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Why does America Keep Losing the Same Drug War Over and Over Again with Chris Feistl

May 28, 2025

The U.S. dismantled Colombia's Cali Cartel with strategy, buy-in, and force. What are we doing wrong now that fentanyl is winning in the U.S.?

Former DEA agent Chris Feistl helped take down one of history's most powerful cartels—but now he's watching history repeat itself.

In this episode, he and Michael Brown draw a straight line from Colombia's bloody narco-wars to the synthetic opioid crisis destroying American communities. From political division and foreign inaction to fractured law enforcement strategy, the U.S. is reliving the past, without the resolve to win.

We also discuss: 

  • Why Mexico and China are today's Colombia
  • What America lost when it stopped doing what worked
  • How decriminalization and division cripple federal action
  • What it would take to end the crisis—for real

Chris' book, "After Escobar," is available for preorder here.


 

 

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Views expressed in this material are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rigaku Analytical Devices.

To make sure you never miss an episode of The Opioid Matrix, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the website, or your favorite podcast player here: https://plinkhq.com/i/1625927161?to=page  

Michael W. Brown is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. He has a distinguished career spanning more than 32 years as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He served as the country attaché in India and Myanmar; During his tour in Myanmar, he provided foreign advisory support for counter narcotic enforcement that, to date, has resulted in the interdiction of over US$250 million in precursor chemicals and implementing the regions first use of Raman spectroscopy to degrade the supply chain for narcotics production. He was also part of a special specialized counter narcotics unit operating in the jungles of South America tasked with locating and destroying drug labs and narcotic supply chains. Most recently he was the DEA Headquarters staff coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India. Michael is a graduate of the United States Ranger Training Battalion and has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary technology and management from the University of Eastern Michigan.

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