 00:11:21,222 but I know where she plans to deliver the guns. 150 00:11:24,017 --> 00:11:26,269 I also know if she doesn't make it, 151 00:11:26,269 --> 00:11:30,064 Blondie won't just lose her cargo, but her family, too. 152 00:12:14,525 --> 00:12:15,985 MARIANA: But to make her delivery, 153 00:12:15,985 --> 00:12:19,072 Blondie will have to get past this. 154 00:12:19,072 --> 00:12:21,366 The US/Mexico border is the most frequently 155 00:12:21,366 --> 00:12:24,285 crossed border in the entire world. 156 00:12:24,285 --> 00:12:27,872 And San Ysidro in Southern California is its busiest 157 00:12:27,872 --> 00:12:29,707 port of entry. 158 00:12:29,707 --> 00:12:34,337 200,000 people pass through here every day. 159 00:12:40,635 --> 00:12:43,513 Trying to stop an illegal shipment is like finding the 160 00:12:43,513 --> 00:12:47,100 proverbial needle in a haystack. 161 00:12:48,685 --> 00:12:52,063 It's a massive effort that demands 16,000 border agents 162 00:12:52,063 --> 00:12:54,315 and billions of dollars of surveillance 163 00:12:54,315 --> 00:12:58,653 technology spread across America's southern border. 164 00:13:01,072 --> 00:13:03,783 But all this effort is focused on traffic coming 165 00:13:03,783 --> 00:13:06,202 into the United States. 166 00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:13,251 As I passed through the border, 167 00:13:13,251 --> 00:13:17,714 I didn't see a single agent screening cars heading down to Mexico. 168 00:13:25,930 --> 00:13:28,683 Mexican law enforcement is concerned that as many as 169 00:13:28,683 --> 00:13:32,312 2,000 American guns are trafficked into their 170 00:13:32,312 --> 00:13:34,647 country every day. 171 00:13:34,647 --> 00:13:39,110 But many US politicians are panicked about a very 172 00:13:39,110 --> 00:13:41,529 different border crisis. 173 00:13:41,529 --> 00:13:43,531 TRUMP (over TV): They wanna come into our country. 174 00:13:43,531 --> 00:13:46,159 WOMAN (over TV): Hundreds of migrants attempted to storm the US border. 175 00:13:46,159 --> 00:13:49,078 WOMAN (over TV): Is really reaching this crisis point. 176 00:13:49,078 --> 00:13:51,414 CASTRO (over TV): The President continues to fearmonger around the 177 00:13:51,414 --> 00:13:52,707 issue of immigration. 178 00:13:52,707 --> 00:13:55,585 TRUMP (over TV): These people are criminals. 179 00:13:56,461 --> 00:13:58,921 MARIANA: Hardly anyone seems to be paying attention to 180 00:13:58,921 --> 00:14:01,549 how this all connects. 181 00:14:06,012 --> 00:14:10,224 180 miles southeast of Los Angeles lies Mexicali. 182 00:14:11,601 --> 00:14:15,271 A dusty desert town that sits along the US/Mexico border. 183 00:14:18,357 --> 00:14:21,527 ♪ ♪ 184 00:14:25,448 --> 00:14:30,203 This is where Blondie told me to meet her if she hasn't been apprehended. 185 00:14:38,878 --> 00:14:41,047 MARIANA: So, she's waiting for us right at that place. 186 00:14:41,047 --> 00:14:43,591 She sent me the map which should be right around the corner. 187 00:14:55,978 --> 00:15:00,233 I'm about to witness what few journalists have ever seen. 188 00:15:00,233 --> 00:15:03,277 The first stop in the Iron River. 189 00:15:12,453 --> 00:15:15,456 MARIANA: For 24 hours, I've been tracking a cartel mule 190 00:15:15,456 --> 00:15:19,085 who smuggles American guns into Mexico. 191 00:15:19,085 --> 00:15:23,297 Now, I'm about to witness her delivery. 192 00:15:23,798 --> 00:15:24,966 Okay. She's right here. 193 00:15:24,966 --> 00:15:27,593 I think that's her car right there. 194 00:15:29,887 --> 00:15:31,556 See if I can park behind her. 195 00:15:33,474 --> 00:15:35,226 Yup, that's her. 196 00:15:36,102 --> 00:15:39,188 Camera stay in the car and I'll just go out and talk to her. 197 00:15:56,789 --> 00:15:59,709 Blondie tells me she's exhausted from driving all night, 198 00:15:59,709 --> 00:16:03,129 but not a single border agent searched her car 199 00:16:03,129 --> 00:16:05,381 or questioned her. 200 00:16:11,095 --> 00:16:12,513 It's so hot outside. 201 00:16:12,513 --> 00:16:14,891 She's made it, she's here. 202 00:16:14,891 --> 00:16:17,143 She is, uh, hiding the keys apparently. 203 00:16:17,143 --> 00:16:19,896 This is how it works, she hides the key under the mat, 204 00:16:19,896 --> 00:16:21,689 the door, the car mat. 205 00:16:21,689 --> 00:16:24,275 And then somebody else will come here, get the car, 206 00:16:24,275 --> 00:16:26,694 take it away and then call her when the car is ready. 207 00:16:26,694 --> 00:16:28,779 So, we just stay here, and we wait. 208 00:16:30,615 --> 00:16:33,117 Okay. Now off she goes. 209 00:16:37,914 --> 00:16:42,210 And supposedly now, she says somebody else is gonna show up 210 00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:43,920 and take the car. 211 00:16:44,712 --> 00:16:46,255 Do you see somebody? 212 00:16:46,255 --> 00:16:47,590 Oh, yeah. 213 00:16:47,590 --> 00:16:49,926 Okay. Is that it? 214 00:16:49,926 --> 00:16:51,761 There's a guy coming this way. 215 00:16:51,761 --> 00:16:54,096 That might be our guy. 216 00:16:54,096 --> 00:16:57,099 And so, the deal is that once he gets in that car, 217 00:16:57,099 --> 00:17:00,269 we actually follow the car to wherever it is that they're 218 00:17:00,269 --> 00:17:02,063 taking this to unload it. 219 00:17:02,063 --> 00:17:03,064 Okay, yes. This is it. 220 00:17:03,064 --> 00:17:04,565 This is him. 221 00:17:09,028 --> 00:17:10,655 So, this guy knows we're following him 222 00:17:10,655 --> 00:17:13,407 or at least I hope so. 223 00:17:15,993 --> 00:17:17,495 (honking) 224 00:17:17,495 --> 00:17:18,746 (Bleep). Sorry, sorry, sorry. 225 00:17:18,746 --> 00:17:20,957 I just don't wanna lose him. 226 00:17:22,667 --> 00:17:24,710 I don't know much, I don't know (bleep) about this guy. 227 00:17:24,710 --> 00:17:27,755 Just, I believe this, he works for the guy that receives the 228 00:17:27,755 --> 00:17:30,216 guns here in Mexico. 229 00:17:30,216 --> 00:17:33,636 Um, so he's another link in this chain. 230 00:17:33,636 --> 00:17:38,224 But essentially right now, we're following a car that is 231 00:17:38,224 --> 00:17:44,689 fully loaded with assault rifles through the streets of Mexicali. 232 00:17:46,816 --> 00:17:50,945 We follow the SUV until it stops outside a small garage. 233 00:17:55,449 --> 00:17:58,119 So, he's pulling the car in now. 234 00:18:00,871 --> 00:18:03,874 Now we wait for the signal that it's safe to enter. 235 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,586 Let's do this, guys. 236 00:18:15,469 --> 00:18:17,179 (speaking native language) 237 00:18:26,397 --> 00:18:28,190 MARIANA: So, I guess this is it. 238 00:18:33,321 --> 00:18:35,740 This man, who tells me to call him "Hector," 239 00:18:35,740 --> 00:18:38,909 informs me that we aren't the only ones using cameras 240 00:18:38,909 --> 00:18:40,995 in Mexicali today. 241 00:19:10,483 --> 00:19:14,153 MARIANA: Mexico's drug cartels run a multibillion dollar criminal industry, 242 00:19:14,153 --> 00:19:18,240 and nobody controls that kind of cash without guns, 243 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,868 a lot of guns. 244 00:19:22,912 --> 00:19:25,665 But in a country with exactly one legal gun store, 245 00:19:25,665 --> 00:19:30,711 firearms are almost impossible to acquire unless you know 246 00:19:30,711 --> 00:19:32,797 someone like Hector. 247 00:19:32,797 --> 00:19:34,340 Or her shoes. 248 00:19:34,340 --> 00:19:37,551 If Blondie is a mule, then Hector is a middleman, 249 00:19:37,551 --> 00:19:41,430 and this garage is an underground distribution center. 250 00:19:45,935 --> 00:19:47,645 Oh, wow. Check this out. 251 00:19:47,645 --> 00:19:50,856 Okay. See, that's just wrapped in a denim jacket. 252 00:19:50,856 --> 00:19:52,983 Oh, no, in a denim, no, jeans. 253 00:19:52,983 --> 00:19:54,610 Jeans. 254 00:19:54,610 --> 00:19:59,824 Here, Hector fills orders from the cartels with a massive markup. 255 00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:06,831 So, we've got a, a .9mm, a .22 caliber, 256 00:20:06,831 --> 00:20:09,625 both of these have already been sold for $3,000, 257 00:20:09,625 --> 00:20:11,585 that's 1,500 apiece. 258 00:20:11,585 --> 00:20:17,883 And then there's an AR‐15 here sold for $5,000 259 00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:21,429 and there is a Colt 45 here and a Glock. 260 00:20:26,642 --> 00:20:28,477 MARIANA: Hector says he's a businessman, 261 00:20:28,477 --> 00:20:31,188 and in a country with a skyrocketing murder rate, 262 00:20:31,188 --> 00:20:33,149 business is booming. 263 00:20:43,909 --> 00:20:44,827 (speaking native language) 264 00:21:15,775 --> 00:21:17,693 (speaking native language) 265 00:21:58,234 --> 00:22:00,110 MARIANA: It's dangerous to pry into organized crime 266 00:22:00,110 --> 00:22:03,614 affiliations in Mexico, but Hector is part of the 267 00:22:03,614 --> 00:22:06,992 same supply chain as Blondie and I'm fairly certain they 268 00:22:06,992 --> 00:22:09,453 both work for the Sinaloa Cartel, 269 00:22:09,453 --> 00:22:11,497 the dominant drug cartel in this area. 270 00:22:40,484 --> 00:22:43,028 MARIANA: To understand why so many American guns are being 271 00:22:43,028 --> 00:22:46,323 smuggled into Mexico, you first have to understand 272 00:22:46,323 --> 00:22:49,410 that there are more than a dozen drug cartels here, 273 00:22:49,410 --> 00:22:53,539 all competing to supply the world's largest consumer 274 00:22:53,539 --> 00:22:57,376 of illegal drugs, the United States. 275 00:22:58,502 --> 00:23:01,881 In 2006, the Mexican Government decided to crush 276 00:23:01,881 --> 00:23:06,427 this supply and launched their own war on drugs. 277 00:23:06,427 --> 00:23:09,597 But the plan backfired and unleashed a wave of violence 278 00:23:09,597 --> 00:23:13,809 that 14 years later is deadlier than ever. 279 00:23:15,936 --> 00:23:19,523 To beat back both the military and local competition, 280 00:23:19,523 --> 00:23:23,068 the cartels need firepower, so they look to the most 281 00:23:23,068 --> 00:23:25,279 heavily armed country in the world, 282 00:23:25,279 --> 00:23:28,824 with some of the most lenient gun laws. 283 00:23:31,118 --> 00:23:35,497 Mexicali was just the first stop in the Iron River. 284 00:23:35,497 --> 00:23:38,167 To see where America's weapons head next, 285 00:23:38,167 --> 00:23:42,338 I'm driving deeper into cartel country to meet a group of 286 00:23:42,338 --> 00:23:44,798 gunmen arming for war. 287 00:23:53,474 --> 00:23:57,436 ♪ ♪ 288 00:24:20,417 --> 00:24:22,086 (speaking native language) 289 00:24:22,086 --> 00:24:24,838 MARIANA: Tracking the flow of illegal American weapons into Mexico, 290 00:24:24,838 --> 00:24:28,342 you're bound to run into a few roadblocks, 291 00:24:28,342 --> 00:24:31,971 whether you're a gun smuggler or a journalist like me. 292 00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:33,430 (speaking native language) 293 00:24:39,436 --> 00:24:40,562 MARIANA: Drugs and guns, he says. 294 00:24:40,562 --> 00:24:41,981 That's what they're looking for. 295 00:24:41,981 --> 00:24:43,774 He says a lot of people actually hide guns inside, 296 00:24:43,774 --> 00:24:45,317 on the doors. 297 00:24:45,317 --> 00:24:46,527 So, they're shaking the door to they making sure there are 298 00:24:46,527 --> 00:24:47,695 no guns inside. 299 00:24:47,695 --> 00:24:49,905 (speaking native language) 300 00:24:49,905 --> 00:24:51,281 So, he's saying in here too. 301 00:24:51,281 --> 00:24:53,450 This is a regular place where people hide guns. 302 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:55,577 And in the AC ducts and all this area. 303 00:24:57,454 --> 00:24:58,580 We're free to go. 304 00:24:58,580 --> 00:24:59,957 We're gun free, we can go. 305 00:25:03,210 --> 00:25:06,130 I'm pursuing a new tip from my underworld contacts. 306 00:25:06,130 --> 00:25:09,633 They've connected me with a group of traffickers who can 307 00:25:09,633 --> 00:25:13,178 show me how they dodge checkpoints just like this one. 308 00:25:14,847 --> 00:25:17,683 I'm scheduled to meet them about 100 miles southeast of 309 00:25:17,683 --> 00:25:21,437 Mexicali in San Felipe, a small coastal city 310 00:25:21,437 --> 00:25:23,272 on the Sea of Cortez. 311 00:26:00,267 --> 00:26:06,482 ♪ ♪ 312 00:26:15,657 --> 00:26:18,494 MARIANA: San Felipe is an old fishing village recently 313 00:26:18,494 --> 00:26:21,830 transformed into a popular tourist‐town with a colorful, 314 00:26:21,830 --> 00:26:24,291 Caribbean vibe. 315 00:26:30,005 --> 00:26:34,343 It hardly looks like a cartel war zone. 316 00:26:35,511 --> 00:26:39,264 Yet somehow the Iron River has led me here. 317 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,320 MARIANA: We finally get the call we've been waiting for. 318 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,281 The man holding the phone is my local contact. 319 00:26:56,281 --> 00:26:59,326 The voice on the other end is one of the gun runners we're 320 00:26:59,326 --> 00:27:00,744 hoping to meet. 321 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,504 MARIANA: A location is sent to my phone and we're off. 322 00:27:12,422 --> 00:27:15,509 So, still a (bleep) ton of unknowns. 323 00:27:15,509 --> 00:27:17,803 We know we're meeting them at this location right now, 324 00:27:17,803 --> 00:27:19,346 but we have no idea where we're going. 325 00:27:19,346 --> 00:27:22,724 We don't know even what cartel they belong to. 326 00:27:22,724 --> 00:27:25,644 Our local contact says that's something you never ask 327 00:27:25,644 --> 00:27:27,229 here in Mexico. 328 00:27:27,229 --> 00:27:29,606 That can get you killed. 329 00:27:29,606 --> 00:27:35,487 So the more out into isolated areas we drive, 330 00:27:35,487 --> 00:27:37,364 the more nervous I get, because we don't wanna be 331 00:27:37,364 --> 00:27:39,616 caught in the middle of nowhere where we don't get 332 00:27:39,616 --> 00:27:42,160 cell phone service, and nobody knows where we are. 333 00:27:47,791 --> 00:27:49,751 The information I've been given directs me to the most 334 00:27:49,751 --> 00:27:51,795 unusual meeting point. 