On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the recent ICE detention of Julio César Chávez Jr., the former boxing champion and son of a Mexican sports icon, amid allegations of cartel connections. As the U.S. pressures Mexico to crack down on organized crime, Katarina examines why Chávez Jr. was living freely in Los Angeles despite mounting scrutiny—and whether his treatment reflects a double standard. She also explores how cartel influence increasingly reaches into entertainment and celebrity circles, raising deeper questions about soft power, protection, and accountability across borders.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original.

On this episode, Katarina speaks with Stefano Ritondale from @AllSourceNews to examine the current situation unfolding in Sinaloa, Mexico. They discuss the internal divisions within the Sinaloa Cartel, the evolving relationship between Sinaloa and CJNG, and the shifting power dynamics in the region. The conversation also explores possible successors to the cartel’s leadership amid increasing instability.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AllSourceNews

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Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the recent wave of violence in Sinaloa, Mexico, where 20 bodies were found across multiple crime scenes—including four decapitated victims hung from a bridge and five severed heads left in a bag. The killings are believed to be linked to an internal conflict within the Sinaloa cartel, between factions associated with Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons—known as the Chapitos—and the group tied to longtime cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down a recently released Justice Department report detailing how the Sinaloa cartel hired a hacker in 2018 to track FBI personnel and informants in Mexico City. The hacker accessed phone data and surveillance cameras to monitor the movements of an FBI attaché and identify individuals meeting with U.S. officials. Some of those individuals were later targeted by the cartel. The episode explores how cartels are using digital tools to support their operations and what this means for U.S. law enforcement and intelligence efforts abroad.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

 On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down how a potential war between the U.S. and Iran could ignite a parallel conflict in the shadows—one driven not by missiles, but by smugglers, cartels, and covert networks. She unpacks how chaos in the Gulf could ripple across Latin America, empowering groups like the Sinaloa Cartel to expand their reach. From fuel theft and arms diversion to drug trafficking and border infiltration, this is the war few are watching—but one that could reshape the criminal underworld and hit the U.S. homeland in unexpected ways.

Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original

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