On today's episode, Katarina speaks with Ringmast4r, an American-Venezuelan ethical hacker, about the country’s digital infrastructure and citizen tracking systems, including technology developed with Chinese assistance. They discuss life in Venezuela following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, how the government continues to monitor and control citizens, and the heightened paranoia and challenges faced by the population. Borderland Dispatches is an IRONCLAD Original More from IRONCLAD: IG: https://www.instagram.com/thisisironclad/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@thisisironclad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, Borderland: Dispatches host Katarina Szulc was able to connect with acclaimed cartel investigative reporter Ioan Grillo, from the border of Columbia and Venezuela, who gave an inside look at the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In this special episode of Borderland: Dispatches, Ioan Grillo and Katarina talk about what the situation is like on the ground, what comes next, and what the implications are for cartels, organized crime, and the drug war. Borderland: Dispatches is an IRONCLAD Original. More from IRONCLAD: IG: https://www.instagram.com/thisisironclad/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@thisisironclad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katarina looks back at some of the biggest cartel stories of the year and gives updates about the current war on drugs. Borderland: Dispatches with Katarina Szulc is an IRONCLAD Original SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-dispatches-with-katarina-szulc/id1814920364 SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EvQ4S8NnDqqSdCRhZvPaI?si=ea91d3147b6b46bc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a spike in drug seizures on the southern border tell us about the state of the crackdown on cartels. Katarina Szulc breaks down the data. SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/borderland-dispatches-with-katarina-szulc/id1814920364 SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EvQ4S8NnDqqSdCRhZvPaI?si=ea91d3147b6b46bc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch Katarina's Discoveries at the San Diego border at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVQTfAdIs00 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina discusses how criminal networks are exploiting the global live-animal export industry as a new cover for drug trafficking. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: 1stPhorm Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the case of Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now wanted by U.S. authorities. She outlines the federal indictment alleging his role in the killing of a cooperating witness in Medellín, his reported ties to the Sinaloa cartel, the drug trafficking network described by investigators, and why the FBI has placed him on its 10 Most Wanted list with a $15 million reward. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer's Note: While this episode is available on all podcast feeds, it is best experienced as a video either on Spotify or at https://www.youtube.com/@thisisironclad On today's episode, Katarina goes inside a clandestine rehab center in Tijuana, where residents — including addicts, deportees, and mental health patients — are held against their will. A rare look at a facility few outsiders ever see. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Buy Target Intelligence: PSYOP with Shawn Ryan: http://psyopshow.com/ To purchase Borderland Merch: https://thisisironclad.com/collections/borderland-dispatches Sponsors: 1stPhorm Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. DeleteMe Go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/IRONCLAD and use coupon code IRONCLAD, or  scan the QR code Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming soon on Borderland: Dispatches, Katarina goes inside a clandestine rehab center in Tijuana, where residents — including addicts, deportees, and mental health patients — are held against their will. A rare look at a facility few outsiders ever see. Full episode drops November 20th. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, DEA legend Steve Murphy — the man who hunted Pablo Escobar — sits down with Katarina to break down the U.S. Navy’s deadly strikes on cartel drug boats.  Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Buy Target Intelligence: PSYOP with Shawn Ryan: http://psyopshow.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina discusses the deadly U.S. boat strike in the Pacific Ocean that killed 14 suspected cartel smugglers. The operation marks a sharp escalation in America’s maritime campaign against drug trafficking — one that started with strikes near Venezuela and is now moving closer to Mexico’s coast.  Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Buy Target Intelligence: PSYOP with Shawn Ryan: http://psyopshow.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down a Reuters report on how Mexican cartels used a “dark fleet” of tankers to traffic billions in stolen fuel — uncovering corruption from Mexico’s ports all the way to U.S. companies. To access the full report, visit: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/how-dark-fleet-tankers-helped-mexican-cartel-build-fuel-smuggling-empire-2025-10-22/ Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Buy Target Intelligence: PSYOP with Shawn Ryan: http://psyopshow.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down recent U.S. operations in Venezuela, including CIA-authorized strikes on narcotraffickers and paramilitary networks aligned with Nicolás Maduro, which have resulted in 27 reported deaths. She examines the lack of public confirmation about those targeted and how these actions differ from past counter-narcotics operations. Katarina also reviews a DHS warning about Mexican criminal groups offering bounties on federal agents, tracing the intelligence behind the advisory and exploring how the timing of these events may reflect broader U.S. strategy in Latin America and domestic security. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is presented by Ground News. Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad or by using the QR code. On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the recent “narco-banners” in Mexico that allegedly threaten Americans visiting or living south of the border. Are these real cartel warnings—or something else entirely? Katarina explains why this message doesn’t add up, arguing that the cartels wouldn’t target their biggest customers. Instead, she exposes how these banners may be part of a larger psychological operation aimed at manipulating public perception and escalating fear on both sides of the border. Borderland is an IRONCLAD ORIGINAL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is presented by Ground News. Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad or by using the QR code.  On today’s episode, Katarina travels to Ciudad Juárez to investigate the case of Leslie Godínez, a young mother who disappeared while seven months pregnant and was later found dead. Reports have linked her death to a clandestine cesarean and a baby-trafficking scheme allegedly run by Martha Alicia “La Diabla” and connected to the CJNG.  On the ground in Juárez, Katarina meets with a member of Leslie’s family, who shares their story of her disappearance, the search to find her, and the devastating discovery that followed. The episode explores how the case connects to broader issues of violence against women and cartel exploitation along the border.  Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is presented by Ground News. Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad On today’s episode, Katarina discusses the discovery of a 25-foot tunnel beneath a vape shop in Laredo, Texas, that investigators believe may be connected to cartel activity. During a joint operation, the DEA and local law enforcement raided the Kush Smoke Emporium and the Tranquility Dispensary, seizing marijuana, cocaine, and hundreds of illegal vape cartridges. Authorities say the tunnel’s purpose is still under investigation, but it highlights how legitimate storefronts can sometimes be linked to illicit operations. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sponsors:  Ground News Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad On today’s episode, Katarina breaks down the brutal cartel-style execution of Mexican TikTok influencer Esmeralda Ferrer Garibay, her husband, and their two children. Found wrapped in plastic and abandoned in a pickup truck in Guadalajara, their murders raise questions about the dangerous intersection of social media fame and cartel violence.  Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sponsors:  Ground News Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to ⁠https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad On today’s episode, Katarina follows up on her report about the CJNG cartel targeting pregnant women. Stefano Ritondale from @AllSourceNews  joins to provide additional details on the buyers involved in this illicit trade. Borderland is an IRONCLAD Original  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sponsors: Ground News Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to ⁠https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad⁠ In this episode, Katarina joins a Gary, Indiana police officer on patrol along the major highways that connect Illinois and Indiana—routes that have become critical corridors for drug trafficking across the Midwest. Together, they explore how cartels move narcotics through America’s heartland, and the challenges law enforcement faces in stopping them. Borderland is an IRONCLAD ORIGINAL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Katarina investigates new allegations in Ciudad Juárez, where women have long faced violence at the hands of cartels. Recent reports suggest that pregnant women are being specifically targeted, with claims that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is involved in trafficking their unborn children. Katarina looks into these disturbing accounts, the history of femicides in Juárez, and what this new angle reveals about cartel operations on the border. Borderland is an IRONCLAD ORIGINAL Sponsors:  Ground News Subscribe now and get 40% off the VANTAGE plan by going to https://www.groundnews.com/ironclad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices