Drug cartels have quietly infiltrated rural America. Trafficked host Mariana van Zeller walks us through the underworld hiding beneath our very feet.Full show notes and resources can be found here: <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/1302" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordanharbinger.com/1302</a>What We Discuss with Mariana van Zeller:<ul><li>Mexican drug cartels are deliberately setting up operations in small-town America — not big cities — because rural areas have minimal law enforcement, making it easier to hide distribution networks where a single sheriff can't compete with heavily armed cartel operatives.</li><li>Mariana van Zeller builds trust with dangerous sources — from cartel lieutenants to assassins — by ditching prepared question lists, sharing personal photos, and offering cigarettes, treating interviews as human conversations rather than interrogations to unlock genuine, unguarded responses.</li><li>Commercial airlines like Delta are among the biggest drug transportation networks in the US, with cartel distributors exploiting everyday travel infrastructure rather than the covert smuggling operations most people imagine — meaning the drug trade hides in plain sight.</li><li>The opioid-to-fentanyl-to-tranq-dope pipeline is a public health crisis, not a moral failing — most users started with a legitimate injury and a prescription, and the street drug xylazine now causes wounds resembling leprosy while hospitals stigmatize users instead of treating them.</li><li>Mariana's approach to journalism offers a powerful reminder that curiosity and empathy — not judgment — are what unlock the deepest understanding of people and problems, a mindset anyone can practice to have more meaningful conversations and see the world with clearer eyes.</li><li>And much more...</li></ul><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here</a> — even one sentence helps! <ul><li>Sign up for <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Six-Minute Networking</a> — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at <a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordanharbinger.com/course</a>!</li><li>Subscribe to our once-a-week <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wee Bit Wiser</a> newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!</li><li>Do you even Reddit, bro? <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Join us at r/JordanHarbinger</a>!</li></ul>This Episode Is Brought To You By <a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Fine Sponsors</a>: <ul><li>The Cybersecurity Tapes: <a href="https://thecybersecuritytapes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen here: thecybersecuritytapes.com</a></li><li>Progressive Insurance: <a href="https://www.progressive.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Free online quote: progressive.com</a></li><li>BetterHelp: <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordan</a></li><li>ButcherBox: <a href="https://butcherbox.com/jordan/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Free protein for a year + $20 off first box: butcherbox.com/jordan</a></li><li>Fundera by NerdWallet: <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Find the funding you deserve: nerdwallet.com/jordan</a></li><li>Paka: <a href="https://go.pakaapparel.com/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paka hoodie & crew socks: go.pakaapparel.com/jordan</a></li></ul>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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1302: Mariana van Zeller | The Drug Cartels Running Small-Town America

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