In the first half, author Ian Frisch discussed the covert world of Colombian drug cartels through the eyes of legendary FBI agent Martin Suarez, who holds the record for the longest continuous undercover run – an astonishing 23 years. Frisch focused on the period from 1988 to 1994, during which Suarez first posed as a cocaine smuggler and later as a money launderer for the North Coast cartel. Highlighting his deep preparation, he noted that Suarez's background as a highly decorated Navy officer and native Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico helped him craft a believable persona. The cartel trusted him thoroughly but when indictments were unsealed, Suarez-- known as "Manny" in the field-- was notably absent, raising suspicion and leading to a professional assassin being sent after him.
One of the more gripping aspects of the story was the personal toll on Suarez, who balanced his covert work with being a husband and father of two toddlers. "It's this sort of tug of war, this push and pull," Frisch said, describing the constant conflict between duty and family safety as cartel threats loomed near. Suarez's undercover identity required a complex two-hour "cleaning" process to switch from his alias Manny back to his real self before visiting home, often arriving late at night for brief family time.
One striking incident involved Suarez orchestrating a $500 million cocaine air drop into the ocean, retrieving the bales by boat before the FBI intercepted the shipment-- an operation that would be impossible today. Frisch described how cartel operations resembled Fortune 500 companies with rigid hierarchies and sophisticated logistics. Perhaps Suarez's greatest impact was psychological, destabilizing the cartel internally by creating distrust and confusion, rather than just seizing drugs, the author commented. Reflecting on the complex relationship between law enforcement and cartels, Frisch suggested "there's a sense of gamesmanship" and possibly "a degree of mutual respect" in this deadly cat-and-mouse game.
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In the latter half, Joshua P. Warren, paranormal investigator and host of the Strange Things podcast, shared insights into his groundbreaking experiment involving a device he created called the "Psionitron." Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's fictional "resonator" from the story "From Beyond," the Psionitron aims to open a portal to other dimensions by generating a resonant field that could potentially reveal unseen realms. Warren conducted his experiments with the device on a remote parcel of land near Area 51, in the Nevada desert, a location known for its paranormal history. Warren described the Psionitron as combining physics, metaphysics, sacred geometry, radionics, and psionics, resulting in a machine about six by four feet in size. The device incorporates both organic and inorganic materials, including liquid mercury-- historically linked to UFO and anti-gravity technology.
On April 16, 2025, he and his team activated the device, and immediately, they observed unusual phenomena: F-16 jets scrambled overhead in restricted airspace, scorpions fluoresced under UV light, and mysterious lights appeared both on the ground and in the sky. Most riveting was the appearance of a "tunnel of light" resembling a portal, initially visible only through infrared and ultraviolet cameras, then to the naked eye. Warren noted, "This tunnel of light starts coming closer and closer to us...it was affecting the machine itself... until finally the machine got overheated and it just stopped working."
Following the event, Warren experienced strange occurrences, including his laptop malfunctioning and signs of hacking, alongside the presence of military personnel near his motel. To extend the experiment remotely, he developed an accessory called the "Entangler," split into two halves: one buried in the desert and the other kept at home. Attempts to communicate through the portal may be fueled by "quantum non-locality" or "Einstein's spooky action at a distance," he explained, adding that people are invited to send wishes as part of an experiment involving this equipment. View related photo for more info.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock