Real Narcos

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If the US Government asked you to move to Colombia to hunt down the world’s most brutal narco-terrorist, what would you say? Real Narcos meets the real DEA agents tasked with bringing down some of history’s most notorious criminal masterminds - from the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, to the most powerful drug trafficker on the planet, El Chapo. Also, check out our other podcast, Real Dictators. Out Now!

Noiser Podcasts


    • Apr 9, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 41m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES
    • 2 SEASONS

    4.7 from 2,060 ratings Listeners of Real Narcos that love the show mention: narcos, real dictators, pablo escobar, noiser, dea, host is awesome, mispronounce, narrator has a great, needs work, good so far, please keep making episodes, pronouncing, great subject, keeps me interested, captivating story, pronunciations, first hand accounts, artfully, cuban, cities.


    Ivy Insights

    The Real Narcos podcast is an outstanding and informative series that delves into the world of drug cartels and the horrors they wrought upon society. The podcast is expertly done, with thorough research and well-documented episodes that provide an in-depth understanding of the narcos' impact on the world.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the interviews and testimonies from actual participants. Hearing from real DEA agents who were involved in the search and capture of infamous narcos adds a level of authenticity and validity to the series. The narrators also do a fantastic job of structuring each episode, providing clear and engaging storytelling throughout. This makes it easy for listeners to follow along and stay hooked on the series.

    Another great aspect of The Real Narcos is its ability to captivate listeners while they go about their daily tasks. Many reviewers have mentioned that they enjoy listening to this podcast while working or tidying up their homes. This speaks to the podcast's ability to hold attention and provide an interesting backdrop for various activities.

    However, there are some areas where this podcast could improve. Some listeners noted that certain episodes felt lacking in terms of content, such as "the godmother" episode mentioned by one reviewer. It would be beneficial for future episodes to ensure a consistent level of depth and detail across all stories presented.

    In conclusion, The Real Narcos is a top-notch podcast series that delivers fascinating insights into the dark world of drug cartels. Its well-researched episodes, excellent narration, and inclusion of real participant interviews make it stand out among other true crime podcasts. While there may be room for improvement in terms of content consistency, overall, The Real Narcos provides an exceptional listening experience for those interested in true crime and history's dark side.



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    Latest episodes from Real Narcos

    Introducing: Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 51:44


    This is a taster episode of a brand-new podcast from the Noiser podcast network. Join host Paul McGann as he explores life and death on the most famous ship in history. You'll be right there on board - setting sail from Southampton, chugging across the Atlantic, striking the iceberg and sinking into the icy depths. We'll hear the harrowing tales of the victims and the testimonies of the lucky survivors. And Paul explores his own family story, following his great uncle Jimmy McGann - a trimmer down in Titanic's engine room. Search ‘Titanic: Ship of Dreams' in your podcast app and hit follow to get new episodes each Tuesday. Or listen at noiser.com Episode 2 is live now on Titanic: Ship of Dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Introducing: Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 30:55


    A brand-new release from the Noiser Network. Join Hugh Bonneville on a thrilling journey through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated Holmes mysteries - read in their original, masterful form. If you enjoy this taster episode, search 'Sherlock Holmes Short Stories' in your podcast app and hit follow for more episodes. Or follow this link: https://podfollow.com/sherlock-holmes-short-stories-1 Part 2 of The Adventure of the Speckled Band is live now and waiting for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Introducing: Real Survival Stories - Mountain Blizzard

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2023 42:03


    Noiser presents a brand-new podcast. Real Survival Stories brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations. In this taster episode, we'll meet Mark Inglis the search & rescue mountaineer. It's his job to save other people. But on a routine practice mission, he'll find himself in deep trouble. Caught in a whiteout halfway up New Zealand's highest peak, Mark and his colleague Phil take refuge in a tiny snow cave. But as the hours tick by into days, how long can they hunker down before their bodies, and minds, give out? Stay put and wait for help that might never come? Or take their chances in the fearsome snowstorm? If you enjoy this taster episode, search ‘Real Survival Stories' in your podcast app and hit follow to get new episodes every Thursday. There are more epic tales live now and waiting for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: History That Doesn't Suck

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2023 61:53


    Some of us love history. Others used to or never did, because history was presented as nothing but the rote memorization of names, dates, and facts. Basically, the story got left out, and that made history … kind of suck.   Created and hosted by Professor Greg Jackson, History That Doesn't Suck is a podcast that brings all the academic rigor you'd expect from class but keeps the story in the history. Let Professor Jackson give a complete overview of US history from the Revolution on in a history filled with stories. Meet George Washington as he begs his men not to mutiny against Congress; Clara Barton as she saves Union soldiers amid enemy fire; follow teenage Frederick Douglass as he risks his life to gain his liberty, and more! Subscribe to History That Doesn't Suck today wherever you get your podcasts, and join Professor Greg Jackson every other week for America's story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: Detectives Don't Sleep - The Billionaire Boys Club

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 62:00


    Noiser presents the brand-new podcast, Detectives Don't Sleep. Step beyond the police tape to shadow the real detectives who worked history's most intriguing cases. In this taster episode, we're in Beverly Hills. The year, 1984. Detective Leslie Zoeller is hot on the trail of a missing con artist named Ron Levin. Levin is a larger-than-life character, known for his shady dealings. He's made plenty of enemies. But would he really just vanish into thin air? Is this a murder... or an elaborate disappearing act? Ponzi schemes. Rich kids turned bad. Political intrigue. Detective Zoeller will find himself embroiled in a case that takes him to the heart of the yuppie era, bringing him face-to-face with real-life American Psychos. If you enjoy this taster episode, search ‘Detectives Don't Sleep' in your podcast app and hit follow to get new episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: Real Outlaws - Ned Kelly

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2022 46:29


    From Noiser, Real Outlaws is the new podcast that travels back in time to when rouges and bandits followed a code all of their own. In this taster episode, we're on the trail of Ned Kelly - The Australian legend without equal. But what's the truth behind the myth? Follow Real Outlaws to get Part 2 now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: History That Doesn't Suck

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2021 65:23


    History That Doesn’t Suck is made by Prof. Greg Jackson - a friend of the Noiser podcast team. If you like the episode, follow History That Doesn’t Suck wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    El Chapo Part 7: The Curtain Falls?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2021 34:23


    A desperate flight through a sewage pipe is not enough to deliver El Chapo to freedom. Arrested and extradited to the United States, his story closes in a packed Brooklyn courtroom, in front of the world’s media. But even as Chapo departs the stage, Mexico remains under siege from the cartels. Joaquín Guzmán may be behind bars in America, but even his story is only part of a much bigger saga - one with no clear end in sight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 6: Hollywood Comes Calling

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2021 35:51


    It’s late 2014, and El Chapo is finally back behind bars. The prison he’s in has a reputation as a fortress - it’s even more secure than the last one. But if anyone’s going to have a crack at busting out, it’s Chapo Guzmán. Specially trained diggers hatch a plan for one of the most audacious prison breaks in history. Back at large, the sensible move is to lay low in the mountains. But Chapo can’t resist the limelight. He prepares for a sit-down. Not with his lawyers or the cops, but with the Hollywood actor Sean Penn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 5: Cornered on the Coast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2021 38:19


    The DEA agents make a huge breakthrough in the investigation, when a routine wiretap in Arizona unexpectedly leads them to El Chapo’s personal cell phone. Monitoring his personal communications, they get to know their target intimately. The Mexican marines begin the process of rounding up Chapo’s henchmen. Each arrest gets them closer to the boss himself. Until, finally, a dawn raid in the resort town of Mazatlán yields the ultimate prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 4: The Great Escape

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 38:39


    It’s 2001, and Mexican drug baron Joaquín Guzmán Loera has spent nearly a decade behind bars. But now he becomes a fugitive once more, as he pulls off the most daring escape his super-max prison has ever seen. DEA agents wrangle a sit-down with a new, priceless informant. Meanwhile, Chapo finds love in the mountains. And his cartel branches out into a new market, with a product that has huge possibilities for financial reward: meth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 3: Showdown at the Border

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2021 35:47


    After escaping a hit at Guadalajara Airport, El Chapo disappears from view. When he resurfaces, he’s in Guatamela - Mexico’s next-door neighbour. Acting on a tip-off, the authorities close in on a hotel in the border town of Tapachula. Returned home in handcuffs, Chapo can look forward to a lengthy stay at a top-security penitentiary. But by throwing money around, he’s able to win the prison guards over to his side. The flow of drugs into the United States continues, unhindered by Chapo’s incarceration. So DEA agent Joe Bond prepares to go into the jail undercover for a secret face-to-face with Guzmán himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 2: The Tunnel King

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021 40:57


    In the early 1980s, Chapo Guzmán is still in his mid-20s. But he’s already done more than enough to grab the attention of the Guadalajara Kingpin. Pretty soon, he’s promoted into the Cartel's inner circle. He’s put in charge of logistics - using tunnels, ships and even submarines to transport contraband between South, Central and North America. As Chapo assumes personal control of Sinaloa State and the Pacific Coast, he turns his own operation into a supersized cartel. As a brutal drug war breaks out between rival traffickers, DEA agents go undercover in an attempt to unpick the intricate arrangements of Chapo’s distribution network. In doing this, they’re taking their lives in their hands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    El Chapo Part 1: Public Enemy Number One

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 38:24


    El Chapo: the scourge of Mexico and America’s most-wanted. Joaquín Guzmán Loera, to use his real name, escaped from custody multiple times and dodged death many more. For years, he rode roughshod over Mexican justice and evaded the long arm of the US Government. He became an A-list celebrity criminal - a subject of fascination and even reverence - despite a never-ending list of heinous crimes and innocent victims. But how did this semi-literate psychopath from the rural hinterland of Sinaloa do it? In the aftermath of Félix Gallardo’s downfall, in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, the old drug empire is divided up amongst heirs. But some will fare better in this new landscape than others. Real Narcos unpicks how Chapo rose from obscurity right to the top of the pile, swiftly becoming the dominant force in the drug world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Félix Gallardo Part 3: The Fall of El Padrino

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 37:52


    With one of the Cartel leaders behind bars, the DEA have taken a big step in rounding up the killers of Agent Camarena. The search for the remaining fugitives is ramped up. The noose tightens around Félix Gallardo, as DEA agents stake out and raid properties all across Latin America. But the end of Gallardo will not close the curtain on the North American narcotics trade. Into Gallardo’s shoes will step his former understudy. He’s a fresh-faced, fearsome enemy for the authorities to deal with - a new godfather whose story will bring us right up to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Félix Gallardo Part 2: A Kidnapping Like No Other

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 31:29


    In Guadalajara, DEA agents search frantically for their missing friend and colleague, Kiki Camarena. The US-Mexico border is almost shut down as 50% of all cars crossing at San Ysidro are searched for leads. The massive effort soon pays off. Meanwhile, on the runway at Guadalajara Airport, in the shadow of a luxury private jet, DEA agents are caught in a Mexican stand-off with the Godfather’s right-hand man. And out in the remote countryside, a farmer makes a gruesome discovery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Félix Gallardo: The Mexican Godfather

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2021 38:04


    In 1981, DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena lands in Mexico. His task is to bring down the man known as El Padrino (The Godfather). This drug lord's real name is Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Gallardo sits atop an industrial scale cocaine and marijuana trafficking operation, propped up by millions of dollars’ worth of bribes. He’s a man intertwined with the upper echelons of the Mexican establishment, a deadly spider at the centre of a web of corruption. Agent Camarena is only supposed to be stationed in Mexico for a few years. But his stint will end in horrific, unprecedented circumstances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Matta Ballesteros Part 2: Face to Face With the Cocaine Chemist

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2020 49:20


    Everyone assumed Matta Ballesteros was just a low-level pusher. But it turns out he’s the shady mastermind behind an overland supply route funnelling eye-watering quantities of cocaine into the southern United States. After a long and gruelling pursuit across multiple borders, the US agents on his tail hatch a plan to snatch Matta off the street. Finally, Mike Vigil of the DEA comes face to face with the man he’s chased halfway across Latin America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Matta Ballesteros Part 1: The Faceless Phantom

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2020 42:58


    The drug lords in this series tend to be larger than life. This guy is a little different. The man they call ‘El Negro’ – ‘The Black One’ – is an elusive, faceless phantom. Hunting him is like trying to catch smoke. But in September 1981, the DEA make a huge cocaine bust in Los Angeles, California. The raid throws up clues that point the agents towards a Honduran cocaine chemist. The hunt for Matta Ballesteros begins... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Griselda Blanco Part 2: The Black Widow Devours Her Mate

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2020 43:09


    Griselda Blanco outhustled and outwitted the men in her orbit to rise from desperate poverty on the streets of Colombia to remarkable wealth on Miami Beach. In Bogotá, a domestic dispute between Griselda and her husband snowballs into a shootout in a nightclub parking lot. In Miami, a rookie cop is called to a homicide bearing all the hallmarks of a Godmother hit. An informant is planted at the heart of Griselda’s family network. And DEA agents come face to face with the Godmother herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Griselda Blanco Part 1: The Cocaine Godmother

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2020 41:28


    In the early 1980s, the US Coast Guard are inundated with speedboats, propeller planes, helicopters and even submarines loaded with ton upon ton of high-grade cocaine. Sleepy towns find themselves on the front line of the war on drugs. Miami goes from quiet southern resort, to international front-page news. Behind this tidal wave of white powder washing up on the beaches of south Florida? The world’s first female narco-terrorist - a fearsome woman they call The Godmother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: Real Dictators - Kim Jong il

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2020 55:00


    Kim Jong-il built a volatile rogue state with nuclear missiles trained on its enemies – all while living a life of the utmost luxury. In the first episode of Real Dictators, we piece together the early life of this tyrant and that of the country he came to rule. Subscribe to Real Dictators here: noiser.tv/RealDictators Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Barry Seal Part 3: Sleep With One Eye Open

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2020 50:06


    Barry Seal has gone from smuggler to informant, and now penetrates further into the heart of the Medellin Cartel than any American before or since. But this daredevil pilot flies too close to the wind… As Seal’s identity is exposed, the tables are turned. Can he disappear into the ether before the Cartel track him down? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Barry Seal Part 2: Into the Lion's Den

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2020 51:43


    Tom Cruise played him in a Hollywood blockbuster movie. Barry Seal’s name has passed into legend. In this episode of Real Narcos, Barry Seal flips. The world’s most illusive smuggler becomes the DEA’s most highly prized informant. With a mission brief from his handlers, Seal embarks on a death-defying mission into the mountains of Colombia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Barry Seal Part 1: The American Pilot

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2020 37:47


    Pablo Escobar couldn’t have reached the heights he did without smugglers willing to traffic cocaine by land, sea… and air. The story of Barry Seal starts in a bar in Baton Rouge in 1981 and will take us flying over the Gulf of Mexico to South America, then back again to the South Louisiana swamps. This is the tale of the over-sized American airline pilot who gave up the dream of the white-picket fence… to become the biggest home-grown narco-trafficker the United States had ever seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pablo Escobar Part 5: The Final Battle

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2020 37:09


    The DEA agents finally discover Escobar’s whereabouts. Pablo’s empire comes crashing down. Shot dead on a Medellin rooftop, the most powerful cocaine smuggler of all time meets a grisly end. The agents reflect on their journey, and where the death of their number one target leaves the war on drugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pablo Escobar Part 4: On the Run, the Game is Changing

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 38:48


    Pablo escapes from his luxury prison and vanishes into the Colombian countryside. Agent Ken Magee finds himself on a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany… with Pablo Escobar’s wife. And Escobar’s teenage son makes a surprise appearance at the office of DEA Agent in Charge, Joe Toft… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pablo Escobar Part 3: Murder at the Mansion

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 41:34


    Pablo Escobar launches all-out war on the Colombian government, firing RPG rockets at the man about to become President. A new DEA chief arrives in town with a maverick plan. And at a lavish party at Pablo’s mansion, a murder in the night threatens to turn the Medellin kingpin’s empire upside down…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pablo Escobar Part 2: Making a Narco-Terrorist

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2020 44:51


    We pull back the curtain on Escobar’s empire and follow his rise to power – from the rough streets of Medellin to the forefront of the international drugs trade. Journalist Simon Strong goes in search of Pablo’s father. Agent Kane uncovers a plan to kidnap the children of DEA agents in Colombia… While Escobar himself begins construction on a lavish mansion, complete with bullring, waterpark, and a private zoo… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Pablo Escobar Part 1: Baptism of Fire

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2020 28:16


    In the 1980s, a new generation of American special agents lands in Colombia, tasked with capturing the most infamous cocaine trafficker on the planet: Pablo Escobar. We’re embedded with the DEA as they track down a man who blows up commercial airplanes, bombs civilians and murders government officials virtually at will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Introducing: Real Narcos

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 2:20


    If the US Government asked you to move to Colombia to hunt down the world’s most brutal narco-terrorist, what would you say? Real Narcos meets the real DEA agents tasked with bringing down some of history’s most notorious criminal masterminds - from the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, to the most powerful drug trafficker on the planet, El Chapo. New episodes Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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