AC/DC Mysteries / Narcotrafficking

Hosted byIan Punnett

AC/DC Mysteries / Narcotrafficking

About the show

In the first hour, journalist Jesse Fink discussed the controversy surrounding the rock band AC/DC with Ian Punnett (Twitter). According to the official account, Bon Scott, the group's lead singer, died of alcohol poisoning in 1980. Fink, however, presented evidence that suggests Scott may have died by other means, including a heroin overdose. He also examined claims that the surviving members of AC/DC, without giving Scott credit, used some of his lyrics in their subsequent releases with replacement vocalist Brian Johnson.

Joining the show in the second hour was the subject of Fink's latest book, Pure Narco: Luis Antonio Navia, a former high-level cocaine transporter for major Central American drug cartels. Navia recounted the story of how he became involved in the drug trade in the 1970s through his then-girlfriend, his rise through the ranks of notorious operations like Mexico's Medellin cartel, and his eventual arrest in 2000. After serving a prison sentence of five years, he said, he turned to a career in construction—an industry where, incidentally, many companies are actually money laundering fronts for drug operations, he noted. Reflecting on the high risks entailed in trafficking massive amounts of cocaine, and why he didn't simply walk away with millions of dollars earlier in his career, Navia remarked simply: "I loved what I did, and I loved the lifestyle. I loved my business."

In the third hour, retired DEA agent Eric Kolbinsky told the story of apprehending Navia. While pursuing a different suspect in Colombia, Kolbinsky learned of Navia's whereabouts through a wiretap, and was able to capture him in a Venezuela barbershop. Despite Navia's status as a high-value target whose activities put him in personal danger, he related, he never had any personal animosity toward him.

Throughout their conversation, the three guests also shared their perspectives on issues related to Navia's case, such as the international narcotics trade, the morality of dealing in an addictive product, and the War on Drugs.

Bumper Music

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