335 00:28:03,056 --> 00:28:05,058 (speaking native language) 336 00:28:12,107 --> 00:28:13,609 MARIANA: Okay. What's happening here? 337 00:28:27,414 --> 00:28:28,957 MARIANA: Oh, yeah, they probably are looking at us. 338 00:28:28,957 --> 00:28:31,460 They're checking us out right now for sure. 339 00:28:55,317 --> 00:28:58,362 It all looks like it's go, go, go, adrenaline, 340 00:28:58,362 --> 00:29:03,033 things happening, but I'd say 80% of our job is just waiting. 341 00:29:07,579 --> 00:29:10,082 And the more time passes then the more nervous you get that 342 00:29:10,082 --> 00:29:12,709 it's not gonna happen. 343 00:29:21,301 --> 00:29:25,055 And then just like that, my contacts arrive. 344 00:29:27,391 --> 00:29:29,434 They're wearing orange life vests which, 345 00:29:29,434 --> 00:29:31,520 if you're trafficking guns, 346 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,897 doesn't seem like the best idea. 347 00:29:35,691 --> 00:29:38,402 It's always borderline comedy. 348 00:29:39,236 --> 00:29:42,739 I quickly realize the joke's on me. 349 00:29:42,739 --> 00:29:45,492 In a town overrun with tourists, 350 00:29:45,492 --> 00:29:48,704 these smugglers are wearing the ultimate disguise. 351 00:29:48,704 --> 00:29:52,416 Hiding in plain sight as tour boat operators. 352 00:29:52,416 --> 00:29:54,793 So, it looks, it looks like this is it. 353 00:29:58,130 --> 00:30:00,298 He's saying to go. 354 00:30:00,298 --> 00:30:01,925 Let's go. 355 00:30:01,925 --> 00:30:03,468 Rock and roll time. 356 00:30:09,850 --> 00:30:13,270 ♪ ♪ 357 00:30:20,902 --> 00:30:22,029 (speaking native language) 358 00:30:27,993 --> 00:30:28,994 (speaking native language) 359 00:30:33,874 --> 00:30:35,250 They asked if we wanted to put on the life vest. 360 00:30:35,250 --> 00:30:37,502 I think that's the least of our concerns right now. 361 00:30:37,502 --> 00:30:38,837 (speaking native language) 362 00:30:42,924 --> 00:30:44,217 There's more to San Felipe 363 00:30:44,217 --> 00:30:47,179 than most tourists will ever know. 364 00:30:49,347 --> 00:30:53,435 This town hides a dark side, and I'm close to seeing it 365 00:30:53,435 --> 00:30:55,937 for the first time. 366 00:31:05,697 --> 00:31:09,701 ♪ ♪ 367 00:31:09,701 --> 00:31:11,828 MARIANA: In my quest to expose how American guns are 368 00:31:11,828 --> 00:31:15,624 trafficked throughout Mexico, I never expected to be 369 00:31:15,624 --> 00:31:17,751 headed out to sea. 370 00:31:18,085 --> 00:31:19,920 But as we move deeper into the waters, 371 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,048 these smugglers break down their operation. 372 00:31:25,008 --> 00:31:28,595 The Sea of Cortez is over 700 miles long but less 373 00:31:28,595 --> 00:31:30,472 than 100 miles wide. 374 00:31:31,223 --> 00:31:34,768 That means these smugglers can make the crossing in less than three hours, 375 00:31:35,310 --> 00:31:37,312 completely bypassing the military 376 00:31:37,312 --> 00:31:40,732 checkpoints set up along Mexico's highways. 377 00:31:41,358 --> 00:31:43,944 Right now, they say they're delivering more and more guns 378 00:31:43,944 --> 00:31:47,280 to Sonora directly across the sea, 379 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,158 that's the same heavily contested territory that 380 00:31:50,158 --> 00:31:54,329 Hector in Mexicali is also sending guns to. 381 00:31:56,414 --> 00:31:58,041 I think, like, that's it. 382 00:31:58,041 --> 00:31:59,584 I think we're going to that beach over there. 383 00:32:00,919 --> 00:32:03,004 Oh, there's some guys there. 384 00:32:03,004 --> 00:32:04,798 There's some guys actually waiting at the beach. 385 00:32:04,798 --> 00:32:06,591 Or at least one guy that I see now. 386 00:32:06,591 --> 00:32:08,760 And he's coming to greet the boat. 387 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,055 He's all dressed in black with a mask as well. 388 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:14,891 Yeah, they're anchoring right there. 389 00:32:14,891 --> 00:32:16,059 So, this is it. 390 00:32:22,315 --> 00:32:25,944 I'm told the man in black is another buyer from Sonora. 391 00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:33,493 (speaking native language) 392 00:33:33,887 --> 00:33:34,888 MARIANA: 50 calibers, RPGs. 393 00:33:40,977 --> 00:33:44,397 MARIANA: None of this sounds like arming a criminal organization. 394 00:33:44,397 --> 00:33:46,942 They're arming for war. 395 00:34:03,250 --> 00:34:06,127 MARIANA: I'm told the buyer is from an affiliated cartel, 396 00:34:06,127 --> 00:34:09,089 fighting to regain territory in Sonora. 397 00:34:09,089 --> 00:34:14,219 He's picking up a fresh order, including a pair of customized 398 00:34:14,219 --> 00:34:18,098 handguns for rich narcos who don't just want a weapon, 399 00:34:18,098 --> 00:34:21,601 they want to make a statement. 400 00:34:21,601 --> 00:34:24,813 Sales like this are common for these smugglers. 401 00:34:24,813 --> 00:34:28,441 The market for American assault rifles is exploding. 402 00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:36,324 MARIANA: (Bleep). 403 00:34:36,324 --> 00:34:39,577 So, they had 200 AK 47s, cuerno de chivo, 404 00:34:39,577 --> 00:34:41,913 which is what they call them here, come through here, 405 00:34:41,913 --> 00:34:43,999 San Felipe, in just one day last week. 406 00:34:50,380 --> 00:34:52,549 MARIANA: Here's where things get interesting. 407 00:34:52,549 --> 00:34:56,011 Remember when I said that you never ask what cartel someone 408 00:34:56,011 --> 00:34:57,512 belongs to? 409 00:34:57,512 --> 00:34:59,055 I didn't. 410 00:34:59,055 --> 00:35:01,558 This guy just decided to tell me that he works for one of 411 00:35:01,558 --> 00:35:04,060 the fastest growing mafias in Mexico, 412 00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:07,856 the Jalisco Cartel also known as CJNG. 413 00:35:08,607 --> 00:35:10,317 (speaking native language) 414 00:35:10,317 --> 00:35:13,194 MARIANA: The organization is only about ten years old, 415 00:35:13,194 --> 00:35:15,405 but aggressive maneuvers and terrifying, 416 00:35:15,405 --> 00:35:18,742 ISIS‐style executions have helped them dominate 417 00:35:18,742 --> 00:35:21,786 underworld markets across Mexico, 418 00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:26,374 becoming the Sinaloa Cartel's biggest rival. 419 00:35:26,374 --> 00:35:29,044 And the kingpin of these violent upstarts, 420 00:35:29,044 --> 00:35:32,130 perhaps the most dangerous drug lord in the world, 421 00:35:32,130 --> 00:35:34,591 is known as "El Mencho." 422 00:36:11,836 --> 00:36:14,881 MARIANA: The timing of these ambitions is no accident. 423 00:36:16,383 --> 00:36:18,510 (gunshots) 424 00:36:18,510 --> 00:36:20,303 (speaking native language) 425 00:36:21,638 --> 00:36:23,848 MARIANA: In 2016, El Chapo Guzman, 426 00:36:23,848 --> 00:36:26,267 the billionaire leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, 427 00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:30,021 was captured by the Mexican marines, extradited to the US, 428 00:36:30,021 --> 00:36:33,191 and sentenced to life in prison. 429 00:36:33,191 --> 00:36:36,528 In his wake, the country's murder rate continued to 430 00:36:36,528 --> 00:36:41,324 skyrocket as rivals fought to fill the power vacuum. 431 00:36:42,283 --> 00:36:44,953 El Mencho and the Jalisco Cartel see this as an 432 00:36:44,953 --> 00:36:49,582 opportunity to strike while the Sinaloa Cartel is vulnerable. 433 00:36:51,793 --> 00:36:57,716 A turf war is underway, and firepower is needed by all sides. 434 00:36:58,550 --> 00:37:02,137 That is why Hector in Mexicali told me he was rushing another 435 00:37:02,137 --> 00:37:06,641 load of firearms further south, directly to Sinaloa. 436 00:37:45,513 --> 00:37:47,432 MARIANA: Blondie tells me that things are hot in 437 00:37:47,432 --> 00:37:49,350 Sinaloa right now. 438 00:37:50,977 --> 00:37:52,896 That means she won't be heading home to her three 439 00:37:52,896 --> 00:37:55,273 daughters any time soon. 440 00:38:32,101 --> 00:38:36,940 MARIANA: Blondie and I are both headed deeper into narco territory. 441 00:38:36,940 --> 00:38:39,776 I've seen where The Iron River begins. 442 00:38:39,776 --> 00:38:43,154 Now I wanna know where it ends. 443 00:38:43,530 --> 00:38:45,448 ♪ ♪ 444 00:38:52,497 --> 00:38:55,750 ♪ ♪ 445 00:39:00,255 --> 00:39:04,259 MARIANA: 800 miles south of Los Angeles lies Sinaloa, 446 00:39:04,259 --> 00:39:06,761 Mexico's drug capital. 447 00:39:13,017 --> 00:39:16,062 (singing in native language) 448 00:39:16,062 --> 00:39:20,483 Here, outlaw culture is part of everyday life. 449 00:39:20,483 --> 00:39:24,487 (singing in native language) 450 00:39:24,487 --> 00:39:26,823 This is where the country's notorious narco traffickers 451 00:39:26,823 --> 00:39:30,827 got their start when a small group of impoverished farmers 452 00:39:30,827 --> 00:39:34,581 started planting poppies and marijuana. 453 00:39:34,581 --> 00:39:38,877 Over time, the farmers began to organize and arm themselves, 454 00:39:38,877 --> 00:39:42,130 creating one of Mexico's first narco mafias, 455 00:39:42,130 --> 00:39:48,136 the Sinaloa Cartel, the same cartel that gave rise to El Chapo Guzman, 456 00:39:48,136 --> 00:39:50,555 the most successful drug trafficker in 457 00:39:50,555 --> 00:39:52,140 Mexican history. 458 00:39:52,140 --> 00:39:56,311 Once number 701 on the Forbes's annual billionaires list. 459 00:39:56,311 --> 00:39:59,731 It's an outlaw rags to riches tale that continues to inspire 460 00:39:59,731 --> 00:40:02,066 Sinaloa's poor. 461 00:40:02,066 --> 00:40:04,611 But you don't become the world's most powerful 462 00:40:04,611 --> 00:40:07,697 trafficking organization without making a few enemies 463 00:40:07,697 --> 00:40:09,073 along the way. 464 00:40:09,532 --> 00:40:11,409 (gunshots) 465 00:40:17,540 --> 00:40:18,750 We don't have much information, 466 00:40:18,750 --> 00:40:20,251 just that it's a guy, it's a man who was shot 467 00:40:20,251 --> 00:40:21,711 about 20 minutes ago. 468 00:40:21,711 --> 00:40:22,921 MIGUEL: Yeah. 469 00:40:22,921 --> 00:40:24,964 MARIANA: He's been, he's, it's confirmed, 470 00:40:24,964 --> 00:40:26,549 he's been confirmed dead? 471 00:40:26,549 --> 00:40:28,843 MIGUEL: Yeah, he's dead. 472 00:40:28,843 --> 00:40:32,180 MARIANA: This is my fifth time working in Culiacán, 473 00:40:32,180 --> 00:40:36,351 but I've never arrived quite like this. 474 00:40:40,063 --> 00:40:43,316 We just got here last night, and this is the first time we 475 00:40:43,316 --> 00:40:46,277 took out the cameras, and immediately within seconds, 476 00:40:46,277 --> 00:40:47,987 we got a call that there was a shooting. 477 00:40:47,987 --> 00:40:49,697 MIGUEL: Right. 478 00:40:49,697 --> 00:40:52,784 That tells you the level of violence that we live in this city. 479 00:40:52,784 --> 00:40:56,663 Culiacán is becoming like a war zone now. 480 00:40:56,663 --> 00:40:59,832 MARIANA: Miguel Angel Vega is a local journalist 481 00:40:59,832 --> 00:41:01,751 and an old friend. 482 00:41:01,751 --> 00:41:05,213 We work together every time I come to Sinaloa. 483 00:41:06,297 --> 00:41:09,217 He tells me gun violence in the city has spiked recently, 484 00:41:09,217 --> 00:41:11,803 and no one knows exactly why. 485 00:41:11,803 --> 00:41:15,515 Some say outside cartels are trying to muscle their way 486 00:41:15,515 --> 00:41:17,725 into Sinaloa. 487 00:41:17,725 --> 00:41:20,895 Others suspect the Sinaloa Cartel has internally 488 00:41:20,895 --> 00:41:24,649 splintered since El Chapo's capture as different factions 489 00:41:24,649 --> 00:41:27,610 battle with El Chapo's sons for control. 490 00:41:30,613 --> 00:41:33,282 Whatever the reason, 82 people were killed 491 00:41:33,282 --> 00:41:35,702 here the month before I arrived, 492 00:41:35,702 --> 00:41:38,788 that's one murder every ten hours. 493 00:41:39,956 --> 00:41:41,708 Oh, it's right here. 494 00:41:41,708 --> 00:41:43,251 It's right here, guys. 495 00:41:57,849 --> 00:42:04,188 (speaking native language) 496 00:42:10,737 --> 00:42:12,697 MARIANA: Oh, so they're picking up the body right now, 497 00:42:12,697 --> 00:42:15,950 but he's saying that it was an assassination. 498 00:42:15,950 --> 00:42:17,493 There was a guy inside. 499 00:42:17,493 --> 00:42:19,245 He was shot several times. 500 00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:27,462 ♪ ♪ 501 00:42:33,718 --> 00:42:34,761 (speaking native language) 502 00:42:34,761 --> 00:42:36,054 I try to find out more, 503 00:42:36,054 --> 00:42:38,222 but no one wants to speak to me. 504 00:42:38,222 --> 00:42:43,478 Impunity reigns across Mexico, 95% of murders like this 505 00:42:43,478 --> 00:42:46,147 are never solved. 506 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:49,442 Yeah, they're scared to talk. You know? 507 00:42:49,442 --> 00:42:52,070 A lot of people around here, even when they're witnesses to crime, 508 00:42:52,070 --> 00:42:54,322 if they're, go on television or talk to the 509 00:42:54,322 --> 00:42:57,366 press about what they saw, that can get them in serious trouble, 510 00:42:57,366 --> 00:42:58,701 that can get them killed, 511 00:42:58,701 --> 00:43:00,703 so they don't feel comfortable talking. 512 00:43:00,703 --> 00:43:02,330 They definitely know something, 513 00:43:02,330 --> 00:43:03,998 they just don't wanna talk to us. 514 00:43:05,083 --> 00:43:08,503 Miguel has more luck with his crime beat contacts. 515 00:43:08,503 --> 00:43:11,422 The victim was allegedly part of the Mexican underworld, 516 00:43:11,422 --> 00:43:14,759 though it's unclear which cartel he belonged to. 517 00:43:14,759 --> 00:43:17,261 He recently arrived in Sinaloa from Tijuana, 518 00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:19,680 and just before noon this morning, 519 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:22,475 two assassins followed him into the building supplies 520 00:43:22,475 --> 00:43:27,230 store and shot him four times, at point blank range. 521 00:43:27,230 --> 00:43:29,357 We still don't know what kind of weapon was used, 522 00:43:29,357 --> 00:43:32,276 but he says usually, the vast majority of times, 523 00:43:32,276 --> 00:43:36,614 it's either AR‐15s or AK‐47s, it's, uh, assault weapons, 524 00:43:36,614 --> 00:43:38,866 and the vast majority of times, 525 00:43:38,866 --> 00:43:41,619 it's well‐known that those weapons come from the United States. 526 00:43:44,997 --> 00:43:49,752 It's also known that Culiacán is a city controlled by the cartel, 527 00:43:49,752 --> 00:43:52,880 and they have eyes everywhere. 528 00:43:56,884 --> 00:43:59,011 It's a well‐known fact that, especially if you have cameras, 529 00:43:59,011 --> 00:44:00,513 the moment you land in Sinaloa, 530 00:44:00,513 --> 00:44:01,597 that you're being watched. 531 00:44:06,519 --> 00:44:07,895 Those guys are just like, watching over, 532 00:44:07,895 --> 00:44:09,605 like checking out what's moving. 533 00:44:09,605 --> 00:44:11,065 MARIANA: The guys on the bikes? MIGUEL: Yeah. 534 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:17,530 There's another one coming over, 535 00:44:17,530 --> 00:44:18,865 the one with the blue shirt. 536 00:44:18,865 --> 00:44:22,577 MARIANA: Yeah. Yeah. 537 00:44:30,001 --> 00:44:31,460 MARIANA: Yeah. 538 00:44:33,004 --> 00:44:35,339 Despite increasing challenges to their authority, 539 00:44:35,339 --> 00:44:39,927 Culiacán is still the seat of power for the Sinaloa Cartel. 540 00:44:43,181 --> 00:44:45,850 Miguel tells me I can't go any further without first getting 541 00:44:45,850 --> 00:44:49,353 permission from the cartel itself. 542 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:53,816 He sets up a meeting with his main source, 543 00:44:53,816 --> 00:44:58,404 a narco boss who controls one of the branches of the Iron River. 544 00:45:20,593 --> 00:45:23,346 MARIANA: This man is the highest ranking cartel figure 545 00:45:23,346 --> 00:45:25,348 I've met so far. 546 00:45:25,348 --> 00:45:28,017 He won't allow me to reveal his name but tells me he 547 00:45:28,017 --> 00:45:32,271 personally oversees every link in the 1,000 mile supply chain 548 00:45:32,271 --> 00:45:34,398 I followed from Los Angeles, 549 00:45:34,398 --> 00:45:36,651 from the gangsters who obtain the weapons, 550 00:45:36,651 --> 00:45:38,694 to Hector in Mexicali, 551 00:45:38,694 --> 00:45:44,200 and the mules like Blondie who smuggle the guns into Mexico every week. 552 00:46:57,148 --> 00:47:01,694 MARIANA: Every meeting I have opens another door into the underworld. 553 00:47:01,694 --> 00:47:04,780 This time, I'm invited to see where the cargo Blondie picked 554 00:47:04,780 --> 00:47:08,117 up in Los Angeles was finally delivered. 555 00:47:08,117 --> 00:47:09,160 Oh, my God. 556 00:47:25,217 --> 00:47:31,265 ♪ ♪ 557 00:47:31,265 --> 00:47:32,892 MARIANA: This is the belly of the beast 558 00:47:32,892 --> 00:47:35,061 when it comes to narco trafficking in Mexico. 559 00:47:35,061 --> 00:47:37,646 With the green light from the cartel boss, 560 00:47:37,646 --> 00:47:41,859 I met in Culiacán, Miguel and I head into the mountains outside the city, 561 00:47:41,859 --> 00:47:45,696 to see where Blondie's shipment was delivered. 562 00:47:49,367 --> 00:47:50,618 This is it? 563 00:47:50,618 --> 00:47:51,869 MIGUEL: Yeah. 564 00:47:51,869 --> 00:47:53,829 MARIANA: Okay. 565 00:47:53,829 --> 00:47:56,540 This is the plan that we have to stop the cars, 566 00:47:56,540 --> 00:47:58,042 and then we're going to have to walk the rest. 567 00:47:58,042 --> 00:47:59,126 (speaking native language) 568 00:48:05,591 --> 00:48:07,385 (speaking native language) 569 00:48:11,263 --> 00:48:13,057 MARIANA: Are these people with us, Miguel? 570 00:48:13,057 --> 00:48:15,267 MIGUEL: Yeah. MARIANA: Yeah? They're with us? 571 00:48:15,267 --> 00:48:17,937 MIGUEL: Yes. Yes. 572 00:48:20,272 --> 00:48:25,361 ♪ ♪ 573 00:48:31,492 --> 00:48:33,869 MARIANA: These men are called "Sicarios", 574 00:48:33,869 --> 00:48:37,998 hired killers employed by the Sinaloa Cartel to protect their product, 575 00:48:37,998 --> 00:48:40,000 and eliminate the competition. 576 00:48:50,386 --> 00:48:52,388 MARIANA: They lay out the ground rules for filming, 577 00:48:52,388 --> 00:48:54,807 and the very real threats we need to be aware of. 578 00:49:06,485 --> 00:49:07,611 MARIANA: Okay, so. 579 00:49:07,611 --> 00:49:08,529 MIGUEL: If, if, if there's a situation. 580 00:49:08,529 --> 00:49:09,822 MARIANA: Where the Marines come. 581 00:49:09,822 --> 00:49:11,073 MIGUEL: In which the Marines or the Army comes, 582 00:49:11,073 --> 00:49:14,076 they're gonna fight them, but we do not run. 583 00:49:14,076 --> 00:49:15,327 We just stay low. 584 00:49:15,327 --> 00:49:16,412 MARIANA: Stay where we are? 585 00:49:16,412 --> 00:49:17,997 MIGUEL: Stay low. And go. 586 00:49:17,997 --> 00:49:20,082 MARIANA: So, we're gonna be in the middle of a, a, a shoot‐out? 587 00:49:20,082 --> 00:49:22,835 MIGUEL: It's possible, I mean, it's very unlikely, 588 00:49:22,835 --> 00:49:25,254 but it's a possibility. 589 00:50:21,727 --> 00:50:23,395 MARIANA: I'm reminded that the cartel's billion‐dollar 590 00:50:23,395 --> 00:50:26,065 profits may come from the drug trade, 591 00:50:26,065 --> 00:50:30,361 but their real source of power will always be violence. 592 00:51:23,789 --> 00:51:25,499 MARIANA: For rural men like this, 593 00:51:25,499 --> 00:51:28,794 the gun is seen as an essential tool to change their fortunes, 594 00:51:28,794 --> 00:51:30,337 just like El Chapo. 595 00:52:02,494 --> 00:52:05,247 MARIANA: And that is what fuels the never‐ending cycle 596 00:52:05,247 --> 00:52:07,875 of violence in Mexico. 597 00:52:07,875 --> 00:52:11,211 The extraordinary profits made from America's insatiable 598 00:52:11,211 --> 00:52:14,757 demand for drugs, means the cartels will always find a 599 00:52:14,757 --> 00:52:17,760 supply of eager young recruits. 600 00:52:56,423 --> 00:52:59,510 (gunshots) 601 00:53:02,638 --> 00:53:05,974 (gunshots) 602 00:53:09,812 --> 00:53:11,855 (rapid gunfire) 603 00:53:15,442 --> 00:53:19,571 (gunshots) 604 00:53:26,954 --> 00:53:28,997 MARIANA: At first glance, these young men look no 605 00:53:28,997 --> 00:53:32,668 different than Americans having fun at a shooting range, 606 00:53:32,668 --> 00:53:35,379 but they are worlds apart. 607 00:53:35,379 --> 00:53:39,550 They're old enough to wield America's lethal exports. 608 00:53:39,550 --> 00:53:41,093 (Bleep). 609 00:53:41,093 --> 00:53:43,971 But too young to comprehend the epidemic violence they're 610 00:53:43,971 --> 00:53:45,639 an essential part of. 611 00:53:57,901 --> 00:53:59,069 (speaking native language) 612 00:54:34,521 --> 00:54:39,193 ♪ ♪ 613 00:54:48,827 --> 00:54:50,913 MARIANA: The Sicarios believe it's the Mexican marines on 614 00:54:50,913 --> 00:54:51,914 their way. 615 00:54:54,958 --> 00:54:55,918 MARIANA: Where is that? 616 00:54:59,671 --> 00:55:02,549 Our vehicles are exposed in the open fields. 617 00:55:02,549 --> 00:55:04,718 Now we're (bleep). 