Ed Calderon

Date: 2025-08-22 | Duration: 3h 5m

Category: True Crime & Justice, Politics & Media

Episode Overview

Ed Calderon — former Mexican federal law enforcement officer and cartel-environment security expert — returns for a three-hour conversation about cartel psychology, the illusion of drug enforcement, and how fear is used as the primary tool of control. Calderon explains how cartels weaponize death itself, staging the most horrific forms of violence in public to make entire populations afraid to resist. Body disposal at industrial scale is discussed matter-of-factly as a standard operational practice. The conversation covers avocado money flowing to cartel coffers through legitimate produce chains, the infamous 1996 C-SPAN moment where LAPD narcotics detective Mike Rupert publicly confronted the CIA director over drug trafficking, and how recently deported Mexicans living in desperate conditions become recruitment targets. A recurring theme is the illusion of anti-cartel policy: all the measures to combat drug, gang, and gun violence are theater, and participants on all sides know it. Calderon's firsthand experience gives the episode an unusual authenticity.

About Ed Calderon

Ed Calderon is a seasoned security specialist and combatives instructor with over a decade of experience in public safety along the U.S.-Mexico border. Known for his expertise in practical self-defense and threat assessment, Ed has trained both civilians and law enforcement in combative tactics and situational awareness. His unique approach integrates real-world scenarios drawn from his extensive background in navigating complex security environments, making him a sought-after voice in discussions about personal safety and crime prevention. Ed's insights into the realities of border security and the challenges faced by communities in volatile regions set him apart, offering a compelling perspective on safety in today’s world.

Key Moments

– Cartel weaponization of fear — staging death to control populations
– Industrial-scale body disposal as standard cartel practice
– Avocado revenue flowing through legitimate chains to cartels
– Mike Rupert confronting the CIA on C-SPAN in 1996 over drug trafficking
– Cartels recruiting recently deported Mexicans in desperate conditions
– Anti-cartel policy as theater — all of it is illusion
– Fentanyl denial — cartels publicly claiming they don't deal it
0:20:51 – Weaponizing fear — showing death in the most cruel and uncaring form to control people
1:03:39 – Body disposal at scale — something you do in a place where you're killing people all the time
1:24:07 – Avocado money — ordering extra guac at Chipotle puts money in cartel pockets
1:42:55 – Mike Rupert 1996 C-SPAN — LAPD narcotics detective publicly confronts CIA director
2:01:25 – Cartels publicly claiming they don't deal fentanyl — they know it's bad
2:22:05 – Recruiting recently deported Mexicans — can't speak Spanish, living in dire conditions, easy targets
2:42:13 – Anti-cartel measures are illusions — theater to give the appearance of action

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Joe Rogan podcast checking out The Joe Rogan Experience Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night All day Art Bell was the best Driving home from the comedy store Like 1 o'clock in the morning Hearing some dude claimed he was a time traveler Starting point is 00:00:18 Remember when he There was a dude that claimed to work at Area 51 And then it cut out the radio show cut out Yeah, that was a good one Art was the man Yeah, that's why we put that photo up there. Because he was, you know, a lot of the subjects that we covered, he was the original guy talking about these things on the radio. Yeah, and the fact that he just kept the open lines, if you're a time travel, if you're a time travel, just call in and tell us what's going to happen in the future. Starting point is 00:00:47 People that were kidnapped by Bigfoot, like, no matter what, art was like, interesting, tell me more. Yeah, yeah. Like, he was open to just talking to anyone. He never called bullshit. No. Oh, no. So, Ed, the last time I saw you gave me an Aztec death whistle, and Brian Callan blew it on the air, and it caused the pandemic. He was very good at it out of nowhere. Starting point is 00:01:10 He just, like, grab it and whew! We have another one. Oh, no. Look at this. Probably that's... Luke Caverns gave us this one. Yeah. That's a good one, right? Starting point is 00:01:20 That is a beautiful one. Probably, let's not repeat it, again. I'm not blowing it. I don't know if it's true or not true, but it's a... It definitely was. I got a lot of messages about it. Like, hey, this was kind of coincidentally at the start of this pandemic. Don't put this on me. Listen, man, people have been blowing them whistles all over the world. Yeah. There's a bunch of those whistles out there. There's no way. There's no way. No. The only thing is, I don't think anybody ever blew one on a podcast that was Starting point is 00:01:50 seen by millions of people. I mean, you were directly respon...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #2369?

Ed Calderon was the guest on JRE #2369. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #2369?

On Joe Rogan Experience #2369 with Ed Calderon, topics include Cartel weaponization of fear — staging death to control, Industrial-scale body disposal as standard cartel practice, Avocado revenue flowing through legitimate chains to cartels, and Mike Rupert confronting the CIA on C-SPAN in 1996 over.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #2369?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #2369 with Ed Calderon is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.