On today’s episode, Katarina examines the complex and often contradictory U.S. strategy toward cartel networks. While recent sanctions target businesses tied to criminal organizations—ranging from luxury spas to shell companies—internal records suggest that some cartel-affiliated individuals are quietly crossing the U.S. border with legal authorization.

This dispatch explores the murky space between public enforcement actions and behind-the-scenes agreements, raising new questions about how the drug war is being fought—and who is shielded from its consequences.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original.

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On today’s episode, Katarina reports from the streets of downtown Los Angeles, where protests erupted in response to a wave of ICE raids targeting undocumented workers. But this isn’t just about one city or one agency. It’s about the evolution of ICE from a post-9/11 security force to a multibillion-dollar enforcement machine.

Katarina traces how LA became ground zero for resistance—again—while unpacking the quiet cross-border deals between the U.S. and Mexico, the expansion of biometric surveillance, and the profit motives behind mass detention. With field tape, interviews, and sharp analysis, this dispatch reveals how two governments are using immigration as a tool of control—and how the streets are pushing back.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

In this episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina examines the long-running “kingpin strategy” used by the U.S. and Mexican governments to dismantle drug cartels by targeting their top leaders. Drawing on case studies from major criminal organizations, she outlines how this approach often leads to the fragmentation of cartels, the rise of rival factions, and increased violence. The episode explores the operational logic behind the strategy, its historical outcomes, and why some experts argue it may be counterproductive.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina explores how fuel theft—known as huachicol—has evolved from a local criminal tactic into a multinational enterprise with direct links to U.S. ports, businesses, and national security. As Mexico’s CJNG cartel diversifies beyond drugs, stolen crude oil and diesel have become major revenue sources, flowing from Pemex pipelines into the American energy market through a network of corrupt officials, shell companies, and fraudulent shipping manifests.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

In this episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina  unpacks how the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has emerged as the dominant force in Mexico’s criminal underworld. From brutal turf wars to high-level corruption and global drug trafficking routes, the CJNG is no longer just another cartel—it’s a paramilitary powerhouse reshaping the entire landscape. Katarina explores how they’ve outpaced rivals, infiltrated local governments, and expanded their reach beyond borders, and what their rise means for U.S. security, Mexican sovereignty, and the future of organized crime.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina examines how Mexican cartels have developed sophisticated propaganda strategies to expand their influence and control. From traditional narcocorridos to viral TikTok videos, cartels use music, social media, public banners, and graphic videos to recruit members, intimidate rivals, and shape public perception.

She traces the historical roots of narco culture, explores its modern evolution through artists like Peso Pluma, and highlights how platforms like YouTube and Telegram have become tools of digital warfare. The episode also looks at physical propaganda—such as narcomantas—and the strategic release of violent videos used to send messages and shift blame.

Katarina also investigates how disinformation campaigns, pseudo-philanthropy, and public messaging allow cartels to act as parallel powers in communities across Mexico. Through this lens, the episode reveals how the fight for narrative control has become central to cartel operations—on screens, in songs, and in the streets.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down how cartels are cashing in on more than just drugs. It starts with crude oil theft—massive, organized operations draining fuel straight from pipelines. Then it’s into the fields, where farmers are being extorted and crops trafficked across borders. And finally, into cyberspace, where cartel-linked hackers are running scams, stealing data, and moving money in the shadows. It’s a look at the criminal industries most people never see—but everyone feels.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina begins her journey at the bustling Port of Vancouver, a key gateway where global trade intersects with local challenges. She then heads to East Hastings Street, one of North America’s toughest neighborhoods battling widespread drug addiction. Katarina explores how the open Canadian border fuels the flow of fentanyl and drug precursors, uncovering the use of small aircraft trafficking just yards from the border. Join her as she reveals the complex realities driving the drug crisis on both sides of the Northern border.
Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original 

In this episode, Katarina unpacks the DOJ’s unprecedented April 2025 indictment of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez—the first time terrorism charges have been brought against a cartel operative for providing material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization (CJNG).

This marks a seismic shift in U.S. legal strategy, unlocking surveillance powers under FISA and introducing military-grade prosecutorial tools to the cartel fight. With insights from DEA El Paso and top legal analysts, Katarina explores what this means for future cases and the broader war on organized crime.

Also in this episode: the fallout from leaked ICE fentanyl lab photos in Sinaloa, rising tensions between U.S. and Mexican authorities, new tactics in financial warfare against cartels, and the growing list of Mexican officials under U.S. scrutiny for suspected cartel ties.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On the debut episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina takes viewers to the U.S.-Mexico border near Anapra, New Mexico, to examine the impact of new executive orders issued since Trump’s return to office. She documents changes on the ground, including increased Border Patrol presence, expanded deportation efforts, and shifting smuggling routes. Through firsthand reporting and interviews with people on both sides of the border, the episode explores how recent federal actions are affecting local communities, cartel activity, and the broader border landscape.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original