- 1 hour 42 minutesCould A U.S. Intervention In Mexico Become America’s Next Vietnam?
Could a U.S. military intervention in Mexico actually happen—and what would it look like if it did?
Ed Calderon joins the show and we break down the growing tension between the United States and Mexico, the strategic importance of northern Mexico’s manufacturing base, and why a future conflict could extend far beyond the fight against cartels and fentanyl. The conversation explores the potential consequences of military intervention, including mass migration, border shutdowns, trade disruptions, economic shortages, and the possibility of cartel groups transforming into organized guerrilla forces using drones, IEDs, precision weapons, and other modern battlefield tactics.
We also examine why Mexico could become an extremely difficult environment for a prolonged U.S. military campaign, how deeply interconnected Mexican and American communities are, and why recent operations against historically powerful cartel figures may signal a much larger geopolitical shift.
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0:00 Could the U.S. Go to War With Mexico?
7:46 Michoacán, Cartels & Self-Defense Groups
14:50 U.S. Pressure on Mexico’s Politicians
22:02 CIA Operations, the DEA & Iran-Contra
28:36 Mayo Zambada, Sinaloa & Political Corruption
36:12 Why a U.S.–Mexico Military Clash Could Happen
42:22 The Economic Motive for Invading Mexico
49:54 What Would a U.S. Intervention Actually Look Like?
55:55 Cartel Fighters, Snipers & Guerrilla Warfare
1:03:12 Could Mexico Turn Into a Civil War?
1:10:07 Morena, Foreign Influence & Mexico’s Sovereignty
1:15:30 The Huachicol Fuel-Smuggling Empire
1:21:52 How U.S. Fuel Gets Smuggled Into Mexico
1:28:58 Sinaloa’s Future, CJNG & Cross-Border Drug Tunnels
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2 September 2026, 7:00 pm - 2 hours 18 minutesHow The Sinaloa Cartel Moves Cocaine Across America
At just 18 years old, Jacob Diaz went from growing up in extreme poverty and foster care to helping manage a massive cocaine trafficking operation stretching from the Texas border to Florida.
In this episode, Jacob explains how he started as a driver and translator before eventually handling logistics, coordinating drivers, collecting money, managing stash houses, and helping oversee the U.S. side of an operation connected to the Beltrán Leyva organization.
At its peak, the network was moving dozens of kilos a week, with Jacob describing hundreds of kilos moving through individual customers and millions of dollars changing hands.
Jacob breaks down how the operation stayed under the radar, how cocaine moved across the country, what life was like around cartel figures in Mexico, and the mistake that eventually brought federal investigators to his door.
After being convicted on a federal cocaine conspiracy charge and serving more than seven years in prison, Jacob completely changed direction and built a legitimate business helping people repair their credit and access funding.
This is the story of how a teenager went from homelessness and foster care to the center of a multimillion-dollar cocaine operation—and how it all came crashing down.
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Ig: https://www.instagram.com/mycreditbuilderpros/
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0:00 Intro: From Foster Care to Cartel Logistics
6:11 Growing Up in Extreme Poverty in Ocala
11:50 Foster Care, Family Separation & His Mom Disappearing
17:15 Learning to Let Go and Move Forward
20:03 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims
21:48 Selling to Eat While Homeless
29:00 Selling Out of the Foster Home
34:32 Meeting the Man Who Became His Father Figure
41:54 Getting Involved In The Beltran-Leyva Organization
43:21 This Episode Is Sponsored By NordVPN
44:42 Becoming the U.S. Logistics Manager
47:17 Collecting Cash, Translating & Learning the Business
55:07 Border Routes, Checkpoints & Moving Product
1:00:57 The 70-Year-Old Cartel Mule
1:06:00 Moving 20 Kilos a Week Through Ocala
1:12:36 The Dream of Retiring in Spain
1:22:02 Cartel Security & Acapulco Nightlife
1:27:05 Living on a $30K-a-Month Party Budget
1:32:38 Why They Used One Distributor at a Time
1:38:02 How His Boss Got Back Across the Border
1:44:49 Flying Cash to Mexico
1:50:44 The 2011 Federal Investigation Begins
1:56:31 The Federal Case & Recorded Evidence
2:01:33 Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison
2:06:51 Building a Credit Business in Prison
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30 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 2 hours 51 minutesHow San Francisco Became A Haven For The Fentanyl Trade
Former San Francisco undercover narcotics officer Britt Elmore exposes how the Tenderloin became one of America’s most notorious open-air drug markets — and how fentanyl, street dealers, weak prosecution, addiction, homelessness, and organized trafficking reshaped the city.
In this episode, Britt breaks down the San Francisco fentanyl crisis from the inside. After 25 years working narcotics, undercover buys, federal task force cases, wiretaps, gun deals, stolen car operations, cartel-linked investigations, and street-level drug markets, Britt explains how the fentanyl trade operates in the Bay Area and why San Francisco became a magnet for addiction, homelessness, and open-air drug dealing.
He discusses the Tenderloin drug market, Honduran street dealers, Mexican suppliers, fentanyl economics, undercover police work, drug trafficking routes, confidential informants, cartel connections, stolen property rings, car break-ins, retail theft, rehab fraud, Proposition 47, and why many officers believe the system has stopped holding repeat offenders accountable.
This conversation is a raw, unfiltered look at crime, addiction, policing, fentanyl, and the collapse of public order in one of America’s most iconic cities.
Topics covered:
-San Francisco fentanyl crisis
-Tenderloin open-air drug market
-SFPD undercover narcotics work
-Fentanyl trafficking in California
-Honduran drug dealers in San Francisco
-Mexican cartel supply chains
-Drug addiction and homelessness
-Proposition 47 and criminal justice reform
-Retail theft, bipping, and stolen property rings
-Confidential informants and federal wiretaps
-Undercover gun and drug buys
-How fentanyl changed the drug trade
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-elmore-5641a53a
This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:
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00:00 San Francisco’s fentanyl crisis
01:33 Arrests, treatment, and the debate over addiction policy
03:04 Drugs inside jails, rehabs, and nonprofit systems
07:16 San Francisco’s tech wealth and drug culture
11:16 Honduran dealers and the Tenderloin street market
13:57 How Tenderloin dealers make money and avoid arrest
15:18 Heroin, fentanyl, and changing opioid markets
17:28 The economics of fentanyl
20:16 Britt Elmore’s undercover narcotics career
24:34 How Honduran dealers arrive, live, and operate in the Bay Area
28:35 Working wires from street dealers to Mexico
30:01 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mood
31:37 Meth, heroin, Sinaloa links, and border corruption
41:24 The undercover warehouse fencing operation
49:20 Reactive policing, low-level crime, and Proposition 47
55:01 “Bipping,” retail theft, and stolen goods networks
1:02:13 Drug transport routes through California, Oregon, and Washington
1:04:18 How federal wiretaps work
1:10:45 Major seizures and hidden stash houses
1:12:18 Prescription pills, addiction, and fentanyl recovery
1:23:03 Narcan, overdoses, and fentanyl contamination myths
1:29:39 Mexican trafficking groups, meth, and Hell’s Angels case
1:32:12 Informants, federal pressure, and who flips
1:51:42 Guns, switches, Dracos, and ATF cases
2:00:51 Cannabis eradication and drug money in the mail
2:18:28 Life undercover, adrenaline, and retirement
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26 August 2026, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 46 minutesHow a Mormon Kid From Texas Became a Mexican Cartel Sicario
From a strict Mormon upbringing in Texas to the violent world of cartel-connected crime, Tyler’s story is one of the wildest we’ve heard.
In this episode, Tyler explains how he went from being a high school kid making money transporting drugs to working around human-smuggling networks along the Texas–Mexico border. He describes witnessing extreme cartel violence at a young age, moving migrants through border towns, becoming involved in violent contract work in Mexico, and later building a large drug business back home.
