Joe Rogan Experience #1576 — Mariana van Zeller Transcript

Transcript

0:00 the joe rogan experience train by day joe rogan podcast by night all day Is that what it was? It's called Trafficked. You're risking your life, like genuinely You know, boots on the ground, old school journalism, I think, is more important now than ever. And I'll just sit at home going, to people in these faraway lands, that at first glance, we have nothing in common, right? These

4:19 actually look at it this way and start realizing that that is more often than not the case, backpackers teenagers who carry the loads of cocaine on their back out of the valley And I asked them, so why would you ever want to do something like this? And he's like, look, Because I want to make people smile. So you have children playing, that the thing itself the coca leaf like there's actually been people that have made a really good argument that not only should that stuff be legal, but it's probably good for you.

7:38 And it tastes, it's actually, it doesn't taste, it kind of tastes like a leaf, quite frankly. I actually have not. I've never done coke either. Yeah. and he just looked at me and he goes, you should never do this stuff. I mean, there's got to be a reason why it's so popular. It's stuff that comes from Morocco. I had no idea I had marijuana, though.

10:10 like that's what you want you want like this ready that's it just a little just a little and if you it together, and then carrying it out on the backpack. And one of the chemists was actually This guy jumps in, and they're speaking in Spanish. Is the guy who's driving, is his name Ceviche? In front of Dan's name. So I have connections in a lot of places.

12:40 work put into making absolutely sure that no one, you know, that law enforcement isn't going to find them. And that's because that's what you do as a journalist. You're there fentanyl in front of us. So I think partly it's that. Then it's impunity. In a lot of these parts that are more that we think have nothing in common with us actually do. And no matter how far you

14:54 We won the lottery ticket, and I don't think most people, playing on that car Like, you just have poor farmers. They have shitty old guns with iron sights on them and shitty rifles. And the ecosystem, Like 100% pure cocaine. kicked out of the business and there's all these bigger companies coming in and because people don't want to pay taxes. I'm like, you are cutting off your nose to spite your face.

18:42 doing something that you don't agree with it doesn't hurt anybody other than yourself right other than the person that's doing there's a reason why alcoholics anonymous exists right people have huge problems with alcohol AIDS, which was high, went down. It's really crazy. Yeah. I'm talking about corruption. off of this to getting to these making a tiny fraction of the profit off

21:25 shot and killed so uh i'm on the straight and narrow like well thank you for your time like We saw then fentanyl being packed. And then eventually at the end, we saw it being smuggled hand, I was seeing this woman and I knew she had kids, she was pregnant, and I knew what that meant Well, I think that's one of the reasons why your work is so important is because you do take those risks and you do show the human side of the people that we like to demonize.

24:16 I understand, especially if they have loved ones that they've lost a fentanyl. And they went down a road with the doctor prescribed opiates. you don't know what you can do. And so I see the perspective from the person that's saying, We need to understand that this is like a super complex issue. terrorism and it was like the weirdest campaign and it's it didn't work and people mocked it

27:16 They grow coca. why these people turn to black markets If you're one of those guys like okay simple We're never going to stop. It's only when Mexico every year. The drugs money. That's where the Kennedys, allegedly, People like to drink. have treatment centers and rehabilitations that are funded by the profit off of legalized cocaine for many people for kicking addictions.

31:33 My friend Ed Clay, he started a clinic down in Mexico because he got hooked on pills because Wow. You know, it kind of makes sense. physical trauma to their brain. And I'd be like, bitch, I see you. But like, I think he thinks that I can't see him When drugs are everywhere, we're pretending we're stopping drugs by keeping them illegal, difference and it really isn't and we have a war on it this is the shittiest war that the united

34:41 really out there and the front lines trying to make a difference, most of them. Black market weed has only exploded since legalization. so they have like trained belgian malinois who attack these cartels. They get shot at. It's crazy. their own dams and take the water from these creeks and they run it into their grow ops that's But they couldn't do that to us.

38:25 These are some of the most industrious. Well, it's crazy to watch the method. I had no idea. But he was washing one of the things he did before he started getting clients. he washes it i can't remember what it is the product that he puts in but it's to see all the Yeah. and incredibly smart and knowledgeable. like the 30 milligram pills But in this case, you know, it's not easy to make.

41:51 He was exactly that, like a geek when it came to chemistry It's a good party drug. Yeah, getting wild. You just get on a roll. NuVigil's another... But I think they decided to sell it as a narcolepsy drug when they found out that it keeps people awake. you start getting that road sleepiness with ProVigil. And he told me he didn't want to put it in his book because he was worried that people are going to just fucking eat it like candy.

44:54 and I don't want to be the guy that says, Yeah, Jamie's done both. And I believe NuVigil, they changed it. steroids by the way what's your because one of our episodes was about steroids I think that steroids And you can get low levels pretty easy. Like if you eat like three Big Macs and fries and a large Coke, Another thing is when people have done steroids.

47:50 uh testosterone replacement therapy and you become a super person this was a real problem in the ufc therapy and people's bodies melted they shrink and then you became entirely the sport is as clean Testing doesn't exist. And he was a legitimate natural bodybuilder and he was very dedicated and he was like legitimate natural I went to a bodybuilding competition in Vegas for the show where we were following this kid

50:16 but he is a lawyer. And he's, if anyone wants, is interested in, he's basically a spokesperson He was like 19, I believe. He gets there the day of the competition. and get you ready for round two. What is a transformation? What happened? I'm so fascinated by them. And she was talking like this. It was so strange to see this weird obsession. I don't think his message is very safe for kids,

53:39 Can we see what he looks like? Tony. I remember when I was doing research for this story. still he looks great like that's that is a guy who's in very good shape yeah so he says okay I mean, how many, Spectacular genetics. He just kept working out hard and stacking weights Tired of getting his ass kicked. But he was very honest about it. A lot of people get busted.

57:01 and they don't clean these vats. I was so nervous before talking to you. They're fucking terrible. These were Syrian jihadis. okay, now tell us what's happening. Well, you figured it out. the steroids in baseball guy he was the guy that was providing oh the billy corbin documentary And he was saying, you know, I was asking, like, isn't it for somebody he apparently

59:33 Yes. that were calling him out. Lance Armstrong's jerseys or whatever you get a jersey from winning you know all his victories And that guy probably just had a really good chemist, and he probably is full of shit, too. testosterone all the different things and then there's a real argument that it's actually It's in tennis. and they locked themselves in a safe room.

1:02:07 whatever it is sprinting the dirty secret about Olympic sprinting apparently is that they were all doing it they're like the the dirty secret about olympic sprinting It's crazy. antarctica who the fuck knows but they offered him as a guest like like i don't like in some it's whenever documentaries when you start by watching and you think it's going to be about

1:05:05 They're figuring out a way. Yeah, they test you you got penis cop you will have more endurance. engineering and i think we are maybe one two generations away from crisper kids fighting in mma kids with perfect genes kids that when like You see them, that's a whippet. cow that also has uh myostatin inhibitors yeah so you have a cow that looks like ronnie coleman

1:08:31 in the middle, that might be legit. to do it i think they're probably doing it already in china yeah look at that kid yeah okay that's it ever stops. And it's going to be worldwide. They're not, once this technology is reaching China and Russia and wherever, who's to stop They were trying to engineer something. Who? polo teams being run and just cloned from the same

1:11:43 But in the physical abilities about the game of polo that you have to learn and practice and some of these horses were born with I had it because I wasn't getting any attention when I was young and I wanted to She's like, she's like a weird 12-year-old girl version of me. Every time, even though I fly constantly, yes, we're doing this, yes. And he has it, too.

1:14:39 He wanted to wear the jalabas. Think of the things that people are inherently afraid of. Like if you live in the jungle, It's in the dark. But I'm terrified of big animals, I can do this as well, if not even better than men can. I came back and I wasn't smelly breath right next to my face. And I'm out in the open in this hammock. And I had this reaction that I didn't think was possible.

1:18:07 And then he came up with this flashlight and looked all around and didn't see anything and thought obviously I was probably dreaming. And I was so ready to like turn to them and tell them, So it wasn't a jaguar. It was a dog breathing in? It was a dog. and there's this little dog that had spent the whole night sitting on my little backpack. So it wasn't a jaguar.

1:18:57 How did—what happened? Why? Oh, we got 31 now. ABC News. I mean, how did they find his body? It's insane. Right? like waving its arms out wide, In my old neighborhood. a second one ran right by look at this I love the fact that a mountain lion is a real animal. You got your little baby wandering around the middle of the night? Whoa. You're in their territory.

1:23:23 You had a guest, guest actually a few times already Because the bear was Oh, he's great I was like, okay, tell the bear story. are like the kodiak island bears they're that's alaska yeah and then you keep thinking about the Like, hey guys, maybe we just concentrate on keeping them healthy where people aren't. management companies they have these sort of very calculated processes where they determine how many

1:26:31 California's weird in that it's not Department of Fish and Game. conservationists and people who understand this sort of pragmatic approach to managing wildlife So you're paying people to kill the animals. And people who live on ranches, they have a completely different attitude and it's a pretty cool thing to see them. So instead of being farmed, because tigers are being farmed in Asia.

1:29:03 They kill the tiger. big bottles of this stuff and sell them for a ton of money. There's one that you can see the whole tiger. Yeah. Yeah. That could be anything. Do they take the meat off of that thing before they put it in that or does the meat just rot off There's more tigers in Texas than there are in all the wild of the world. zoos and taking selfies with the tigers

1:32:03 we got a list of here they had where they they like these weird exotic things that are proven to not be and drink your wine. In traditional Chinese medicine, the culture values things that are difficult to get, like it's been sort of celebrated, wine for the show and we were able to gain it. Did anybody try it? it's not enjoyable like i know not it's not like you eat it and you're like oh my god this is the

1:35:38 In order to get the tatuaba fish, they're killing the vaquitas. a round nose over there. That's the vaquita. cartels are involved and wow what a pretty animal it's beautiful it's like a dolphin fish oh it has It's sad that so many of these are being destroyed just because of... And this is because... Yeah. So people were shooting bears just for the gallbladder.

1:38:06 like particularly the Comanche would eat the buffalo buffalo they would take the gallbladder and squirt the bile over the liver and they would eat if you shot a bear um and you you know took the bear and you know butchered it and all that stuff Instead of buying a Ferrari, they buy a bladder or two. Weird things. And then eventually I watched some documentary where I saw that they catch these sharks and just hack their fins off and throw them back in the water.

1:40:22 You know what i mean like sometimes you go to a chinese restaurant and like uh my friend ed told me that at some chinese restaurants so nobody could see in. and that has been banned that i used to eat as a kid it's the baby eels have you ever tried it And I guess it's bad for the environment, so they stopped eating them. Yeah. There were a bunch of situations in each episode.

1:43:18 started with a car of a woman being loaded with AK-47s and AR-15s in LA, just a few minutes from my house, And we saw them packing this car. And we were in Sinaloa. There was AK-47s. And they were 20-something-year-olds. And the U.S. has become the supermarket of guns for Mexico and for a lot of Latin America. Yeah, it was a debacle. I think it was an ATF agent.

1:46:23 They literally supplied guns to the cartel. It's insane. It's not possible. happening in California. So we went to meet with this guy who lives in LA, just again, 15 minutes He was seven, he said. you get your hands in this? And I, having done reporting on this, definitely thought it was from So they get guns, confiscate guns. homey, and they sold it

1:49:24 to prove and Is it only one source? How did you find out, without giving away your source, how did you find out about this? Now, when an episode like that airs, is that when it aired yet? I mean, I don't know right now because resources are so strapped and then people saw the podcast that we did And eventually they did. I would think that if I was the cartel and I relied on this Iron River,

1:52:36 military. You know, they surrounded the compound where the military families lived. And they said, these episodes, do you think that they have the potential to have the kind of impact that the Oxycontin Express had? I mean, in some situations, yes, people are making a lot of money. Really? with guns and one of them told us as we started interviewing

1:55:30 But you're a nice person. And she comes back home one day and her grandfather is very sick and needs an easy treatment, these lead lists. So they get the, say like Dell computer. I don't know. Yes. Whatever it is. And they do the whole thing. Fine, thank you. Wow, what do I have to do? Yeah, so you can use your credit card. you just have to pay tax and it's only five thousand dollars and you go and you go and you

1:58:41 and he was convinced there was this woman in Europe But it's also, it's like... That people are stupid who fall for this. You know? That's terrible. nets up to catch them this is is that okay no that's okay well you're taking it so we're all Or I'll hang up on you because I'm not we're going to cut the electricity at your house. I'll pay for it easily.

2:01:43 400, This is the food chain. like, I don't know. But it's not fair. But as far as like natural beauty. We get on the road. So we come geared with all these flashlights and headlamps, and we're ready for everything that can happen. No. to come after us not just us but him as well and try to harm us. Was that the most danger that you had been in while filming this series?

2:04:50 off and they turn to us and you could see they're panicked. And there's a Marine helicopter coming The Mexican Marines were the ones that went after El Chapo and caught El Chapo. Yeah. Back to the deals. You know, it's months and months of preparation and then it's months of editing. Well, you nailed it. Thank you for being here. And then you can catch me on the Trafficked podcast as well.

2:07:53 because that's how Me too.