Podcast Summary: Glenn Beck Program – Ep 272

He Hunted SATANIST Mexican Cartels and SURVIVED | Dave Franke
Date: November 1, 2025
Host: Glenn Beck | Blaze Podcast Network
Guest: Dave Franke

Episode Overview

This gripping episode features Glenn Beck in conversation with Dave Franke, a former American manufacturing manager who found himself on the front lines of Mexico’s drug war. Franke recounts his transformation from a troubled youth to an undercover operative embedded with elite Mexican police forces fighting violent cartels steeped in narco-satanic cult practices. The episode delves into the brutality of cartel warfare, the chilling prevalence of Santa Muerte worship among criminals, governmental complicity, and the challenge of finding real solutions to an epidemic spreading across the U.S. border.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dave Franke’s Extraordinary Backstory

• Turbulent Childhood: Grew up amid parental drug use (“My mother used to smoke pot with Charles Manson in the San Fernando Valley.” [03:00]) and was kicked out at 16.
• Run-ins with the Law: Tried for attempted murder in 1991 after being present at a violent crime—though he didn’t commit the act, it became a lifelong regret.
• Sobriety and Redemption: Has been sober for 28 years, striving to make amends and “be a better person.” [04:44]
• Unexpected Path to Mexico: Used experience managing aerospace manufacturing to open a factory in Zacatecas, Mexico—one of the country’s most violent regions. Decided to stay and join the fight against cartels:

  “I decided I wanted to stay in Mexico and hunt drug cartels.” (Dave, 05:00)

Entering the Drug War

• Motivation: Trauma from losing access to his daughter and seeing the Daniel Pearl beheading video instilled resolve to directly confront evil.
• Persistence: Cold-contacted Mexican authorities seeking an anti-cartel role; was eventually admitted as a martial arts instructor, then tactical sergeant (Sub Officio Operativa) in Grupo Automóvil Táctica de la Policía Estatal (GATPE).

The Reality of Cartel-Controlled Mexico

• Atmosphere of Fear: Cartels routinely shut down entire cities. Franke recounts being trapped in a two-hour gun battle:

  “It was almost three hours of the most terrifying time I’ve ever had in my entire life. Nobody came. There was no one to rescue us…” (Dave, 14:48)

• Normalcy Within the Chaos: Most Mexicans are “honest, churchgoing, hardworking people,” but are paralyzed by lack of opportunities and omnipresent violence. [16:46]
• Corruption and Survival: Both citizens and law enforcement are under threat; many officials, including police, are compromised or killed.

Ritualistic Evil: Santa Muerte and Narco Satanism

• Pervasiveness: Santa Muerte (Patron Saint of Death) iconography is omnipresent in cartel culture:

  “You would see Santa Muerte everywhere…carvings on clothing, drawings on shirts…etched into wood tables, just everywhere.” (Dave, 27:56)

• Nature of the Cult: Described as a perversion or the “opposite of God,” providing supernatural justification for extreme violence:

  “It’s a saint that gives them permission to do whatever they want, torture whoever they want, kill whoever they want.” (Dave, 28:51)

• Chilling Rituals: Torture beyond comprehension—tales of using defibrillators to revive victims and kill them repeatedly, practicing cannibalism, and widespread gruesome executions:

  “There was a flaying video of someone having his face…peeled off. Alive. He was drugged, but yes, he was alive.” (Dave, 32:29)

Cartel-Government Relationships & Cross-Border Impact

• Cartels and State: Cartels wield tremendous power—even over politicians and journalists who are routinely assassinated; yet, the government still has more firepower but is hampered by corruption.
• Cartels in the U.S.: Franke insists Mexican cartels and even Chinese criminal groups are actively operating inside the United States—conducting drug production and trafficking, and even targeting federal officers for attacks.

  “We have to get rid of the notion that the cartel is not operating in the United States. It absolutely is.” (Dave, 39:00)

The Futility of the Current “War on Drugs”

• No Military Solution: Killing cartel leaders never ends the organizations, which rapidly replenish ranks.

  “You can send people in and try to cut off the head...However, this is just going to continue to fill their ranks…” (Dave, 45:31)

• Economic Factors: The root cause is lack of opportunity—poverty and unemployment drive people into cartel life, and U.S. demand for drugs persists.
• Religious Zeal: As with ISIS, religious fervor (Santa Muerte) emboldens cartel violence and complicates law enforcement.

Toward Solutions: Legalization and Socioeconomic Change

• Legalization as a Remedy: Franke supports following Spain’s model—diverting drug war funds into treatment and legalizing drugs to cut cartel profits:

  “If you legalize it, you take away the allure…the current approach hasn’t worked in decades.” (Dave, 58:41)

• Policy over Regime Change: Real change requires addressing economic deprivation in Mexico and reforming both U.S. and Mexican policies, not just altering administrations.

Personal Toll and Resilience

• Psychological Scars: After years in constant danger, Franke experienced sleep violence and vivid combat nightmares, but refuses to label himself as having PTSD—stays grounded by focusing on helping others and pursuing a law degree.

  “I balance [trauma] with all the beautiful things I’ve seen. I’m pursuing a degree in law right now because I would like to help people.” (Dave, 61:57)

• Credit to Mexican Police: Insists thousands of honorable officers risk their lives daily trying to stem the tide of evil, often with little recognition.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On his troubled childhood:

  “My mother used to smoke pot with Charles Manson in the San Fernando Valley.”
  (Dave, 03:00)

• Joining the cartel fight for personal redemption:

  “I decided I wanted to stay in Mexico and hunt drug cartels.”
  (Dave, 05:00)

• On the futility of state response:

  “Nobody came. There was no one to rescue us. If they’d come up… I had to think about how I was going to try to end my wife’s existence so she wouldn’t be tortured and raped…”
  (Dave, 14:48)

• On Santa Muerte:

  “It’s a hundred percent evil… There’s nothing positive about worshiping death.”
  (Dave, 28:51)

• On the U.S. government’s handling of the drug war:

  “I would like to see…a policy change…because at the end of the day, Mexicans and Americans have lived on this continent for centuries now. We have to find a way that works for both countries.”
  (Dave, 50:54)

• On possible solutions:

  “I think a lot of things do happen when you legalize drugs. Initially, there’s a spike… But that’s the better way to go, because if you want to confront anything, you have to attack the profit margin at some point.”
  (Dave, 58:41)

• On resilience and hope:

  “By trying to be productive and positive on this earth… that’s one of the reasons my God put me here.”
  (Dave, 62:19)

Time-Stamped Segment Guide

• [02:19] Dave's upbringing—Manson connection, youth crime
• [04:13] Attempted murder case & sobriety
• [05:00] From aerospace to Mexico—deciding to take on cartels
• [10:56] Joining elite police (GATPE), earning trust, martial arts role
• [14:48] Living through cartel gunfights—no help comes, daily terror
• [23:38] Who really controls Mexico—cartel vs. government
• [26:44] Santa Muerte—pervasiveness, meaning, and impact
• [30:33] Ritual violence—methods and psychology
• [37:07] Zetas vs. Jalisco New Generation Cartel—organizational structure and questions
• [39:00] Cartels in the U.S./Global reach
• [45:31] Why killing leaders doesn’t work; socioeconomic roots
• [47:17] The power of “evil religion”
• [49:55] Bounties on U.S. officials
• [52:23] U.S. military strategy (drug boats)—no real deterrence
• [57:10] Comparative solutions—Spain’s decriminalization model
• [61:19] Dealing with trauma; ongoing psychological effects
• [64:26] Franke’s plans to help others via legal advocacy

Conclusion

Dave Franke’s story is a harrowing, unflinching look at the intersection of personal redemption and international crisis. His testimony exposes not just the violence and occultism rampant within Mexican cartels, but also the complex socioeconomic, political, and spiritual dimensions behind the drug war. His candor, resilience, and hope for a policy-based, compassionate solution bring a note of optimism to an otherwise grim subject.