Tyler also opens up about the side of that lifestyle people rarely talk about—the paranoia, emotional numbness, PTSD, memory problems, prison, and the difficulty of returning to a normal life after years surrounded by violence.
We discuss:
• Growing up in a strict Mormon household
• Getting recruited into drug transportation as a teenager
• Witnessing cartel violence for the first time
• How human-smuggling networks operate along the border
• Coyotes, safe houses, spotters, burner phones, and cartel organization
• His descent into increasingly violent criminal work
• Building a drug business through Snapchat
• His 2019 arrest and prison sentence
• The lasting psychological effects of the lifestyle
• Therapy, family, faith, and trying to rebuild his life
This conversation contains descriptions of violence, drug trafficking, and other criminal activity. It is presented for documentary, educational, and entertainment purposes and is not intended to promote or encourage illegal behavior.
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00:00 Intro: Mormon Kid to Cartel Hitman
01:27 Growing Up in a Strict Mormon Household
03:13 Rebelling Against Church Rules
04:16 First Adventure: Driving Heroin
06:40 Close Call: Witnessing a Chainsaw Murder
09:07 The Psychological Aftermath
12:32 Understanding the Cartel's Organization
15:10 Mental Health Struggles and Trauma
20:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By BetterHelp
21:55 Getting Back into Smuggling
23:23 Human Smuggling Operations and Safe Houses
27:18 Evolution into a Hitman
29:04 Cartel's Control and Police Corruption
31:52 The Job: Contract, Payment, and Preparation
36:27 The First Hit and Moral Numbing
40:33 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mood
42:33 Avoiding Addiction and the Double Life
45:08 The Worst Thing Seen: Four Days of Torture
52:00 The Drug Business and Burner Phones
01:10:11 Getting Busted and Going to Prison
01:17:00 Building the Snapchat Drug Empire
01:22:26 Why Keep Doing Hits?
01:24:07 The Last Job and Quitting
01:27:01 Arrest and Prison Sentence
01:30:09 Life After Prison and Redemption
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23 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 21 minutesThe Sinaloa Cartel Is Losing Control Of It's Own Territory
Katarina Szulc returns to The Connect after reporting on the ground in Sinaloa, where the cartel war has pushed Culiacán deeper into violence and uncertainty.
In this episode, she breaks down what she witnessed firsthand, why the Chapitos are under enormous pressure, and how CJNG could emerge as one of the biggest winners if the Chapitos eventually collapse or surrender. With CJNG already providing manpower and resources to its Sinaloa allies, could the organization ultimately move in and absorb their territory?
We also get into the escalating war inside the Sinaloa Cartel, the future of the remaining Chapitos, alleged cartel ties to Mexican politicians, the growing influence of CJNG, what daily life now looks like in Culiacán, forced recruitment, and Katarina's disturbing investigation into human trafficking in Tijuana.
This is an inside look at one of the most important power struggles happening in Mexico's criminal underworld—and what could come next.
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YouTube: @katarinaszulc
IG: https://www.instagram.com/katarinaszulc
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00:00 The Cartel's Control Over Sinaloa
02:40 Senseless Murders and Public Fear
03:30 Governor Rocha's Indictment
08:30 Challenges of Reporting in Sinaloa
13:30 Inside the Daily Murders
20:00 The War for Cartel Control
23:30 CJNG Alliance and Mencho's Death
28:00 Cartel Convoys and Rural Danger
32:00 Humanizing Cartel Members
34:00 Victims and the New Generation
36:00 Cartel Economics and Recruitment
39:00 Chapitos' Surrender Talks
44:00 Political Leverage and US Influence
50:00 Mazatlan's Strategic Value
58:00 Human Trafficking Crisis
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19 August 2026, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 34 minutesBaltimore Drug Kingpin Reveals Making Millions Selling Heroin For The Mafia
Steven Dixon, a former Baltimore heroin kingpin, reveals how the city’s drug trade really worked during its most notorious era—from New York suppliers and mob connections to high-purity heroin, street corners generating staggering amounts of cash, and the operation that made him millions.
He breaks down how heroin moved from New York to Baltimore, how dealers controlled territory across West Baltimore, why trusted connections mattered, and how the drug economy seen in The Wire compared to what was actually happening on the streets.
But the money and power came with a devastating price. After building a massive operation and owning more than 100 properties, Steven eventually became addicted to heroin himself—losing the empire, the money, and nearly everything else.
After years of addiction, he finally got clean, returned to school, earned a master’s degree, and dedicated his life to helping others recover through addiction treatment and behavioral health programs.
This is the inside story of Baltimore’s heroin era—from millions in drug money to addiction, recovery, and redemption.
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Recovery Facility: https://absolutehbh.com/
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00:00 Meet Steve Dixon
00:37 Baltimore's Heroin Kingpin
02:11 Reflections on the Drug Trade
03:32 Why Baltimore is a Heroin City
05:13 The Nigerian Connection
07:44 Building a Fortune
10:53 From Heroin to Fentanyl
12:07 This Episode Is Sponsored By Cash App
13:27 Growing Up in Baltimore
16:04 A Life on the Streets
19:03 Acquiring Turf and Connections
21:27 Regrets and Community Impact
23:35 Keys to Success in the Game
25:31 The Mob and Nigerian Sources
27:00 Distribution Network
30:43 This Episode Is Sponsored By Superpower
32:13 Police and Stash Houses
34:54 Violence and Stickup Boys
37:24 The Fall: Addiction
40:16 Investing in the Community
42:16 This Episode Is Sponsored By NordVPN
43:52 The Addiction to Money
45:40 A Day in the Life
50:38 Handling Massive Cash
52:37 The Turning Point
56:30 Dodging a Federal Case
58:00 Descent into Addiction
01:01:40 Losing Everything
01:04:10 Life as a Homeless Addict
01:07:26 The Road to Recovery
01:11:20 Helping Others Get Clean
01:14:42 The Rehab Industry
01:18:22 Redemption and Legacy
01:20:24 Is Baltimore Better Now?
01:23:57 Changing Attitudes in the Community
01:27:02 Final Thoughts
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16 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 29 minutesFlorida’s Next Governor Declares WAR On AIPAC, Mass Surveillance & AI Data Centers
Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback joins The Connect to explain why he believes it’s time for a political revolution at the state level—and why Florida must stand up to Washington, Wall Street, foreign influence, and the growing surveillance state.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Fishback lays out his plan to eliminate Flock license-plate cameras, oppose Palantir-style mass surveillance, protect First and Fourth Amendment rights, and repeal Florida laws he believes restrict criticism of foreign governments.
He also breaks down his opposition to the H-1B visa system, arguing that major corporations are replacing qualified American workers with cheaper foreign labor. Fishback explains how he would penalize companies that refuse to hire qualified Florida residents, prevent private-equity firms and foreign investors from buying up single-family homes, and stop taxpayer-subsidized AI data centers from spreading across the state.
The discussion also covers Florida public schools, student accountability, crime and “teen takeovers,” restoring rights to former nonviolent offenders, gun rights, undeclared foreign wars, the National Guard, AIPAC influence, state sovereignty, and his legal battle to remain on the ballot.
Can Florida become a model for a new American liberty movement—or is the political machine too powerful to defeat?
Go Support James!
Website: https://www.votemyflorida.org/
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00:00 Introduction: The Fight for Freedom
00:42 Why I Support James Fishback
01:30 Fishback's America First Platform
02:44 A Call to Action for Floridians
03:01 The National Significance of Florida's Fight
04:41 A New Experiment in Liberty
06:50 The Easiest Problem: Banning Flock Cameras
08:20 The Fourth Amendment and Mass Surveillance
10:50 The Existential Battle for Privacy
12:10 Repealing Florida's Hate Speech Law
14:40 The Real Test of the First Amendment
15:56 Taking on the Opposition: Byron Donalds
17:00 The Education Crisis in Florida
20:00 Accountability in the Classroom
22:55 The H-1B Visa Scam
26:50 Protecting American Jobs
29:00 Resistance at the State Level
32:10 Banning Private Equity from Buying Homes
34:00 The Unfair Advantage of Private Equity
36:45 Foreign Buyers and the Housing Crisis
38:00 Capitalism vs. America
39:12 The Threat of Data Centers
42:40 The Data Center Invasion in Florida
44:30 Defending State Sovereignty
47:00 Consistency and Truth in Politics
48:00 Existential Issues vs. Cultural Differences
50:00 The Case Against Zero Crime
53:00 Addressing Teen Takeovers and Riots
57:40 The El Salvador Model: Tough on Crime
58:40 Restoring Rights for Former Felons
01:01:00 The Lawfare Battle and Victory
01:03:00 The Un-American Nature of Merging Militaries
01:04:40 The True America First Agenda
01:06:00 Byron Donalds: A Puppet of Foreign Interests
01:08:00 America Comes First
01:10:00 Christian Values and Governance
01:12:00 Teaching Kids What It Means to Be American
01:14:00 Mass Surveillance vs. Freedom
01:18:00 The Unanimous Opposition to Data Centers
01:20:00 The Momentum of the Fishback Campaign
01:22:00 Final Call to Action: Vote for James Fishback
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12 August 2026, 7:00 pm - 2 hours 4 minutesHow A Teenage Drug Kingpin Built A Meth Empire at 16
His mom was a queenpin. His dad was the muscle. By 16, he was selling meth and building his own operation in small-town Texas.
In this episode, Cory Simek, a former teenage meth dealer reveals what it was like growing up inside the drug game—and how his family’s criminal lifestyle shaped the path he followed. After starting with marijuana, he quickly moved into meth, made serious money before he was old enough to sign a lease, and became the target of a six-month police investigation.
He breaks down how confidential informants gained his trust, the warning signs he ignored, the raid that brought everything crashing down, and the brutal reality of racial politics and survival inside the Texas prison system.
But his story did not end behind bars. After serving years in prison and losing nearly everything, he transformed his mentality, entered the car business with no experience, became a top salesman, opened his own dealership, invested in real estate, and rebuilt his life through legitimate business.
This is a raw story about growing up in a criminal family, selling meth at 16, undercover informants, police raids, addiction, betrayal, Texas prison, redemption, entrepreneurship, and second chances.
Go Support Cory!
IG: https://www.instagram.com/corywiththekeys
Dealership: https://thekeykonnect.com/
YouTube: @Corywthekeys
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00:00 Intro: Raised by a Queenpin and an Enforcer
01:55 Cory With the Keys Joins the Show
02:19 His Parents’ Wild Origin Story
04:56 Childhood Changes After His Mom Relapses
06:59 Learning the Drug Game at 12
07:26 Smoking Weed for the First Time
08:47 Becoming a 13-Year-Old Dealer
10:08 The Lunch-Money Lesson That Changed Him
11:19 Trying to Live Up to Both Parents’ Reputations
11:52 Getting Kicked Out at 16
12:11 Moving From Weed to Meth
13:15 This Episode Is Sponsored By Hims
14:51 Selling Meth as a Teenager
16:27 Renting a Trap House Underage
17:14 Hustling While Still in High School
18:37 Getting Expelled Before Graduation
20:35 The Suspicious Customer Who Became an Informant
23:36 A Warning Before the Raid
24:30 Police Search the Trap House
26:13 Discovering the Informant’s Role
28:39 This Episode Is Sponsored By Quo
29:50 Another Informant Story After Prison
35:12 Swallowing an Eightball During a Police Stop
37:28 Realizing He Was Set Up
41:49 Back to the First Bust
44:08 Taking State Jail Instead of Probation
46:04 Surviving State Jail at 17
47:07 Learning Texas Prison Politics
50:32 Getting Out and Returning to the Streets
51:16 Weed Connects From the Valley
53:12 How Border Checkpoints Changed the Price
55:20 Shipping Bricks Through UPS
58:03 Moving Pounds and Making Teen Money
1:00:24 His Father’s Return to the Meth Game
1:02:35 His Dad Refuses to Snitch and Gets 25 Years
1:04:18 Falling in Love After State Jail
1:06:14 Learning He Might Become a Father
1:07:09 TDC Boot Camp and the Drug-Free Zone
1:10:15 Finding Out His Mom Died
1:11:52 Trying to Go Straight for His Son
1:13:14 The DNA Test That Broke Him
1:15:50 Heartbreak Sends Him Back to Hustling
1:16:41 SWAT Raids the Trap House
1:18:40 Running Into One of His Dad’s Snitches
1:21:27 Probation, Suspended License, and Disaster
1:22:23 Sentenced to Six Years in TDC
1:24:01 Learning He Must Serve Five Flat
1:28:10 Losing Everything in Prison
1:30:08 Rock Bottom Becomes the Turning Point
1:31:14 Deciding to Make Prison Time Serve Him
1:32:11 Fighting and Surviving Real Prison
1:35:22 Finding Better Ways to Do Time
1:36:52 Finally Making Parole
1:38:28 Getting Out and Starting Over
1:39:09 Discovering Car Sales
1:40:27 Talking His Way Into a Dealership Job
1:41:41 Becoming the Top Salesman
1:42:56 Battling Old Habits After Success
1:47:22 Opening His Own Dealership
1:48:19 Real Estate, Music, and Reinvention
1:49:56 Speaking in Prisons and Mentoring Kids
1:52:12 Johnny and Cory Discuss Their Turning Points
1:54:27 Why Accountability Keeps Him Straight
1:56:30 Finding Your Skill Set and Passion
1:57:09 Where to Find Cory With the Keys
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9 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 2 hours 22 minutesEx-Cop Sentenced to 20 Years—Then Forced to Fight for His Life in Prison
A former sheriff’s deputy says one split-second police shooting turned him from a respected officer into a convicted murderer—and sent him to Texas prison for 20 years.
In this episode, Kent McGowen tells the full story of the night he served an arrest warrant on an armed woman, fired after she allegedly refused repeated commands to drop her weapon and later found himself charged with murder.
Kent explains why he believes he was railroaded by corrupt officials, how his conviction survived multiple trials and appeals, and what happened when he went from enforcing the law to fighting for his life behind bars.
He also exposes the brutal realities of the Texas prison system, including extreme heat, violence, suicide, untreated mental illness, guard misconduct and the dangers he faced as a former police officer living among inmates.
Was this a justified police shooting—or a murder? Was Kent held accountable for his actions, or sacrificed to protect a corrupt system?
Watch the full interview and decide for yourself.
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00:00 Deadly Encounter: The Incident
00:24 Introducing Kent McGowen
01:11 Life as a Cop in Texas Prisons
01:50 Horrors of Texas Prison Conditions
03:19 Survival, Food, and Suicides
05:55 First and Only Prison Fight
09:00 Wild Personalities Behind Bars
17:01 Murders in Prison
21:22 Mail, Communication, and System Abuse
23:34 Corruption and Lack of Accountability
29:16 The Shooting Incident and Background
37:11 Executing the Warrant
41:53 The Shooting and Aftermath
49:35 The Indictment and Arrest
55:21 Political Games and Legal Strategy
01:01:01 Life on Bond During Legal Battles
01:09:06 Trial, Appeals, and Corrupt Lawyers
01:18:36 Second Trial and Legal Incompetence
01:26:43 Losing Trial, Sentencing, and Prison Transfer
01:31:46 Surviving as a Cop in Prison
01:47:40 Endless Parole Denials and Family Impact
01:58:19 Final Release and Post-Prison Life
02:06:56 Ongoing Legal Battles and Activism
02:09:01 Seeking Justice and Lessons Learned
02:12:08 Innocents Behind Bars and Conclusion
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5 August 2026, 7:00 pm - 1 hour 31 minutesThe Real Marlo Stanfield From "The Wire" Breaks His Silence
The real-life Marlo Stanfield sits down for his first podcast interview.
In this exclusive episode, Marlo Bates — known across Baltimore as Marlo Stanfield — opens up about the story behind one of the most feared and iconic characters from HBO’s The Wire. From growing up in West Baltimore, building a powerful street organization with his twin brother Tamir, and surviving decades in prison, Marlo shares the truth behind the legend in his own words.
He talks about Baltimore in the 1970s and 1980s, the heroin trade, 24-hour shops, loyalty, violence, police pressure, murder charges, wrongful convictions, learning to read in prison, and how his life changed after serving nearly 37 years.
This is a rare, unfiltered conversation with the man behind the myth — covering The Wire, David Simon, Ed Burns, Baltimore street history, prison, redemption, and Marlo’s new documentary available on Amazon Prime and OG Network.
Watch until the end for Marlo’s message to the next generation and his thoughts on legacy, loyalty, and life after prison.
Go Support Marlo!
Documentary: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0I1PSYZXS1A0412Z0LYVAMJHTT?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r
IG: https://www.instagram.com/themarlodocumentary
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00:00 Marlo's Introduction & The Real Story
03:29 Early Life in Baltimore
08:38 Jumping Into the Streets
13:00 Family Ties
15:04 This Episode Is Sponsored By GLD
16:39 The Business Begins
22:27 Expanding the Operation
31:31 Keys to Success & Street Codes
39:00 The Height of the Organization
42:36 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mood
44:09 Encounters with Law Enforcement
59:41 Trials, False Witnesses & Conviction
01:09:20 Life in Prison & Transformation
01:18:13 Parole, Legacy & Reflections
01:21:03 The Marlo Documentary & Moving Forward
01:25:55 Outro & Final Thoughts
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2 August 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 55 minutesHow An Abuse Victim Took The Law Into His Own Hands...
Clark Frederick’s life changed forever after years of grooming and sexual abuse by Dennis Pegg, a Boy Scout leader and sheriff’s lieutenant trusted by his family and community.
Decades later, after struggling with addiction, gambling, broken relationships, PTSD, and silence, Clark encountered his abuser with another young boy. The sight triggered a devastating spiral that ended with Clark confronting and killing the man who abused him.
In this episode, Clark explains how he avoided a life sentence, why other alleged victims began coming forward, what happened during his three years awaiting trial, and how he ultimately received a five-year sentence for manslaughter.
He also shares how prison therapy, meditation, faith, sobriety, and speaking openly about his trauma helped him rebuild his life. Today, Clark is an advocate for survivors, the author of Scarred, and the host of the Free Like Me podcast.
This conversation includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse, addiction, violence, suicide, and trauma. Viewer discretion is advised.
Clark’s message is clear: revenge did not heal him. Survivors do not have to sacrifice the rest of their lives because of what was done to them. Breaking the silence, seeking support, and doing the work to heal can create a different future.
Check out Clark’s book and podcast on his website: https://www.freelike-me.com/
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https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow
00:00 Introduction & The Boy Scouts Scandal
01:45 Clark Frederick's Early Life
06:00 Grooming & Abuse Begins
12:10 Community Deception
19:00 Escalation to Abuse & Secret Files
25:00 Coping, Shame & Silence
33:00 Long-Term Impact & Struggles with Addiction
45:50 Decades of Trauma & Encounters with Abuser
59:00 Seeing Abuser with New Victim & Breaking Point
01:03:00 The Confrontation and Aftermath
01:17:00 Jail, Trial & Public Reaction
01:31:00 Healing, Advocacy & Changing the Law
01:39:00 Redemption, Family Loss & Life After Prison
01:44:00 Breaking the Silence & Moving Forward
01:47:00 Closing Reflections & Legacy
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