Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Smoke Filled Rooms (part 2)




By ACI for Borderland Beat

For Part 1 click here
For Ibarra story click here

Jack stared at the screen, some joke he thought. Jack had been living a good life after receiving his reward. He dismissed the email and went about his day. Jack was what some might call a con. He had an affectionate relationship with gambling. When he lived in New York he would often gamble at Israeli run parking lots, stacking cards, dealing from the bottom, fleecing the naive and proud. He knew people, he could read them, but that was of little help when reading email. Jack was also adapt at the slow con, which given his terrible anxiety, seems out of place. He never left a room with out some sorted collection of benzos to battle it. But that is a story for another time.


Ivan couldn't believe his predicament. The DEA fucked him. He wished he could kill every single one of them. Why did they do this to him? He did his fucking job, he raged, how dare they? He led them right to the bastard and they leave him with nothing. Fuck them he thought. He was counting on that money. They seized millions in assests and he’d planned on getting a piece, what the fuck happened? Those filthy, lying thieves took it all for themselves. Now he was fucked, leveraged to the hilt, it felt like the whole world was falling down around him. If he didn't get cash soon he would be in too deep to get out and he knew it.

One night while drinking beers and surfing the web he came across a website. It talked about a man who fought the Canadian reward system and won. As the buzz from the Modelo settled in, his anger stewed. Fuck the DEA, all they did was lie, cheat and steal from me, maybe Canada would be different? He didn't know this guy but he was desperate and a little drunk. This was one hell of a risk, he had no idea what would happen. As the beer bottles began to pile up, he sent an email. It was then he began talking to a man named Jack.


Ivan originally thought Jack was Canadian and that he could somehow help get Ivan a reward. He began by sending information on a man Ivan claimed was major player in Canada. Jack still thought he was dealing with some nutcase, he had no idea this man Ivan was in fact the man he claimed to be. But the emails persisted, after a while Jack began listening to Ivan with less skepticism.

Jack would learn that Ivan was part of a tangled web of connections, wealth, narcos and of course greed and betrayal. Ivan came from a well known and famously connected family. His grandfather was a high ranking associate of a previous President. A symbol of what is wrong in Mexico. He was what some “analysts” might call a kingmaker of druglords. But to say that isn't correct. He wielded less power than one would think. He simply met with people and talked to his friends, making deals over champagne and caviar. He would listen to any offer, and offers were rarely denied, the unlucky simply got screwed over. This is the game which is played. He was still a puppet to those beyond him but that wasn't the way he saw it. And even if he was he didn't care, ego blinds many men.

This story is more about a man who tired to play all sides, using his connections to broker deals. He claimed he was independent, working alone and that he would work for anyone willing to pay. He played for both the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas. This put him in the odd position of having more knowledge than one would think logical. Even more confounding was that he was able to live knowing such things. He was also courting the DEA, which made the game Ivan played appear even more foolish.




A man who could play all sides is a strange notion but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. For the less naive who actually know the way things work, it might not be as surprising. To Ivan this was the way of life and he was born for the role; one which is necessary to keep the machine running smoothly.

Ivan was like a broker for his politico clan, he sat down with anyone who had cash. In this game there are no allegiances, simply a constant bidding war which never ends.

But Ivan was growing tired of this game, it had been years of walking the tight rope. His connections afforded him with a lavish lifestyle. One he had always been very accustomed to. He lived the life that only those at the top enjoy; estates and ranches, cars and boats, girlfriends and wives. Its expensive to live such a life and money has a tendency to evaporates much faster than one would expect. As they say, the higher the high the scarier the fall and Ivan was affaid of the fall. The greatest fear a wealthy man has is that he will no longer be wealthy. And when your rich it only takes a few mistakes here, a bad narco investment there and your balls are in a vice.



That was Ivan’s problem, he became a little too exposed, made one too many mistakes. He thought this last job was going to be it for him. It should have left him enough money to solve all his problems. He never thought the DEA would just fuck him like this. Not after years of working with them, playing their little errand boy, taking all the risk. He felt helpless and enraged, a bitter and humiliating defeat at the hands of broken promises. He still never once thought that irony can be a comedic bitch. He just kept searching for another angle, some way out from this disaster the DEA caused.

As days turned to months more and more information was sent to Jack, Ivan began to tell more and more details about his life. The documents he sent detailed an entire ring of players. Important players, druglords and politicos, media mogels and even documents detailing the curruption of Garcia Luna Luna, a man known as the tip of Calderon's spear. These were things Jack knew very little about as Jack didn't follow the drug war. He had no clue as to the value of the information he was receiving. Jack certainly didn't know the value of Ivan.

Perhaps this was why Ivan felt so comfortable with Jack. As time progressed Ivan began to lower his guard around Jack, he was very candid and often spoke of his troubles. He spoke of the problems he was having with his wife. The troubles he was having with money. In a strange way Jack became a sort of confidant of Ivan's.  Information that has left a visible mark on an invisible game.  But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves….

33 comments:

  1. Thats it??? Again these "stories" are so strange? I don't understand why you won't just write your story? It does sound intetesting, but it's like you won't just spit it out! Just write your story and post it for us to read.

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  2. What are these little stories that keep coming up? They don't give any real information! Just a bunch of random shit put together and trying to make a story.

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  3. I like the story. I'm writing a story about a snitch as well. I'm glad I didn't read this before I started mine, otherwise, I would've run the risk of copying bits and pieces.

    One thing though, what does the Camarena story have to do with yours? Are you guys implying that Camarena was a snitch as well?

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  4. waiting for the rest.....u gonna wait another month before you post part 3? cuz that can't be it.....if it is then thus read sucked

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  5. There is a lot of time and work involved in putting a story out, thanks for that, but could you in the future tone down the use of the FU.. word please? I have young kids reading your posts here.

    Thanks

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  6. When will the rest of the story be posted?

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  7. It's a story about a story, but I can't find any actual story in there!!

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  8. Im starting to enjoy this, but am also annoyed by the fact its coming out in parts. Write longer "parts".

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  9. Ya; if your going to segment this "Bonafide"
    (supposedly)story at least write in chapters.
    Even a magazine story is more than a paragraph.
    I personally think someone is makeing up this story on a day by day basis with a little bit
    of truth thrown in with the B.S...!

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  10. @6:29 AM - I think it is all about building intrigue by controlling the pace of the story unlike the straight ahead news story we see day in and day out. And it is a very nice change of pace, for which we should say "thank you ACI" for being innovative and shaking it up a little. I look forward to the next installment.

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  11. Armchair,don't take things so personally,there are many different kinds of people here,literate,non literate,i was one of the smart asses when you posted Part 1,i didn't know you would take it personally,that wasn't my intention i was just joking.Of course you and the other writers are appreciated,that goes without saying surely you know this?Dude,it is ok to take pride in what you do but don't let it get to you,you have way more support than negativity?

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  12. People,don't be hateful,can anyone of you be even bothered to write?The writers on here are doing it for ours and their benefit,they are not getting paid.We should have a little more respect for them,and not make them feel"whats the point"and leave.Have a little respect,would you like all us clowns being smart asses?I just learned a lesson myself,so be cool with our writers.

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  13. damm narco novelas.....

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  14. Yeah wtf, I'm pissed off now. Can i make up a bs story too. That's not news, that's not even a short story cause it doesnt even have a beginning or end. Is that real or a page out of your wanna be narco novel

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  15. breaking news krgv Sheriff Lupe Trevino's son arrested in drug conspiracy Jonathan Trevino is an officer at the Mission Texas Police Department. stay tuned to krgv.com for more

    Posted: Dec 13, 2012 11:18 AM

    Updated: Dec 13, 2012 2:25 PM

    MCALLEN - The U.S. Attorney General's Office announced two Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies and two Mission Police Department officers were charged in connection with a drug conspiracy. Alexis Espinoza was arrested last night and appeared before a judge this morning. No decision's been made yet about his bond.

    A second criminal complaint was filed this morning and charged Jonathan Trevino, Fabian Rodriguez and Gerardo Duran in the case.

    Trevino works with the Mission Police Department and is the son of the Hidalgo County sheriff. Rodriguez and Duran work as sheriff's deputies. The trio is expected to appear a judge tomorrow morning.

    All four men are members of the Panama Unit, a task force designed to target narcotics trafficking in Hidalgo County. A federal investigation revealed members of the Panama Unit allegedly used their positions as law enforcement personnel to escort and protect loads of narcotics and get paid for their services.

    The criminal complaint states drug loads were provided protective escorts in October and November.

    The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Professional Responsibility, the Texas Rangers and Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General.

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    Replies
    1. 3:09. Thanks for the post. Great info.

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    2. Thx bro for the post it was great

      Delete
  16. Bunch of crybabies posting here.

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  17. Think maybe you could be respectful to someone who has brought you many really good stories in the past. Apparently that is too much to expect

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  18. jeez ive never seen a bigger group of babies than on the internet! instead of aprreciating someones work u act like immature children. if u dont like it, move on and dont waste ur time posting

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  19. two things ...

    1. you shouldn't use this blog as a way to test your creative writing. people will copy your ideas. you can already see comments along those lines.

    2. don't put explanations into your writing. don't tell the reader why things happen. real life doesn't work that way - does it? if you are walking down the street wondering about a series of events - does a big voice come down from the sky and give you the answer?? so don't do this in your story, either.

    good luck!!

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  20. People read the story and understand what your reading great story hey to all bb reporters your wrk and info is much appreciated were not here to judge the reporters you ead the story and you decide what the story is trying to tell you , how you interpret the story , in life everyone's a critic it comes with the territory in what ever you do you will never make everyone happy . So bring on part 3

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  21. This is not writing. Even a 1st year community college student could do a better job. This is ego at it's finest. LOOK AT ME!!!!!!! I AM FAMOUS!!!!

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  22. I am all over being kind, but come on two installments that say nothing.

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  23. I like ACI's writing....whoever he/she is??

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  24. Jesus Christ y'all can do some bitching. Firstly this isn't fox or cnn's website. This site was started off for fun, to try an entertain people, so story's Like this are part of it. ITS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. If you want serious "no bs" reporting, then go somewhere else for your drug war news. Mundo narco is a goodsite, unless u can't read Spanish, then you can try an make sense of the literal translation they provide.. I for one enjoy the break from the same ol shit. Good job on the story. Now, what's the point of sitting here an bitching about reading a story you don't like? Much like if you don't like something on tv, then you have the option to change the channel. But then you have the group of ppl who'd rather watch or read something they don't like then waste even more time writing some dumb shit bout how they don't like it. The fuck? Kick rocks children.

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    Replies
    1. The drug war news is for entertainment? Not everybody speaks Spanish . Think outside of the box man, far too many people have died for this to be entertaining to anybody

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    2. You have the option to read stupid comments and ignore them like these writers do. So, why do you make a big deal about it and call people out. If they're talking shit then they probably make no sense right? Why reply and waste your own time? You should probably go fetch those "rocks".

      Delete
  25. Hey bring on part 3 pretty intriguing story cant wait to here the rest forget about what all these people are complaining about grammer, make paragraghs, so what ! you get the story and as long as you can read people you decide how to interpret the story all bb reporters we appreciate you wrk your efforts and the time you devote in bringing us this information whether it be breaking news or storys of what people have experienced bring it on dnt let these people dampin your spirit of writing peace.

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  26. KIKI CAMARANA STORY WAS WRITTEN BY SAME AUTHOR ACI

    ReplyDelete

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