618 00:55:09,723 --> 00:55:12,601 MARIANA: So, there's, uh, apparently military everywhere. 619 00:55:12,601 --> 00:55:14,102 There's a helicopter coming our way, 620 00:55:14,102 --> 00:55:17,481 which means that we can't actually get out of here 621 00:55:17,481 --> 00:55:19,316 without being spotted. 622 00:55:19,316 --> 00:55:24,154 So, now we're stuck in this position where we can't leave, 623 00:55:24,154 --> 00:55:26,281 but we also have to hide. 624 00:55:32,829 --> 00:55:35,916 (radio chatter) 625 00:55:36,917 --> 00:55:39,044 MARIANA: Right now, my film crew and I are embedded with a 626 00:55:39,044 --> 00:55:43,215 group of cartel hit men, but a Mexican marine helicopter is 627 00:55:43,215 --> 00:55:44,716 closing in fast. 628 00:55:44,716 --> 00:55:46,343 (speaking native language) 629 00:55:46,343 --> 00:55:48,178 MARIANA: Our contact here, he's freaking out. 630 00:55:48,178 --> 00:55:50,764 Um, and now, it's just a matter of trying to figure out 631 00:55:50,764 --> 00:55:52,975 what's the safest way for us to get out of here, 632 00:55:52,975 --> 00:55:55,352 because we're just (bleep) sitting ducks right here. 633 00:56:01,191 --> 00:56:02,317 MARIANA: (Bleep). 634 00:56:13,203 --> 00:56:14,538 MARIANA: We need to follow them. 635 00:56:30,304 --> 00:56:31,179 MIGUEL: Right. 636 00:56:52,659 --> 00:56:56,330 ♪ ♪ 637 00:56:58,332 --> 00:57:01,251 MARIANA: Thankfully, we managed to avoid incident. 638 00:57:01,251 --> 00:57:05,922 We take refuge inside a cartel‐controlled town where 639 00:57:05,922 --> 00:57:08,258 I'm directed to the next location the bosses have 640 00:57:08,258 --> 00:57:09,968 agreed to show me. 641 00:57:14,765 --> 00:57:16,642 MIGUEL: Okay. We're here, Mariana. 642 00:57:19,478 --> 00:57:22,022 MARIANA: Oh, okay. Should I get out? 643 00:57:22,022 --> 00:57:23,482 MIGUEL: Yeah. 644 00:57:23,482 --> 00:57:25,359 I was told to stay in the car so you can now go there. 645 00:57:25,359 --> 00:57:27,361 MARIANA: But this is them? MIGUEL: Yeah. 646 00:57:41,333 --> 00:57:44,086 This masked man tells me to call him Marco. 647 00:57:44,086 --> 00:57:47,130 He works with the boss I met in Culiacán and oversees 648 00:57:47,130 --> 00:57:49,383 over 150 gunmen. 649 00:57:49,383 --> 00:57:52,344 Every one of them loyal to the Sinaloa Cartel. 650 00:57:53,804 --> 00:57:54,763 MARIANA: Okay. 651 00:58:07,693 --> 00:58:08,777 MARIANA: Wow. 652 00:58:27,671 --> 00:58:28,922 MARIANA: Wow. Okay. 653 00:58:29,506 --> 00:58:31,091 It's, uh, a bunker, essentially. 654 00:58:31,091 --> 00:58:32,592 Down there. 655 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:35,303 Oh my God. 656 00:58:44,938 --> 00:58:47,232 Now that we're down there so be careful. 657 00:58:54,364 --> 00:58:59,411 ♪ ♪ 658 00:59:07,419 --> 00:59:09,129 I've witnessed a lot on this journey, 659 00:59:09,129 --> 00:59:11,923 but never a stash quite like this. 660 00:59:11,923 --> 00:59:14,718 Hidden in this bunker are assault rifles, pistols, 661 00:59:14,718 --> 00:59:18,889 shot guns, laser scopes, even bulletproof vests. 662 01:00:35,340 --> 01:00:37,050 MARIANA: If I take Marco at his word, 663 01:00:37,050 --> 01:00:42,138 that's as many as 3,000 military‐style weapons in just this village, 664 01:00:42,138 --> 01:00:45,475 one of many controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel. 665 01:01:40,113 --> 01:01:41,823 MARIANA: Despite everything they've shown me, 666 01:01:41,823 --> 01:01:44,951 I know I'm just catching glimpses of a complex chessboard, 667 01:01:44,951 --> 01:01:49,205 and I suspect the cartels like it that way. 668 01:01:50,916 --> 01:01:52,751 By keeping everyone in the dark, 669 01:01:52,751 --> 01:01:57,464 it's impossible to anticipate what they're going to do next. 670 01:02:29,162 --> 01:02:33,124 MARIANA: Only weeks later, the monster emerged, 671 01:02:33,124 --> 01:02:37,420 when the Sinaloa Cartel laid siege to Culiacán. 672 01:02:40,966 --> 01:02:42,509 (speaking native language) 673 01:02:42,509 --> 01:02:43,718 (gunshots) 674 01:02:50,684 --> 01:02:52,852 (speaking native language) 675 01:02:54,437 --> 01:02:57,816 (speaking native language) 676 01:03:04,948 --> 01:03:06,825 MARIANA: I mean, it's a guy with a .50 Cal 677 01:03:06,825 --> 01:03:08,994 on top of a, a truck. 678 01:03:08,994 --> 01:03:11,329 That's absolutely crazy. 679 01:03:14,666 --> 01:03:16,668 It looks like scenes out of, uh, you know, 680 01:03:16,668 --> 01:03:19,629 Iraq and Afghanistan at the height of the war. 681 01:03:20,338 --> 01:03:23,258 MAN (over TV): Chaos and carnage unleashed in the City of Culiacán. 682 01:03:23,258 --> 01:03:24,843 MAN (over TV): Culiacán, Mexico. 683 01:03:24,843 --> 01:03:28,430 The historic homeland to the violent Sinaloa drug cartel. 684 01:03:28,430 --> 01:03:30,765 MARIANA: The media called it "Black Thursday." 685 01:03:30,765 --> 01:03:34,269 MAN (over TV): Police appear to be outgunned by drug cartel forces, 686 01:03:34,269 --> 01:03:37,397 as men with heavy machine guns open fire. 687 01:03:37,397 --> 01:03:39,649 Civilians ran for safety. 688 01:03:43,945 --> 01:03:46,114 MARIANA: As I watched from the safety of my hotel room, 689 01:03:46,114 --> 01:03:49,576 eyewitnesses on the streets of Culiacán captured video of the 690 01:03:49,576 --> 01:03:51,077 chaos and confusion. 691 01:03:51,077 --> 01:03:52,537 (speaking native language) 692 01:03:52,537 --> 01:03:55,165 MARIANA: One thing was clear, it all started with the 693 01:03:55,165 --> 01:03:57,208 capture of the son of El Chapo. 694 01:03:57,208 --> 01:03:59,419 WOMAN (over TV): Notorious drug kingpin, El Chapo, 695 01:03:59,419 --> 01:04:00,587 was taken into custody. 696 01:04:05,717 --> 01:04:08,511 MARIANA: Around 2:30 PM, Mexican Security Forces 697 01:04:08,511 --> 01:04:12,015 attempted to arrest one of the Sinaloa Cartel's youngest bosses, 698 01:04:12,015 --> 01:04:13,641 Ovidio Guzman. 699 01:04:20,440 --> 01:04:22,525 MARIANA: He was to be extradited to the United States 700 01:04:22,525 --> 01:04:24,652 to stand trial, just like his father. 701 01:04:28,990 --> 01:04:32,202 MARIANA: But as Mexican federal agents began taking him into custody, 702 01:04:32,202 --> 01:04:37,707 blocks away, the cartel launched a counter attack, 703 01:04:37,707 --> 01:04:41,211 firing on military vehicles from the turrets of 704 01:04:41,211 --> 01:04:43,296 their own armored pickups. 705 01:04:43,963 --> 01:04:46,424 (rapid gunfire) 706 01:04:58,686 --> 01:05:00,480 MARIANA: Instead of halting the attack, 707 01:05:00,480 --> 01:05:02,982 the cartel did something unprecedented. 708 01:05:02,982 --> 01:05:04,901 (radio chatter) 709 01:05:39,477 --> 01:05:41,855 MARIANA: These are the same Sicarios that showed me how 710 01:05:41,855 --> 01:05:45,483 the Iron River supplies them with American guns. 711 01:05:45,483 --> 01:05:48,695 Now, they're telling me how they used those same weapons, 712 01:05:48,695 --> 01:05:51,030 not to fight a cartel turf war, 713 01:05:51,030 --> 01:05:54,200 but to bring the government to its knees. 