Borderland: Dispatches with Katarina Szulc

On today’s episode of Borderland Dispatches, Katarina breaks down the case of Opinder Singh Sian, a Canadian man charged in the U.S. with coordinating international methamphetamine shipments. She explores how this ongoing investigation reveals Canada’s growing role as a base for transnational organized crime, linking drug networks across North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Katarina exami...

On today’s episode, Katarina speaks directly with a man who smuggles people across borders. He explains how the system works — and just how little resistance he faces. From rural roads in Quebec and Vermont to backwoods crossings used year-round, even in dangerous winter conditions, Katarina explores how the U.S.–Canada border is being exploited by smugglers moving people from countries around the...

On today’s episode, Katarina Szulc breaks down the latest developments in the case of Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and a former high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel. After pleading guilty in U.S. federal court, Ovidio has now been moved to an undisclosed location. Katarina explains what this likely means—especially regarding cooperation with U.S. authorities—and how it coul...

On today’s episode, Katarina travels to Ontario’s Six Nations Reserve—one of the largest Indigenous territories in Canada—to expose how organized crime groups are exploiting Native communities along the northern U.S. border. From illegal marijuana grow operations to gun and drug trafficking routes, Katarina uncovers how criminal syndicates are embedding within reservation lands, using jurisdiction...

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the recent ICE detention of Julio César Chávez Jr., the former boxing champion and son of a Mexican sports icon, amid allegations of cartel connections. As the U.S. pressures Mexico to crack down on organized crime, Katarina examines why Chávez Jr. was living freely in Los Angeles despite mounting scrutiny—and whether his treatment reflects a double standar...

On this episode, Katarina speaks with Stefano Ritondale from @AllSourceNews to examine the current situation unfolding in Sinaloa, Mexico. They discuss the internal divisions within the Sinaloa Cartel, the evolving relationship between Sinaloa and CJNG, and the shifting power dynamics in the region. The conversation also explores possible successors to the cartel’s leadership amid increasing insta...

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the recent wave of violence in Sinaloa, Mexico, where 20 bodies were found across multiple crime scenes—including four decapitated victims hung from a bridge and five severed heads left in a bag. The killings are believed to be linked to an internal conflict within the Sinaloa cartel, between factions associated with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons—known a...

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down a recently released Justice Department report detailing how the Sinaloa cartel hired a hacker in 2018 to track FBI personnel and informants in Mexico City. The hacker accessed phone data and surveillance cameras to monitor the movements of an FBI attaché and identify individuals meeting with U.S. officials. Some of those individuals were later targeted by t...

 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...

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 betwe...

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 un...

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 explo...

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 net...

In this episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina  unpacks how the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has emerged as the dominant force in Mexico’s criminal underworld. From brutal turf wars to high-level corruption and global drug trafficking routes, the CJNG is no longer just another cartel—it’s a paramilitary powerhouse reshaping the entire landscape. Katarina explores how they’ve outpace...

On today’s episode, Katarina examines how Mexican cartels have developed sophisticated propaganda strategies to expand their influence and control. From traditional narcocorridos to viral TikTok videos, cartels use music, social media, public banners, and graphic videos to recruit members, intimidate rivals, and shape public perception. She traces the historical roots of narco culture, explores it...

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down how cartels are cashing in on more than just drugs. It starts with crude oil theft—massive, organized operations draining fuel straight from pipelines. Then it’s into the fields, where farmers are being extorted and crops trafficked across borders. And finally, into cyberspace, where cartel-linked hackers are running scams, stealing data, and moving money i...

On today’s episode, Katarina begins her journey at the bustling Port of Vancouver, a key gateway where global trade intersects with local challenges. She then heads to East Hastings Street, one of North America’s toughest neighborhoods battling widespread drug addiction. Katarina explores how the open Canadian border fuels the flow of fentanyl and drug precursors, uncovering the use of small aircr...

In this episode, Katarina unpacks the DOJ’s unprecedented April 2025 indictment of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez—the first time terrorism charges have been brought against a cartel operative for providing material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization (CJNG). This marks a seismic shift in U.S. legal strategy, unlocking surveillance powers under FISA and introducing military-grade prosecu...

On the debut episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina takes viewers to the U.S.-Mexico border near Anapra, New Mexico, to examine the impact of new executive orders issued since Trump’s return to office. She documents changes on the ground, including increased Border Patrol presence, expanded deportation efforts, and shifting smuggling routes. Through firsthand reporting and interviews with peo...

Cartel violence. Kidnappings. Disappearances. The headlines don’t tell the full story. Borderland: DISPATCHES 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 th...