How a Journalist Built Sources Inside Mexico's Deadliest Cartels

From Canada to Cartel Country. In this episode of 10 Toes Podcast, Jason sits down with Katarina Szulc, an independent journalist living in Mexico and reporting directly on cartels, organized crime, human trafficking, political corruption, border trafficking routes, and the real power structure behind the drug war. Katarina breaks down how she went from being a young journalist with no criminal background to building sources deep inside one of the most dangerous beats in the world. She explains why the public gets so much of the cartel story wrong, how media narratives are manipulated, and what really happens when reporters, governments, traffickers, and cartels all collide. This conversation goes way beyond surface-level cartel talk. Jason and Katarina get into: Why cartel violence is far more brutal than most people realize The political-cartel nexus in Mexico Why kingpin strategy doesn’t work How cartel alliances are built and broken The rise of CJNG and why they became so powerful so fast How traffickers move product through Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and the U.S. The role of China, fentanyl precursors, and synthetic drug production Border corruption, law enforcement informants, and who really benefits from the drug war Why some cartel figures rise so high while others disappear How journalists survive while covering organizations capable of extreme violence The difference between Hollywood’s version of cartel life and reality Katarina also talks about the risks of reporting in Mexico, how cartel propaganda spreads, how sources try to manipulate the media, and why some stories never make it to the public the way they should. Jason brings his own perspective from the drug world and federal prison, making this one of the most layered conversations yet on 10 Toes Podcast. This is not a glamorized cartel interview. It’s a blunt conversation about power, fear, money, corruption, survival, and the systems that allow organized crime to thrive. If you want the real conversation about cartels, the border, and the people caught in the middle of it, this episode is for you. 🔗 CONNECT WITH 10 TOES PODCAST 👉 https://10toespodcast.com/ 👉 Jason on Instagram   / 8upjay   👉 Jason on TikTok   / 8upjay   👉 Katarina on Instagram   / katarinaszulc   👉 Katarina on TikTok   / katarinaszulc