Honor Among Thieves | True Crime & Crime Stories

Christian Carmona joins Honor Among Thieves Podcast to tell the story of growing up as the son of a Colombian drug trafficker whose family was taken down in a major federal RICO case connected to a criminal narcotics enterprise. In this true crime podcast episode, Christian opens up about his father’s federal case out of Portland, Oregon, the FBI raid that changed his family forever, the money found buried in the house, and the moment his father accepted responsibility and took a 20-year prison sentence without cooperating. This episode goes deeper than a drug trafficking story. Christian explains what it was like to be a kid when the federal government came after his family, how his mother was accused of laundering money and sentenced to 12 years, and how the consequences of the criminal underworld shaped his life long after the case was over. From Colombia and Medellín to South Florida, Atlanta, Portland, federal prison, deportation, family loyalty, and survival, this is a raw look at the cost of organized crime from the perspective of the child left behind. In this episode, we cover: Christian Carmona’s childhood after coming to America from Colombia His father’s rise from Medellín to the U.S. drug world The federal RICO case that brought down his family The FBI raid in Portland, Oregon The money found buried inside the house Why his father took 20 years and never cooperated His mother’s money laundering case and 12-year sentence Growing up with both parents in federal prison Colombian drug trafficking, South Florida, Atlanta, and Oregon The impact of the war on drugs on immigrant families Loyalty, silence, family codes, and the price of the criminal underworld Life after the case and how Christian carried the story into adulthood This is one of the most personal episodes of Honor Among Thieves Podcast, exposing the reality behind federal drug cases, organized crime, family loyalty, criminal justice, and the long-term damage caused when an entire family is pulled into the federal system. 0:00 Intro 3:13 His Father’s 20-Year Sentence & Old School Silence 8:43 Medellín’s Criminal Underworld 12:14 How Narco Money Changed Everything 18:05 Moving to America & His Father's Double Life 24:58 His Father’s National Drug Case 30:00 FBI Raid, Buried Cash, RICO & the Family Collapse 39:00 His Father Takes 20 Years and His Mother Gets 12 50:40 Losing His Brother to the Federal System 1:00:00 Miami Nightlife, Bank Work & Criminal Connections 1:09:40 The DEA Setup, Informant & Christian's Arrest 1:21:45 Locked Up With His Brother & Fighting the Case 1:30:15 The Hole, Finding God, Life After the Case & Redemption 📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest: 👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest 👕Honor Among Thieves Merch👇 https://shop.honoramongthievespodcast.com/ 🔗 Links👇👇👇 📸 Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ 📸 Christian on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zealnovel/ 💎 Sponsors NordVPN Use Promo Code MONTANA https://bit.ly/honorvpn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Honor Among Thieves Podcast, we sit down with Katarina Szulc, one of the leading independent reporters covering Mexican cartels, cartel violence, CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel, El Mencho, El Chapo’s family, fentanyl trafficking, and the criminal underworld along the U.S.–Mexico border. Katarina breaks down her reporting on El Mencho, the powerful CJNG cartel leader, and explains what she saw after traveling directly into cartel territory. From the reported final hideout of El Mencho to the power struggles inside Mexico’s cartel world, this conversation gives a raw and detailed look at stories most mainstream media never fully explains. This episode also covers the rise of CJNG, the influence of the Valencia family / Los Cuinis, the ongoing conflict between CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel, the role of El Chapo’s sons / Los Chapitos, the fentanyl pipeline, cartel links to China, cartel operations in Canada and Mexico, and how U.S. law enforcement is changing its approach to cartel cases. If you follow true crime, cartel news, drug trafficking, organized crime, criminal justice, border security, fentanyl trafficking, Mexican cartels, CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel, El Mencho, El Chapo, or real crime stories, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. In this episode, we discuss: Katarina Szulc’s reporting inside cartel territory The truth behind El Mencho and CJNG The power structure of the Sinaloa Cartel El Chapo’s family and Los Chapitos The cartel war between CJNG and Sinaloa How fentanyl trafficking changed organized crime China’s role in the fentanyl supply chain U.S. cartel investigations and terrorism charges Border security, cartel routes, and criminal networks Why Mexican cartel stories are more complex than the headlines This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about the reality of Mexico’s cartel world, the people who report on it, and the criminal organizations shaping modern drug trafficking across North America. Chapters 0:00 Intro: El Mencho, Cartel Reporting & Mexico’s Criminal Underworld 3:13 How Katarina Became a Cartel Reporter 8:15 CJNG, El Mencho & the Rise of Mexico’s Most Powerful Cartel 18:00 El Chapo, Los Chapitos & the Future of the Sinaloa Cartel 24:10 China, Fentanyl & the New Drug Trafficking Pipeline 34:00 CJNG, Sinaloa & the Changing Cartel Alliances 42:30 Katarina Travels to Mexico After the El Mencho Story Breaks 48:15 Inside Tapalpa: El Mencho’s Final Hideout 52:00 Entering El Mencho’s Residence and the Open Crime Scene 58:30 Bullet Casings, Missing Evidence & Questions About the Official Story 1:08:00 El Mencho’s Background, Family & Cartel Legacy 1:14:10 Border Corruption, Smuggling Routes & Human Trafficking 1:33:45 Close Calls Reporting in Cartel Territory 1:48:20 Journalism, Legacy & Giving Victims a Voice 📌 Have an unbelievable story? Apply to be a guest: 👉 https://www.honoramongthievespodcast.com/guest 👕Honor Among Thieves Merch👇 https://shop.honoramongthievespodcast.com/ 🔗 Links👇👇👇 📸 Nelson on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/montanatheprophet/ 📸 Katarina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katarinaszulc/ 💎 Sponsors NordVPN Use Promo Code MONTANA https://bit.ly/honorvpn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices