How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works

Former Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, appeared in a New York court yesterday. He’s facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges after the U.S. abducted him and his wife in an explosive operation over the weekend. But is there any credibility to the drug-trafficking accusations? And what does the cocaine supply chain look like in 2026?

Today on the show, tracing cocaine’s journey from the Andes to the streets of U.S. cities.

Further reading: 
Ioan Grillo – El Narco

Related episodes: 
Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)
Why Are Venezuelans Starving?
Lessons from a former drug dealer

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Cooper Katz McKim and Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy