I Was A Skinhead In LA County Jail – Then I Hunted Drug Cartels In Mexico | Dave Franke

Dave Franke shares the journey that most people could never imagine living through. Growing up in California, Dave became involved in the skinhead gang lifestyle at a young age, pulled in by identity, belonging, and survival. That path led him into some of the hardest jails and prisons in California, where violence, politics, and racial tension were a part of everyday life. Over time, Dave began questioning everything—his beliefs, his identity, and the world he thought he understood. He eventually renounced the skinhead lifestyle, determined to break the cycle and find a new purpose. After rebuilding his life and establishing himself in a stable career, he took a dramatic turn few would ever see coming: he went to Mexico and worked alongside law enforcement in operations targeting drug cartels. #LockedInWithIanBick #RealStories #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #CartelStories #SurvivorStory #ChangeYourLife #StreetToStrength Thank you to BRUNT & PRIZEPICKS for sponsoring this episode: Brunt: $10 Off @BRUNT with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/lockedin #bruntpod Prizepicks: Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/IANBICK and use code IANBICK and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Connect with Dave Franke: Website: www.davefranke.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@fusilautomaticoligero?si=kJHAaAOFDolhk7iq 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 The School Fight That Changed Everything 02:56 Growing Up, Family Struggles & Moving Across States 06:39 Culture Shock: From Iowa to L.A. and Learning to Survive 09:46 Teen Dreams, First Trouble & the Path Toward Violence 13:48 Gang Life, Juvenile Hall & the Skinhead Mentality 20:41 Proving Himself Through Violence & Street Respect 26:11 Facing an Attempted Murder Charge in L.A. County Jail 34:34 Life Inside One of America's Toughest Jails 43:05 Surviving the System & Questioning His Identity 52:18 Tattoo Stories, Regret & The Start of Change 01:01:00 Sobriety, Malcolm X & Opening His Mind 01:07:00 Trying to Join the Military & Finding a Work Ethic 01:16:00 Heading to Mexico: Manufacturing, Violence & Opportunity 01:24:00 Becoming a Mexican Agent & Training Police 01:33:01 Inside Cartel Hunts & Life With Special Forces 01:44:42 Racism, Trust & Living on the Edge in Mexico 01:53:01 Coming Home: Law School, Purpose & Redemption 01:58:00 Life Now: Reinvention & Lessons for the Next Generation 02:03:37 Final Reflections, Gratitude & The Power of Change Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices