👉 From basuco “zombie” addicts roaming the hoyas, to the rise of small neighborhood gangs (pandillas) replacing cartels, Medellín tells a story of survival, profit, and transformation. Johnny explores Barrio Pablo Escobar, explains the disturbing chemicals that make up cocaine, reveals why Mexican cartels like Sinaloa now dominate global smuggling, and walks firsthand through a city's 30 year evolution.

Topics covered in this episode:

-Medellín’s violent past vs. its surprising present

-The basuco epidemic and “walking dead” addicts

-How guerrilla groups (FARC, ELN) now control cocaine labs

-Sinaloa’s alliance with Colombian producers

-Gangs, tourism, and why Medellín is safer than ever

Medellín is no longer exporting cocaine like it once did, but the drug economy is alive and thriving — just in ways you wouldn’t expect.

This Episode Is Sponsored By The Following:

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03:00 How the Drug Trade Shifted in Medellín

06:00 Medellín's Rise from the Cartel Era

09:45 This Episode Is Sponsored By CashApp

11:14 Pablo Escobar's Legacy and Tourist Boom

14:00 Transformation of Barrio Pablo Escobar

16:16 This Episode Is Sponsored By FRE and SurfShark

18:00 The End of Medellín Cartels and the New Drug Economy

20:55 The Shocking Chemicals In Cocaine: The Process Explained

26:00 Basuco: The Toxic Byproduct and Its Epidemic

30:00 Gang Control and Neighborhood Drug Markets

34:00 Rise of Urban Gangs and Pacified Violence

37:00 Personal Stories from Medellín's Underbelly

41:00 The New International Drug Trade

44:00 Why Medellín Remains Safe Despite the Drugs

48:00 Final Thoughts and What's Next

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