Wed Jun 04 2025

What does it take to bring down the most powerful drug lord in modern history? In this gripping episode, DEA Special Agent Steve Murphy, one of the agents who helped take down Pablo Escobar, joins me to unpack the truth behind the manhunt that inspired Netflix’s Narcos. From gunfights in Miami and undercover stings gone sideways, to the 18-month chase through Colombia with a $300,000 bounty on his head, Murphy shares firsthand stories that the cameras never captured. We dive into his early years, the real DEA-CIA turf wars, Los Pepes, Escobar’s cocaine superlabs, and the moral cost of a decades-long drug war. Guest bio: Steve Murphy is a former DEA Special Agent best known for helping track down Pablo Escobar. He’s the co-author of Manhunters: How We Took Down Pablo Escobar and co-host of the podcast Game of Crimes, where he unpacks real-life criminal investigations with raw insight and first-hand experience.