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CrashOut Podcast

Ioan Grillo

Reporting on crime, drugs, and gangster politics, and the people who live and die through it, with journalist Ioan Grillo

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  • 21 episodes
  • Avg 33 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • #47
    September 11 · 38 min

    47. How Deep Were US Agents In Mayo Kidnapping?

    The kidnapping of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on July 25, 2024, and his rendition to New Mexico, where he was handed into U.S. agents, is one of the craziest events in decades of crazy cartel wars in Mexico. Yet there is still much we need to learn about the incident, and especially the role of U.S. agents. Joe Hefferon, a former New Jersey police captain, conducted an excellent investigation, which I discuss with him on this episode of the CrashOut podcast.

  • #45
    July 17 · 58 min

    45. The Truth About Gangs In London

    I talk to top crime journalist David Matthews about the truth of gangs, robbery and drugs in London and across the UK.

  • April 26 · 1 hr 7 min

    42: Cartels Use of Drone Warfare, with Ghaleb Krame

    I have a fascinating talk with Ghaleb Krame, a former Mexican security official and analyst on organized crime and terrorism. You can follow Ghaleb here: https://x.com/GhalebKrame https://substack.com/@UClsw4kFqF2-pJd... Fore more stories on drxgs and crime and to support CrashOut, go to: www.crashoutmedia.com

  • April 23 · 15 min

    41. CIA Agents Down In Mexico

    I look at the case of the CIA agents who died on Sunday in Mexico. For more info, go to: www.crashoutmedia.com

  • March 31 · 37 min

    40. The DEA Wants a Show Trial For Caro Quintero

    I talk with Ángel Hernández about the many narco trials he is covering in the U.S., including Rafael Caro Quintero, Nicolás Maduro and Ryan Wedding. For more info and to support, go to www.crashoutmedia.com

  • #46
    March 27 · 27 min

    39. The Cholos of Neza (Outer Mexico City)

    Gustavo Grav has spent years documenting the cholos of the Mexico City urban area and brings us great photos and video. See a full photo essay and more info at: www.crashoutmedia.com See more of Gustavo's work at: www.gustavograf.com and on / gustavograf_ Support the show

  • #45
    March 7 · 15 min

    38. Inside The Cabins Of Mencho's Last Stand

    While El Mencho has been buried in a golden casket, we are yet to see a photo of his corpse (those that have been circulated have been found to be fake). When I went to the cabins where Mencho’s was captured I found some curious details that didn’t add up, including .50 caliber shells inside a room with no visible damage to the walls or windows. There could of course be a non-nefarious explanation. But without a real disclosure of what happened, there are many questions around “the last stand...

  • #44
    February 24 · 13 min

    37. Army Kills El Mencho And His Thugs Burn Mexico

    In huge news, the Mexican army with U.S. intelligence killed El Mencho, boss of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the operatives unleashed terror across Mexico. For more info, go to: www.crashoutmedia.com Support the show

  • #43
    February 2 · 39 min

    36. Inside The Venezuelan Militias

    Those who follow Venezuela will remember news of the militias that took to the streets in the days following the U.S. operation to nab Nicolás Maduro, raising fears of a Beirut-like situation of armed neighborhoods. While these militias, known as colectivos, returned to their bunkers as Delcy Rodríguez consolidated power, they remain a wild card in the volatile Venezuela situation. The fleeting news reports only scratched the surface and gave little info about how powerful these Chavist...

  • #42
    January 29 · 1 hr 36 min

    35. The DEA Agent Who Debriefed Osiel Cárdenas

    Osiel Cárdenas, head of the Gulf Cartel, has eyes like the devil, former DEA Agent Mike Chavarria says, describing when he debriefed him after his extradition. “Looking in his eyes was like looking into a dark abyss,” he says. Osiel’s rival Armando “Maradona” Valencia, meanwhile, is an intellectual. He was always looking slick when Mike met the narco in safe locations and he began negotiations for a potential surrender. Azul is widely believed to be dead but Mike has heard info he could have ...

  • #41
    January 23 · 1 hr 9 min

    34. The Regime Decapitation Model in Venezuela

    Reports have come out alleging that Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez coordinated with Washington before the special force attack on Caracas to seize President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3. The result is a strange hybrid of Venezuela’s socialist government still in place and now working with (or rather under) President Donald Trump. It’s not the only curious and confusing feature of the “regime decapitation.” The CIA is now openly praising working with Rodríguez and it leaked a repo...

  • #40
    January 16 · 16 min

    33. Guerrillas, Gangs and Spies on the Venezuela Border

    The growth of the National Liberation Army or ELN, a sprawling guerilla force of 6,500 combatants shifting between Venezuela and Colombia, has hardly got any attention in the United States. Yet it’s just one of various explosive stories from the Colombia-Venezuela border, where spies, gangs, and insurgents are adjusting to the new political situation after U.S. special forces took out Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Here I cut together video from a week reporting in Cúcuta and in t...

  • #39
    Dec 22, 2025 · 19 min

    32. I went into a Satanic temple in Mexico

    This was a crazy and freaky experience. Check out more on: www.crashoutmedia.com Or support at: https://buymeacoffee.com/ioangrillo Support the show

  • #38
    Dec 10, 2025 · 53 min

    31. Secrets of Noriega and the CIA

    As U.S. military forces pile up in the Caribbean, pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to run, the obvious comparison comes up with the 1989 invasion of Panama to take out dictator Manuel Noriega. This makes perfect timing for a remarkable new book by journalist Cillian Dunne about Noriega through the eyes of his right hand man, and as Cillian says “attack dog,” Carlos Wittgreen. A young writer from Dublin, Cillian gained extraordinary access to Carlos and to his trove of docu...

  • #37
    Dec 3, 2025 · 11 min

    30. Joaquín Jr Confesses To Kidnapping El Mayo

    Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of El Chapo, pled guilty to drug trafficking in a federal court in Chicago on Monday, and signed a plea agreement in which he confessed to kidnapping Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada (referred to as Individual A) and flying him to the United States to hand into U.S. justice. Any reader of CrashOut knows we have been deep into this story all the way (check out the archive), and I break down what was revealed with Joaquín Jr’s confession. The saga of the Mayo kidnapp...

  • #36
    Nov 17, 2025 · 23 min

    29. Inside Mexico's 15N Protests and Riots

    It was tough day in Mexico City on Saturday of protests, riots, vandalism, and arrests that highlighted some difficult divisions in Mexico. I went into report and got a good dose of gas myself. Here is the story. (Above for the video or below for the audio). For more info, go to: www.crashoutmedia.com Support the show

  • #35
    Oct 29, 2025 · 26 min

    28: Trump's Drug Boat War

    It's hard to keep up with the pace of U.S. missile strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. When I began recording this it was 10 hits and 43 dead since September When I finished the edit a day later, it was 14 and 57 dead. This is new territory in the war on drugs. Or is it all about regime change in Venezuela? I break it down in this episode of CrashOut Podcast. For more info, go to: www.crashoutmedia.com Support the show

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes