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Ioan Grillo

@ioangrillo.bsky.social

410 followers 41 following 66 posts

Journalist based in Mexico, focused on crime, drugs and gangster politics. Author of El Narco trilogy and CrashOut on Substack. Time, NYT, HBO++ Still doing it. www.crashoutmedia.com

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Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Dec 7

Hey there Bluesky

This is the same mero mero Ioan Grillo

I am still on Twitter twittering away but here I am as well venturing into the blue skies on this side of chattering space.

Love you all

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 3h

Carlos sold top end single-edition Swiss watches (for $100,000s to $1 million+) to narcos for 8 years. The Swiss companies loved him.

"They fucking love you. You have no idea. You are making their budgets. You become a hero”

Read how cartels wash cash↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/narco-blin...

Narco Bling and Dirty-Money Laundromats

Part Two on the twisted world of drug wealth and cartel-omics

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 6d

Chalino Sánchez, father of narco corridos and icon in Sinaloa and LA

He avenged his sister at 15, went to prison in Tijuana for a shooting, then in the US for drugs. The attack on him in Coachella was likely a hit.

Read full true story of Chalino here:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/chalino-ki...

Chalino, King of the Drug Ballad

I dig deeper into the true life of the Sinaloan icon

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 13d

Did you ever hear about the time a splinter from the Tijuana Cartel dissolved bodies in acid in California and carried out a series of murders in the U.S. as far away as Kansas City, Missouri?

Thought not. So be informed by reading the full story here:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/when-los-p...

When "Los Palillos" Dissolved Bodies in California

The Tijuana Cartel breakaway used a honey trap to seduce victims for their gruesome U.S. murder trail

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 13d

Thanks there friend and all best there

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 14d

Ayotzinapa’s Narco Witnesses - The Mexican government gave dubious benefits to major narcos, incuding delaying extradition of El Cuini, to help on the case of the 43 disappeared students. But what did they give in return? Read special report:
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/cuini-and-...

Cuini and Ayotzinapa's Narco Witnesses

Under AMLO, investigators gave dubious benefits to cartel bosses, including the financial brain of the Jalisco Cartel, further twisting the case of disappeared students

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 20d

Will Trump “Regime-Change” Venezuela?

I go through the war gaming of the operation against Maduro and possible scenarios including:

- Pressure to foment a coup
- Special forces rendition
- Full invasion
- Pure Trump bluff

Read here:

www.crashoutmedia.com/p/will-trump...

Will Trump "Regime-Change" Venezuela?

I decode the war-gaming against Maduro

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 21d

One of the craziest interviews I've ever done was recently meeting Carlos Lehder, the partner of Pablo Escobar who owned a private island to move blow, was portrayed as a Nazi narco on Netflix and testified against General Noriega of Panama. Here is the story...
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/carlos-leh...

Carlos Lehder’s Vida Loca in the Medellín Cartel

In an exclusive interview, the former cocaine king discussed Pablo Escobar trying to kill him, his Netflix portrayal as a narco Nazi, and testifying against Panama’s Noriega

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · 28d

Mexico's Marines In Hot Water

A scandal is growing in Mexico's elite SEMAR which US agents work with to take down kingpins. In Manzanillo where SEMAR controls customs, a broker told me you could get a container with drugs through for 800,000 pesos.

Read↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/mexicos-ma...

Mexico's Marines In Hot Water

The elite Mexican force that worked with U.S. agents to get Chapo faces a growing scandal

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Sep 5

The Power of Independent Media

There's a great energy and possibilities in independent media, which allows you to move fast, think outside the box, and connect directly with readers.

In my quarterly shout to readers, I look at independent vs mainstream↓

www.crashoutmedia.com/p/the-power-...

The Power Of Independent Media

A September Shout To Subscribers

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Sep 3

The U.S. Military Missiles Venezuelan Boat, Killing 11

Is this just an escalation of the war on drugs or also a step to regime change in Caracas? Was it really a drug boat? Were the Tren de Aragua definitely on board?
I break it all down in this video:↓

www.crashoutmedia.com/p/us-militar...

U.S. Military Missiles Venezuelan Boat

Is this an escalation of the war on drugs or a step to regime change? I break it down.

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Sep 2

How Much Money Do Cartels Make and Where Is It?

Are narco kingpins really billionaires? What's the annual cartel economy worth? Will the US government get the $15 billion that Mayo has promised to deliver.

Read here on the twisted world of narco-nomics↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/how-much-m...

How Much Money Do Cartels Make and Where Is It? (Part I)

Step into the twisted world of narco-nomics and cartel-omics

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 25

HISTORIC: Mayo Zambada just plead guilty and could credibly be the biggest drug trafficker Mexico ever saw, moving dope for 55 years. The US wants $15 billion assets and he could give up some money for better conditions. Lawyer still denies he will sing.

Read: www.crashoutmedia.com/p/mayo-plead...

Mayo Pleads Guilty

He will be in prison until his death but asset seizures could get him better conditions. His lawyer still denies he will sing.

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 22

The Truth About Date Murders In Colombia

Does the "Devil's Breath" drug really turn you into a pliable zombie?How dark is the sex industry?

On a trip to Colombia, I look deeper into murders of Americans and other foreigners who met women on dating apps↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/date-murde...

Date-Murders in Colombia

Does "Devil's Breath" really turn you into a pliable zombie? How dark is the sex industry?

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 14

Can a Mayos Victory End the Sinaloa War?

The year-long bloodbath is one of the worst cartel battles in history. But now there's a clear advance of Mayos and a new map of Sinaloa Cartel being drawn. CrashOut reports from the ground in Sinaloa.

Read at:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/can-a-mayo...

Can a Mayos Victory End the Sinaloa War?

The year-long bloodbath is one of the worst cartel battles in history

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 13

Mexico Expels 26 More Narco Prisoners To US Amid Trade Talks and Military Threat

This isn't theater as there are genuine big figures in transfer like Cuini, financial brain of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Will it be enough to placate Trump?

Read:↓ www.crashoutmedia.com/p/mexico-exp...

Mexico Expels 26 More Narco Prisoners To US Amid Trade Talks and Military Threat

CrashOut had reported in April that another mega-expulsion was in the works including Jalisco financial brain "El Cuini"

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 7

MEGA EXCLUSIVE - I went to Colombia to talk to Carlos Lehder, founder of the Medellin Cartel.

We discuss:

- How the cartel really worked
- Was he a Nazi?
- Terror attacks in Colombia
- Cartel working with Noriega + Contras
- Deal with FARC

Watch here↓

www.crashoutmedia.com/p/exclusive-...

Exclusive Interview: Carlos Lehder, Founder of the Medellin Cartel

Watch now (97 mins) | I went to Colombia to talk to the partner of Pablo Escobar

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Aug 1

On Gringo-fiction and Gringo-phobia...

My reflections on the anti-gringo protests in Mexico City, and on gentrification and xenophobia (as a Brit living in CDMX since 2000, or as a friend says "anglo-Chilango...")

Read it here, it's a freebie:↓ www.crashoutmedia.com/p/on-gringo-...

On Gringo-fication and Gringo-phobia

Reflections on the anti-gringo marches in Mexico City

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Jul 19

The Dark Truth of Mexico's "Pimp City" That Traffics Girls to New York

The Tenancingo to USA prostitution pipeline is genuinely horrific. Yet there's a lot of smoke, mirrors and bad numbers around such an abhorrent crime as "sex slavery."

Read here:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/the-dark-t...

The Dark Truth of Mexico's "Pimp City" That Traffics Girls to New York

The Tenancingo to USA prostitution pipeline is genuinely horrific. Yet there's a lot of smoke and mirrors around such an abhorrent crime as "sex slavery."

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Jul 17

Ovidio has been transferred to a secure location to kick-start his cooperation with US government that could reduce his sentence from life to 10 years.

He says he will help get $80 million in assets. But who could he finger: a governor or higher? Read:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/ovidio-kic...

Ovidio Kick-Starts His Cooperation

What evidence would justify the fentanyl king's sentence being reduced from life to ten years?

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · May 28

In Singapore, you get hanged for 15g of heroin, 30g of cocaine or half kilo of cannabis.

It also has one of lowest murder rates in the world with 10 murders (Mexico had 145x more per capita; US 35x)

I went to "Lion City" and looked at zero tolerance:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/singapore-...

Singapore: High-Tech, Low-Crime and Hanging

I visit Asia's "Lion City" and look at its zero tolerance on drug trafficking

www.crashoutmedia.com

Reposted by Ioan Grillo

Carlos Maza @calleneptuno.bsky.social · May 23

humor desde culiacán por "Bobadilla", vía www.crashoutmedia.com/p/alivio-com... de @ioangrillo.bsky.social

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · May 23

Revolution to synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, has side effect - it decimated Mexico's opium farmers.

I went to mountains of Guerrero, where kilo of opium gum dropped from 33K pesos at peak to 4K pesos. They have Afghan opium they call "Talibana."
Read↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/fentanyl-k...

Fentanyl Kills Mexico's Opium Trade

Poppies in the Guerrero mountains go from boom to bust

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · May 5

Sheinbaum Has A Red Line On US Troops

The Mexican president is delivering to Trump with fentanyl busts and stopping migrants. But allowing full US special force ops vs cartels in Mexico is politically impossible for her. Will Trump get that?

Read at:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/sheinbaum-...

Sheinbaum Has A Red Line On US Troops

Can Washington and Mexico City make a deal on the edge of it?

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · May 1

Is Nuevo León's "Fuerza Civil" Really The Best Police in Mexico?

The state cops were meant to transform law enforcement. Yet they struggle amid a Gulf Cartel-CDN war. Security chief Gerardo Escamilla outlines the fight back strategy to CrashOut.

Read:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/fuerza-civ...

"Fuerza Civil" - The Best Police in Mexico?

Nuevo León's Civil Force aimed to transform Mexican law enforcement. It struggles amid a Gulf-Northeast Cartel war.

www.crashoutmedia.com

Ioan Grillo @ioangrillo.bsky.social · Apr 25

Cartel Propaganda Videos - A History

Narco videos went from splatter films on VHS to brutal mutilation on blogs to gunmen celebrating Easter and to quasi-political statements.

I look at the evolution of what has tragically become its own video genre:↓
www.crashoutmedia.com/p/cartel-pro...

Cartel Propaganda Videos - A History

They evolved from splatter movies on VHS to gunmen celebrating Easter on TikTok

www.crashoutmedia.com