Former Cartel Smuggler Reveals 25 Years Inside the Cocaine Trade (w/ Luis Navia)

On today’s episode, Vince sits down with Luis Navia, a former Cuban-American drug trafficker who played a central role in the international cocaine trade for over 25 years, and Jesse Fink, the author who chronicled Luis’s story.

Born in Cuba, Luis fled to Miami with his family after Castro’s takeover in 1959. Raised in privilege, he attended private schools and Georgetown University before becoming involved in drug trafficking in the 1970s. Known in South American cocaine circles as “El Senador,” Luis worked with powerful cartels, including Escobar’s Medellín cartel, the Cali cartel, and Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles, building extensive smuggling networks across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S.

In 2000, Luis was arrested in a global operation that involved the DEA, FBI, and Colombian authorities. After being held accountable for over 10 tons of cocaine, he cooperated with U.S. authorities, providing critical information on cartel operations and serving five years in prison.

Together, Luis and Jesse share insights into the dangerous world of drug trafficking, the decisions that led to Luis’s rise and fall, and the lessons learned along the way.

To find out more about Luis's story, check out Jesse Fink's book: Pure Narco: One Man's True Story of 25 Years Inside the Cartels

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original