714 01:06:12,177 --> 01:06:14,804 (speaking native language) 715 01:06:14,804 --> 01:06:17,974 MARIANA: The warring factions of the Sinaloa Cartel combined 716 01:06:17,974 --> 01:06:22,854 against a common enemy; the Mexican states. 717 01:06:22,854 --> 01:06:26,065 And in less than an hour, hundreds of the heavily armed 718 01:06:26,065 --> 01:06:28,276 gunmen poured into the city. 719 01:06:37,785 --> 01:06:39,954 MARIANA: I can only assume the weapons bunker I recently saw 720 01:06:39,954 --> 01:06:43,583 was completely emptied on Black Thursday. 721 01:08:05,790 --> 01:08:08,418 MARIANA: This woman, who tells me to call her Maria, 722 01:08:08,418 --> 01:08:11,212 is a member of the Sinaloa State Police. 723 01:08:40,283 --> 01:08:43,661 MARIANA: Police and military were out‐manned and out‐gunned, 724 01:08:43,661 --> 01:08:46,748 unable to regain control. 725 01:08:47,707 --> 01:08:50,376 But what seemed like total chaos was actually part 726 01:08:50,376 --> 01:08:52,462 of a sinister plan. 727 01:08:56,215 --> 01:08:59,719 By hijacking all of the roads and bridges leading into Culiacán, 728 01:08:59,719 --> 01:09:02,847 the cartel had the city surrounded like a noose, 729 01:09:02,847 --> 01:09:06,017 choking the Mexican Government. 730 01:09:06,017 --> 01:09:09,270 And it was about to get even worse. 731 01:09:11,856 --> 01:09:15,276 Sometime after 4 PM, cartel gunmen stormed a 732 01:09:15,276 --> 01:09:17,612 housing complex in the heart of the city, 733 01:09:17,612 --> 01:09:22,116 where the wives and children of Mexico's military officers lived. 734 01:10:20,883 --> 01:10:25,555 ♪ ♪ 735 01:10:30,226 --> 01:10:32,186 MARIANA: The events of Black Thursday began with the 736 01:10:32,186 --> 01:10:34,439 capture of Ovidio Guzman. 737 01:10:34,439 --> 01:10:36,607 If I wanted to hear how it all ended, 738 01:10:36,607 --> 01:10:41,654 I needed to speak to the hit men who work for El Chapo's sons. 739 01:10:49,120 --> 01:10:52,039 ♪ ♪ 740 01:11:06,179 --> 01:11:08,473 MARIANA: Miguel and I are en route to a high stakes meeting 741 01:11:08,473 --> 01:11:12,310 with one of the only gunman who can tell me exactly how 742 01:11:12,310 --> 01:11:14,520 Black Thursday came to an end. 743 01:11:40,630 --> 01:11:42,673 MARIANA: This Sicario is part of a faction that works 744 01:11:42,673 --> 01:11:45,468 directly for El Chapo's sons. 745 01:11:45,468 --> 01:11:50,306 He commands a small group of hit men that are on call 24 hours a day, 746 01:11:50,306 --> 01:11:52,308 waiting for instructions, 747 01:11:52,308 --> 01:11:55,603 usually to murder a rival. 748 01:11:55,603 --> 01:11:59,607 But the call he received on Black Thursday was something new. 749 01:11:59,607 --> 01:12:01,275 A rescue mission. 750 01:12:11,577 --> 01:12:13,955 MARIANA: He tells me that he and his team attempted to 751 01:12:13,955 --> 01:12:16,415 enter the home where Ovidio was being detained 752 01:12:16,415 --> 01:12:17,959 by law enforcement. 753 01:12:55,371 --> 01:12:57,081 MARIANA: While his team of Sicarios fought Mexican 754 01:12:57,081 --> 01:12:59,542 military forces to a standstill, 755 01:12:59,542 --> 01:13:02,420 the rest of the city erupted. 756 01:13:05,298 --> 01:13:07,925 By the time the cartel threatened to execute all 757 01:13:07,925 --> 01:13:10,428 of the women and children at the housing complex, 758 01:13:10,428 --> 01:13:14,682 the Mexican government faced an impossible choice. 759 01:13:16,183 --> 01:13:19,770 Exactly what the Sinaloa Cartel wanted. 760 01:14:31,759 --> 01:14:33,511 MARIANA: The government officially acknowledged the 761 01:14:33,511 --> 01:14:36,514 death of 13 people on Black Thursday, 762 01:14:36,514 --> 01:14:40,768 but the Sicarios I spoke with dispute that figure. 763 01:16:23,537 --> 01:16:25,915 MARIANA: Black Thursday was a wake‐up call, 764 01:16:25,915 --> 01:16:28,959 but it's not an isolated event. 765 01:16:28,959 --> 01:16:33,839 American weapons have been spilling Mexican blood for years. 766 01:16:33,839 --> 01:16:37,176 In fact, it's estimated that 200,000 people 767 01:16:37,176 --> 01:16:41,806 have been killed here over the past 14 years. 768 01:16:46,310 --> 01:16:52,316 Countless innocent civilians caught in the cartel's crossfire. 769 01:16:52,316 --> 01:16:57,363 Police and witnesses executed for upholding the law. 770 01:16:58,614 --> 01:17:04,078 More than 100 journalists silenced for daring to speak out. 771 01:17:04,078 --> 01:17:06,330 (speaking native language) 772 01:17:06,330 --> 01:17:10,751 MARIANA: And student protestors abducted and never seen again. 773 01:17:23,722 --> 01:17:26,016 MARIANA: It's clear to me now that Sinaloa's well‐armed 774 01:17:26,016 --> 01:17:30,646 narcos aren't the true terminus of the Iron River. 775 01:17:30,646 --> 01:17:32,898 Their victims are. 776 01:17:34,024 --> 01:17:36,694 (singing in native language) 777 01:17:43,784 --> 01:17:45,661 MARIANA: The Mexican countryside hides countless 778 01:17:45,661 --> 01:17:47,955 corpses and mass graves. 779 01:18:14,982 --> 01:18:18,903 MARIANA: Since the war on drugs began, 40,000 men, women, 780 01:18:18,903 --> 01:18:22,281 and children, remain unaccounted for. 781 01:18:22,865 --> 01:18:25,659 They are simply called Los Desaparecidos, 782 01:18:25,659 --> 01:18:28,120 "The Disappeared." 783 01:18:28,120 --> 01:18:31,498 Four times a week, 52 weeks a year, 784 01:18:31,498 --> 01:18:35,169 Maria Isabelle Cruz leads a group of grieving mothers who 785 01:18:35,169 --> 01:18:37,922 search for their sons and daughters. 786 01:18:37,922 --> 01:18:41,800 They call themselves Sabuesos Guerreras, 787 01:18:41,800 --> 01:18:43,469 "The Warrior Hounds." 788 01:18:43,469 --> 01:18:45,554 And they do the work the Mexican Government 789 01:18:45,554 --> 01:18:47,973 can't or won't do. 790 01:19:11,956 --> 01:19:13,374 (speaking native language) 791 01:19:13,374 --> 01:19:15,668 They just found this tape. 792 01:19:15,668 --> 01:19:18,337 They say it's very common to find, you know, 793 01:19:18,337 --> 01:19:22,258 bodies that have been wrapped around, or they put tape, ooh. 794 01:19:22,258 --> 01:19:23,425 Such strong smell. 795 01:19:23,425 --> 01:19:25,177 They'll put tape around the face. 796 01:19:25,177 --> 01:19:28,889 They tell me they've recovered 78 bodies so far. 797 01:19:28,889 --> 01:19:32,309 But not Maria Isabel's son, Josimar. 798 01:19:46,240 --> 01:19:49,243 MARIANA: Josimar was a member of a Sinaloan Police Unit, 799 01:19:49,243 --> 01:19:52,246 aggressively combating the cartels, 800 01:19:52,246 --> 01:19:56,375 until the narcos took matters into their own hands. 801 01:19:57,376 --> 01:20:01,797 On January 26th, 2017, a group of hooded and heavily armed 802 01:20:01,797 --> 01:20:04,466 narcos broke into Josimar's home, 803 01:20:04,466 --> 01:20:06,385 and in front of his fiancée, 804 01:20:06,385 --> 01:20:08,387 dragged him out into the night. 805 01:20:08,387 --> 01:20:11,140 He was never seen or heard from again. 806 01:20:49,136 --> 01:20:51,347 MARIANA: Maria Isabel now spends her days searching for 807 01:20:51,347 --> 01:20:54,850 bodies the cartels don't want to be found. 808 01:21:29,968 --> 01:21:36,392 ♪ ♪ 809 01:21:54,785 --> 01:21:59,123 (singing in native language) 810 01:22:02,835 --> 01:22:05,170 MARIANA: These women, and the pain they carry, 811 01:22:05,170 --> 01:22:07,131 are not alone. 812 01:22:07,756 --> 01:22:11,343 Families throughout Mexico and Central America are asking how 813 01:22:11,343 --> 01:22:15,431 they can avoid a similar fate, because the Iron River doesn't 814 01:22:15,431 --> 01:22:17,266 stop at Sinaloa. 815 01:22:18,976 --> 01:22:23,480 It flows further South, creating devastating ripple effects. 816 01:22:23,480 --> 01:22:27,067 Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, 817 01:22:27,568 --> 01:22:29,278 known as the Northern Triangle, 818 01:22:29,278 --> 01:22:32,739 are now among the most dangerous countries to call home, 819 01:22:32,739 --> 01:22:35,826 with some of the world's highest murder rates. 820 01:22:42,666 --> 01:22:45,502 MARIANA: As more and more American weapons head south, 821 01:22:45,502 --> 01:22:48,046 something else heads north, 822 01:22:48,046 --> 01:22:51,258 an unprecedented mass migration. 823 01:22:51,258 --> 01:22:54,219 They're no longer chasing the American dream. 824 01:22:54,219 --> 01:22:56,972 They're fleeing for their lives. 825 01:23:07,441 --> 01:23:09,026 TRUMP (over TV): Many of those people, 826 01:23:09,026 --> 01:23:12,029 a big, fairly big percentage of those people, 827 01:23:12,029 --> 01:23:14,907 are criminals. 828 01:23:14,907 --> 01:23:17,409 And they wanna come into our country. 829 01:23:20,913 --> 01:23:23,957 MARIANA: In reality, it seems the criminals are staying put, 830 01:23:23,957 --> 01:23:26,335 killing with impunity. 831 01:23:27,294 --> 01:23:30,130 It's their victims who are on the move. 832 01:23:30,130 --> 01:23:33,842 It's ironic that to escape the Iron River, 833 01:23:33,842 --> 01:23:38,889 they head to its source, the United States. 834 01:23:40,182 --> 01:23:43,602 And it's here that I'm hoping to answer my final question, 835 01:23:43,602 --> 01:23:47,105 "Why is no one able to stop this?" 836 01:23:56,782 --> 01:24:00,077 MARIANA: We actually filmed a gun sale a couple of miles 837 01:24:00,077 --> 01:24:02,120 from where we are right now. 838 01:24:02,120 --> 01:24:07,918 They had AK‐47s, AR‐15s, and we saw them placing those guns in a car, 839 01:24:07,918 --> 01:24:09,878 the guns went south. 840 01:24:09,878 --> 01:24:14,007 It was as easy as transporting candy down to Mexico. 841 01:24:14,007 --> 01:24:15,968 What do you say to that? 842 01:24:15,968 --> 01:24:19,263 CARLOS: Welcome to my world. That's what I say to that. 843 01:24:22,474 --> 01:24:26,645 MARIANA: Carlos Canino helms the Los Angeles field division of the ATF, 844 01:24:26,645 --> 01:24:29,606 the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, 845 01:24:29,606 --> 01:24:33,026 the federal agency tasked with making sure America's weapons 846 01:24:33,026 --> 01:24:35,821 don't fall into criminal hands. 847 01:24:35,821 --> 01:24:38,490 That's easier said than done. 848 01:24:38,490 --> 01:24:41,243 The United States is the only country on Earth with more 849 01:24:41,243 --> 01:24:43,453 guns than people. 850 01:24:43,453 --> 01:24:46,790 How many guns do you estimate are moving south every day? 851 01:24:46,790 --> 01:24:48,166 CARLOS: No idea. 852 01:24:48,166 --> 01:24:50,002 MARIANA: Well, shouldn't the ATF measure this? 853 01:24:50,002 --> 01:24:52,629 CARLOS: How? There's no national database. 854 01:24:52,629 --> 01:24:56,258 Nobody's keeping count on how many guns are sold per day 855 01:24:56,258 --> 01:24:58,135 in the United States. 856 01:24:59,261 --> 01:25:00,846 (speaking native language) 857 01:25:01,471 --> 01:25:04,975 MARIANA: Carlos also tells me that even if Blondie or T are caught, 858 01:25:04,975 --> 01:25:08,061 they can't be charged with running guns. 859 01:25:09,896 --> 01:25:12,941 CARLOS: That person would be charged with dealing without a license, 860 01:25:12,941 --> 01:25:17,404 selling a firearm to a person who's not a 861 01:25:17,404 --> 01:25:19,406 resident of that state. 862 01:25:19,406 --> 01:25:21,283 MARIANA: You're not actually charging them with the trafficking? 863 01:25:21,283 --> 01:25:24,077 CARLOS: There is no Federal Firearms Trafficking Statute 864 01:25:24,077 --> 01:25:26,955 currently on the books. 865 01:25:26,955 --> 01:25:28,832 MARIANA: It's crazy to me. 866 01:25:29,958 --> 01:25:32,878 Just months from retirement, Carlos is more candid than 867 01:25:32,878 --> 01:25:35,547 most government officials I interviewed. 868 01:25:35,547 --> 01:25:38,550 He says the cartels know exactly how to exploit 869 01:25:38,550 --> 01:25:41,053 loopholes in America's gun laws, 870 01:25:41,053 --> 01:25:45,599 buying legal weapons in ways that are impossible to trace. 871 01:25:46,892 --> 01:25:50,729 CARLOS: There's a robust gun industry in the United States, 872 01:25:50,729 --> 01:25:55,108 and they have very well‐funded powerful lobbies. 873 01:25:56,985 --> 01:26:01,573 MARIANA: Do you think that the violence in Mexico is directly 874 01:26:01,573 --> 01:26:04,910 connected to the fact that they can come to the United States, 875 01:26:04,910 --> 01:26:07,871 and buy weapons so easily? 876 01:26:07,871 --> 01:26:13,543 CARLOS: The cartels have a reliable, ready, 877 01:26:13,543 --> 01:26:19,424 easy‐to‐get supply of firearms and ammunition. 878 01:26:19,424 --> 01:26:21,343 Does that answer your question? 879 01:26:23,011 --> 01:26:26,348 MARIANA: America's refusal to take responsibility for our 880 01:26:26,348 --> 01:26:31,061 role in the Iron River is creating dangerous consequences. 881 01:26:31,061 --> 01:26:33,355 Not just for the countries south of our border, 882 01:26:33,355 --> 01:26:35,816 but for our own. 883 01:26:35,816 --> 01:26:37,651 CARLOS: Banning guns is not the answer, 884 01:26:37,651 --> 01:26:39,569 and it's unrealistic. 885 01:26:39,569 --> 01:26:43,448 Unfortunately, the gun debate, everybody runs to their corners. 886 01:26:43,448 --> 01:26:46,243 There's a lot of talking past each other. 887 01:26:46,243 --> 01:26:52,332 And then, the only people who win are the people that you 888 01:26:52,332 --> 01:26:54,918 spoke with who are bringing guns down to Mexico. 889 01:26:56,670 --> 01:26:59,506 MARIANA: But, of course, they're not the only ones who win. 890 01:26:59,506 --> 01:27:02,217 And that's part of the problem. 891 01:27:02,217 --> 01:27:06,221 When there's money to be made, many people turn a blind eye, 892 01:27:06,221 --> 01:27:09,558 and black markets flourish. 893 01:27:38,128 --> 01:27:41,757 CARLOS: We have the ability to do better and we should be doing better. 894 01:27:41,757 --> 01:27:45,469 That simple. And that's the truth. 895 01:27:47,429 --> 01:27:49,264 (chanting in native language) 896 01:28:04,362 --> 01:28:08,074 (music plays through credits) 897 01:28:10,577 --> 01:28:11,995 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.