EPISODE · Nov 18, 2025 · 1H 50M
I Was A DEA Agent Who Took Down The Cali Cartel | Chris Feistl
from Locked In with Ian Bick · host Ian Bick
Chris Feistl spent 26 years working for the DEA, including three years in Colombia during the 1990s, helping take down one of the most powerful drug empires in history — the Cali Cartel. His real-life work was portrayed in Narcos: Season 3, but the truth behind the show is even wilder. From undercover operations to high-stakes cartel takedowns, he witnessed firsthand the danger, corruption, and chaos of the war on drugs. Over his career, he earned the DEA Award of Honor, Award for Exceptional Service, and multiple Performance Awards for his role in international investigations. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about what really happened in Colombia, how Narcos got it right (and wrong), and what it was like to spend decades hunting some of the world’s most dangerous traffickers. #LockedInWithIanBick #DEAAgent #Narcos #CaliCartel #TrueCrime #DrugCartel #NarcosNetflix #realstories Thank you to BLUECHEW for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. Connect with Chris Feistl: Website: www.After.Escobar.com. After Escobar is available on Amazon (http://a.co/d/4U3kWXB), Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1146855946), www.AfterEscobar.com, and in select bookstores worldwide! Signed copies of After Escobar available only at www.AfterEscobar.com. Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Becoming a DEA Agent & Taking Down Cartels 04:44 Early Life, Law Enforcement Dreams & First Arrests 13:11 From Small-Town Cop to Federal Agent 20:01 Joining the DEA: Training, Requirements & Reality 27:47 First Assignment in Miami — Cocaine Capital of the '80s 38:41 Inside the Miami Drug Wars: Chaos, Cartels & Corruption 45:42 Cartel Smuggling Tactics & DEA Challenges on the Ground 53:03 Dirty Cops, Corruption & How the DEA Adapted 01:01:12 Hunting the Cali Cartel Bosses in Colombia 01:12:40 Deep Undercover: The DEA’s Dangerous Life in Colombia 01:20:01 Surviving the Cartel Wars — Second & Third DEA Tours 01:31:00 Coming Home: DEA Retirement & Life After the Mission 01:36:02 How Netflix’s Narcos Got It Right (and Wrong) 01:40:02 Hard Lessons, Close Calls & Reflections from a DEA Agent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What this episode covers
Chris Feistl spent 26 years working for the DEA, including three years in Colombia during the 1990s, helping take down one of the most powerful drug empires in history — the Cali Cartel. His real-life work was portrayed in Narcos: Season 3, but the truth behind the show is even wilder. From undercover operations to high-stakes cartel takedowns, he witnessed firsthand the danger, corruption, and chaos of the war on drugs. Over his career, he earned the DEA Award of Honor, Award for Exceptional Service, and multiple Performance Awards for his role in international investigations. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about what really happened in Colombia, how Narcos got it right (and wrong), and what it was like to spend decades hunting some of the world’s most dangerous traffickers. #LockedInWithIanBick #DEAAgent #Narcos #CaliCartel #TrueCrime #DrugCartel #NarcosNetflix #realstories Thank you to BLUECHEW for sponsoring this episode: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. Connect with Chris Feistl: Website: www.After.Escobar.com. After Escobar is available on Amazon (http://a.co/d/4U3kWXB), Barnes and Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1146855946), www.AfterEscobar.com, and in select bookstores worldwide! Signed copies of After Escobar available only at www.AfterEscobar.com. Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Becoming a DEA Agent & Taking Down Cartels 04:44 Early Life, Law Enforcement Dreams & First Arrests 13:11 From Small-Town Cop to Federal Agent 20:01 Joining the DEA: Training, Requirements & Reality 27:47 First Assignment in Miami — Cocaine Capital of the '80s 38:41 Inside the Miami Drug Wars: Chaos, Cartels & Corruption 45:42 Cartel Smuggling Tactics & DEA Challenges on the Ground 53:03 Dirty Cops, Corruption & How the DEA Adapted 01:01:12 Hunting the Cali Cartel Bosses in Colombia 01:12:40 Deep Undercover: The DEA’s Dangerous Life in Colombia 01:20:01 Surviving the Cartel Wars — Second & Third DEA Tours 01:31:00 Coming Home: DEA Retirement & Life After the Mission 01:36:02 How Netflix’s Narcos Got It Right (and Wrong) 01:40:02 Hard Lessons, Close Calls & Reflections from a DEA Agent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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I Was A DEA Agent Who Took Down The Cali Cartel | Chris Feistl
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