How a U.S./Iran War Could Reshape Global Organized Crime
On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down how a potential war between the U.S. and Iran could ignite a parallel conflict in the shadows—one driven not by missiles, but by smugglers, cartels, and covert networks. She unpacks how chaos in the Gulf could ripple across Latin America, empowering groups like the Sinaloa Cartel to expand their reach. From fuel theft and arms diversion to drug trafficking and border infiltration, this is the war few are watching—but one that could reshape the criminal underworld and hit the U.S. homeland in unexpected ways.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original
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27:35
Public Sanctions, Private Crossings: Inside America’s Double Game with the Cartels
On today’s episode, Katarina examines the complex and often contradictory U.S. strategy toward cartel networks. While recent sanctions target businesses tied to criminal organizations—ranging from luxury spas to shell companies—internal records suggest that some cartel-affiliated individuals are quietly crossing the U.S. border with legal authorization.
This dispatch explores the murky space between public enforcement actions and behind-the-scenes agreements, raising new questions about how the drug war is being fought—and who is shielded from its consequences.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original.
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29:43
LA vs. ICE: The Protest That Shook the System
On today’s episode, Katarina reports from the streets of downtown Los Angeles, where protests erupted in response to a wave of ICE raids targeting undocumented workers. But this isn’t just about one city or one agency. It’s about the evolution of ICE from a post-9/11 security force to a multibillion-dollar enforcement machine.
Katarina traces how LA became ground zero for resistance—again—while unpacking the quiet cross-border deals between the U.S. and Mexico, the expansion of biometric surveillance, and the profit motives behind mass detention. With field tape, interviews, and sharp analysis, this dispatch reveals how two governments are using immigration as a tool of control—and how the streets are pushing back.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original
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28:11
How Killing Cartel Kingpins Backfires: Fragmentation, Violence, and Chaos
In this episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina examines the long-running “kingpin strategy” used by the U.S. and Mexican governments to dismantle drug cartels by targeting their top leaders. Drawing on case studies from major criminal organizations, she outlines how this approach often leads to the fragmentation of cartels, the rise of rival factions, and increased violence. The episode explores the operational logic behind the strategy, its historical outcomes, and why some experts argue it may be counterproductive.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original
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24:05
CJNG’s U.S. Oil Pipeline: How Stolen Mexican Fuel Enters American Markets
On today’s episode, Katarina explores how fuel theft—known as huachicol—has evolved from a local criminal tactic into a multinational enterprise with direct links to U.S. ports, businesses, and national security. As Mexico’s CJNG cartel diversifies beyond drugs, stolen crude oil and diesel have become major revenue sources, flowing from Pemex pipelines into the American energy market through a network of corrupt officials, shell companies, and fraudulent shipping manifests.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original
Cartel violence. Kidnappings. Disappearances. The headlines don’t tell the full story.
Borderland: Dispatches, an IRONCLAD Original, delivers raw, on-the-ground updates from Mexico’s cartel war. Hosted by investigative journalist Katarina Szulc, the series offers real-time snapshots of a conflict reshaping the future of both Mexico and the U.S.
With rare access to traffickers, law enforcement, and civilians caught in the crossfire, these fast-moving episodes expose the brutal truth behind the drug war.
New dispatches drop every Tuesday and Thursday.
Listen to Borderland: Dispatches with Katarina Szulc, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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