August 5, 2026

I Was a DEA Agent Inside Mexico — Here's the Truth About Cartels Nobody Tells You | Leo Silva

Leo Silva grew up in Texas, was recruited into the DEA at just 22 years old, and spent the next 28 years on the front lines of America's war on drugs — starting with undercover operations in Texas before being stationed in Monterrey Mexico as Resident Agent in Charge where he built cases against the Gulf Cartel and the infamous Los Zetas and eventually rose to Special Agent in Charge. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, he shares what hunting cartels from the inside of Mexico really looked like — the undercover buys the high stakes operations the cartel violence and the bureaucracy that most people on the outside never hear about. He also breaks down how cartels have evolved over nearly three decades how Los Zetas changed everything about cartel violence and what the real truth about the war on drugs looks like from the person who lived it on the front lines for 28 years. _____________________________________________ #cops #cartels #truecrimestories _____________________________________________ Connect with Leo Silva: https://leosilvaauthor.com/ _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Timestamps:  00:00 Meet Leo Silva: DEA Agent's Story 01:18 Growing Up on the Border 02:18 Early Encounters With Cartel Culture 03:32 Choosing DEA Over Teaching 05:03 Training, Family Reactions, and Joining DEA 07:07 First Assignment in Texas 08:18 Undercover Work & Street Smarts 09:55 DEA Training vs. Real-World Experience 12:22 Being a Young Undercover Agent 14:04 Cartel Connections and Local Targets 17:44 Violence and Danger Along the Border 18:56 Cases, Informants, and Prosecution 21:14 Experiencing the Drug Trade Firsthand 24:47 Wiretaps and Changing Technology 27:14 Big Undercover Operations 29:20 Handling Risk and Mental Toll 32:08 Life as a DEA Agent in Texas 36:42 Transferring to Mexico: Bigger Targets 41:09 Adapting to Work in Mexico 44:00 Operations Against Zetas and Cartel Wars 48:19 Cartels, Corruption, and Survival 52:51 Cartel Violence and Evolution 57:08 Prioritizing Cases & Supervisory Challenges 01:01:17 Mexico Operations, Leadership, and Cartel Dynamics 01:07:59 Cartel Power, Money, and Tactics 01:12:00 Personal Toll, Stress & Burnout 01:17:21 Darkest Moments: Loss and Violence 01:19:44 Justice, Reforms & Mexico's Future 01:21:26 Retirement, Recovery, and Life After DEA 01:24:42 Reflections, Writing, and Final Thoughts _____________________________________________   To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka

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