1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes doing the right thing comes, of course, be careful 2 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: you're falling lower. 3 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 2: Hey it's fifty. 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 3: Cents and I'm Charlie Webster. This is surviving El Chapeau, 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 3: The Twins who brought down a druglord Season two. 6 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 4: I know all too well the struggle that comes with 7 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 4: choosing a different life. For me, it was music that 8 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 4: allowed me to get out of the life and write 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 4: a new destiny for myself. For Pedro and Mygodo Flores Junior, 10 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 4: the Flores twins, it's been a long journey since they 11 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 4: were sat in the backseat of their father's car is 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 4: seven years old, loaded with drugs as it was moved 13 00:00:58,480 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 4: across the Mexican border. 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: That's what started it all. 15 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 4: Without even knowing, they were put on the path that 16 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 4: they've spent the last fourteen years trying to leave. To 17 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 4: change the legacy of the Flora's name. Billions of dollars 18 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 4: and thousands of decisions over decades have brought the Flora's 19 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 4: family to where they are today. 20 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 3: The brothers said at that time, but as far as 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 3: the government is concerned, the Flora's family haven't satisfied their 22 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 3: debt to society. 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: One of the reason why we want to. I wanted 24 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 2: to share the story. 25 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 5: These decisions we make, no matter how they are or 26 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 5: whatever we try to fix, is coming at a cost. 27 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 5: To this day, we're still We're still trying to make 28 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 5: things right. We're still trying to correct our wrongs, and 29 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 5: you know, we might get something right on one end 30 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:49,559 Speaker 5: and fail on somewhere else. 31 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: As men. I've told about this plenty of times. 32 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 5: The man that I was was I promised her that 33 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 5: we're going to a different life. That I promised her, 34 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 5: that was that put in home's way, like her past relationships, 35 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 5: and I failed that by far. 36 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 2: I always hold myself responsible. 37 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 5: Because I think that's what you do as a leader, 38 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 5: as a you know, as ahead of your house or. 39 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 6: The man that I am. 40 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 5: I think I hold myself responsible for leaving my family 41 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 5: get to this point. You know, my children, I failed them. 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 3: After the wives were initially arrested and let go after 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 3: two days, in twenty twenty one, a case started to 44 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 3: be built by the government against Val and viv Remember. 45 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 3: Val helped the government as part of j and Pete's 46 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 3: cooperation and turned over four million dollars to the FEDS 47 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 3: from the twins drug activity. Back in twenty ten, as 48 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 3: part of the twins case, the government did a forensic 49 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 3: investigation into their financials and couldn't find any further money 50 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 3: that was out on the streets. But it turns out 51 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 3: there was more money owed to the twins from drug 52 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 3: debts that the wives and Armando, the twins older brother, 53 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 3: collected and hid from the government. The government claimed they 54 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 3: didn't know about this money until they received a tip 55 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 3: off from someone very close to the family. 56 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,119 Speaker 5: Jerome Finnigin is the uncle of vv's brother in law. 57 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 5: Jerome Finnegain was one of the corrupt Chicago police officers 58 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 5: that got picked up on the steamed back in twenty sixty, 59 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 5: and part of that arrest was vv's ex fiance Keith 60 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 5: Herrera and Jerome and other police officers. 61 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 3: Police officers Keith Herrera and Jerome Finnegan were partners on 62 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 3: the force together and known as two of the dirtiest 63 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: cops in Chicago. The two of them topped the Chicago 64 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 3: Police Apartment's misconduct complaints list in the five years between 65 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 3: two thousand and one and two thousand and six. Keith 66 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 3: the masked fifty three citizen complaints, Jerome fifty two. Keith 67 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 3: and Jerome were closely linked to Viv. Before Viv got 68 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 3: together with Pete, she was actually engaged to Keith, and 69 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 3: Viv's sister Bianca, ended up marrying Jerome's nephew. In two 70 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 3: thousand and six, Keith, Jerome, and other police officers were 71 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 3: arrested for making unlawful arrests and searches, gathering false evidence, 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 3: and stealing money from drug dealers. In one instance, during 73 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 3: an unlawful traffic stop, they took the person's house keys, 74 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: broke into their house, and took half a million dollars 75 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 3: in cash. 76 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 5: Well, when Keith flipped, he you know, flipped with the 77 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 5: Feds to corporate against his fellow officers. Jerome finking wanning 78 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 5: to hire someone to kill him. 79 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 3: Keith turned against Jerome and the other officers and worked 80 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 3: with the police to bring them down. Jerome found out 81 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 3: and plotted to kill his former partner Keith for cooperating, 82 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 3: but the FED foiled the murder for higher plots, and 83 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 3: Jerome was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Keith cooperation 84 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 3: meant he was only sentenced to two months. 85 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 5: Okay, so you know he got a rushed in two 86 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 5: thousand and six and he's in there in the MCC 87 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 5: right Metropol Correctional Center in Chicago, the federal holdover right 88 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 5: for federal inmates, and he's in the shoe. He's in 89 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 5: protective custody. He's the orderly at that time when me 90 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 5: and my brother come in. So orderly means he cleans up, 91 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 5: he helps out, you know, the correctional officers if you 92 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 5: eat something you asked to orderly. Like so he's you know, sweets, mops, 93 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 5: cleans up, might past the food trays or whatever the 94 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 5: case is. 95 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 3: Jerome was the orderly at MCC Chicago. When Pete and 96 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 3: j first went to prison and were in the shoe there, 97 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 3: they didn't know who Jerome was. 98 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 5: The weeks went by, he'll stop by, Hey, I had 99 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 5: no idea that he was related to V's like related 100 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 5: through marriage to Vv's family, Like I know who he 101 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 5: is from the street, like I know of him. But Pe, 102 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,559 Speaker 5: you know, while we're in the shoe, they start talking 103 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 5: and he's like, hey, I know you and they're like, yeah, 104 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 5: I know. 105 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: You know, like they know that he. 106 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,119 Speaker 5: Knows that Viviana's Peter's wife. So they start making small 107 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 5: talk right Pee, you know, right away befriends on then 108 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 5: moving forward I guess his nephew, by chance, was a 109 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 5: person that my older brother had help bring back the 110 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 5: money from Washington, DC. And he goes the nephews go 111 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 5: visit his uncle, and the uncle convinces him Jerome to 112 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 5: bring the information to the FED so that he could 113 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 5: get a lighter sentence. So that's how the FED found out. 114 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 3: Jerome was desperate to get out of prison. He would 115 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: do anything he could to get information out of inmates 116 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 3: that he could use as a bargaining tool to help 117 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 3: him get his sentence reduced. That's why he befriended Pete. 118 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 3: Jerome found out that there was money hidden from the 119 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 3: twins drug debts. Jerome's nephew, the one married to viv 120 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 3: sister Bianca, helped Armando, Ja and Pete's older brother to 121 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 3: collect the four million dollars from DC that vow turned 122 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 3: over to the government, but Jerome knew there was more. 123 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 3: He pushed his nephew to give that information to the FEDS, 124 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 3: and the tip off from Jerome is what the government 125 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 3: used to arrest Val and Viv. Jerome didn't end up 126 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 3: getting any time off his sentence. Armando was also arrested 127 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 3: for his part in the collection of the money. If 128 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 3: you remember, when fifty and I were recording season one, 129 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 3: the Flores family found out that Armando had decided to 130 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 3: cooperate with the government. After his arrest, Armando confessed that 131 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 3: there was more money and provided evidence that ultimately implicated 132 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 3: the wives. Armando was given an ultimatum by the government 133 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 3: to either serve serious time and face deportation. If you recall, 134 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 3: J and P got him a US visa as part 135 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 3: of their deal to cooperate or get favorable terms in 136 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,479 Speaker 3: exchange for information on the wives. 137 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 7: Jan Peter's older brother thanks like. 138 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 8: My best friend, and I mean I love him unconditionally, 139 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 8: and I worry about his immigration status and him being deported. 140 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, no matter what, I'm for my brother 141 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: to be put in the best scenario possible now got 142 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: himself and his family. 143 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 2: Just can't wait to put this behind us and. 144 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 7: Just get through it as a family like we've always done. 145 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: Amount of resources it takes into something like this, I 146 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: wonder why the streets have flood away heroin and cocaine 147 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: and even more dangerous stuff now fentanon and all kinds 148 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 1: of shady Okay, because you know. 149 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 2: That's why I'd be focused on. Every office has. 150 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: The decision to you know, where they put their time 151 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: and resources at. 152 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 2: And I can't agree that this is the best, you know, 153 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 2: way to do that. 154 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: But that's just my opinion onwill all the other people 155 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: are just keep doing what I was, you know, all 156 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: the next P and J's probably there now building his 157 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: empire round and orders. 158 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 9: The first thing that prosecutor will generally tell a cooperator 159 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 9: or potential cooperator is the cooperation is an all or 160 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 9: nothing proposition. 161 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 3: That's Michael Ferrara, the assistant US attorney that worked J 162 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 3: and P's case against El Chapo from the very beginning. 163 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 3: He worked alongside Thomas Shakeshaft and Adam Fels. 164 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 9: And the government needs to need that to be true 165 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 9: when they say it. 166 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 6: They absolutely need it. 167 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 9: And so the reason for a prosecution like that is 168 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 9: that it's a betrayal of trust at some level that 169 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 9: they were given a second chance, they were given a 170 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 9: clean slate, and decided to use drug proceeds for material 171 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 9: things in a way that was very avoidable. 172 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 3: According to the government. In addition to the four million 173 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,839 Speaker 3: dollars from DC that Vile turned over to them, there 174 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 3: was another two point three million dollars that they never 175 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 3: told anyone about. One day, a U haul truck arrived 176 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 3: at the twins older brother Armando's house in Austin, Texas. 177 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 3: The truck was piled high with second hand furniture. Hidden 178 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 3: inside the furniture with stacks of cash two point three 179 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 3: million dollars worth. Armando stored the money under his porch 180 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 3: and sat on it for four years until twenty fifteen, 181 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 3: when he started dispersing it to the wives in increments 182 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 3: on average of nine thousand dollars via US Priority mail 183 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 3: and UPS packages, as well as through gift cards. He 184 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 3: would then pay himself a fee out of each delivery. 185 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 3: The government accused the wives of living a life ravish lifestyle, 186 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,439 Speaker 3: using the money to pay for luxury cars, designer purss, 187 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 3: a platoon exercise bike, as well as private school for 188 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 3: their children, living costs like rent, and over ninety nine 189 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,079 Speaker 3: thousand dollars on vacations. 190 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 9: The government clearly made the decision that that couldn't be tolerated, 191 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 9: that they needed to send a message to other co operators, 192 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 9: to just society as a whole, that if you join 193 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 9: the government's team, that has to meaning from sort of 194 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 9: beginning to end you can't be a cooperator and hiden. 195 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 6: Driump proceeds and living off of drum proceeds. At the 196 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 6: same time, I. 197 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 10: Feel that in J and Peter sentencing memorandum, they spun 198 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 10: it to the court like we basically benefited because we 199 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 10: were given immunity. 200 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 8: But fast forward ten years they come and guide us. 201 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 8: It's like they're trying to change the narrative. And I 202 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 8: feel like the US Attorney's Office today is very different 203 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 8: than what it was back in two thousand and eight, 204 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 8: and I feel that they didn't have a certain roulebook 205 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 8: to go by, and because this case was so big 206 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 8: for J and Peter, I feel like there were mistakes 207 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 8: made because it's never been done before on both sides. 208 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 7: I don't fault anyone. 209 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 8: I just feel like the US Attorney's Office at the time, 210 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 8: they didn't have the I want to say, the right 211 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 8: guidance we were given, you know, certain benefits. I feel 212 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 8: that today those things that we were promised that obviously 213 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 8: they're frowned upon. But at the same time, you can't 214 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 8: punish our family because that's something that somebody that was 215 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 8: a representative of the government, you know, which is Thomas Shaikshaft, 216 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 8: he actually promised us these certain things when it comes 217 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 8: to immunity or when it comes to us being able 218 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 8: to keep a portion of the money. So if we 219 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 8: were given these promises and we were led to believe 220 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 8: that this was going to be embedded in. 221 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: Their cooperation, then how. 222 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 8: Is it when you fast forward ten years they're able 223 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 8: to charge us on the things that we were supposed 224 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 8: to be promised and we were given. On March twenty fourth, 225 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 8: twenty eleven, the day I proffered, I spoke to Thomas Shakeshaft, 226 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 8: which is a US attorney that was in charge. He 227 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 8: basically told me not to worry. I'm not going to 228 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 8: be charged. I took that as reassurance that they would 229 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 8: never prosecute me. At my proper meeting was Thomas Shakeshaft, 230 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 8: Michael Ferrara, and DEA agents that were involved in the case. 231 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 8: Thomas Shakeshaft he told Jay and Peter at a profit 232 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 8: session that he didn't want to wipe them out of 233 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 8: their money. So these things are being said to our husbands, 234 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 8: these things are being said to us. These things are 235 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 8: not you know, they're not seizing certain things even though 236 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 8: I'm saying that we paid for all of this stuff 237 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 8: with drug proceeds from our husband's business. It's like they're 238 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 8: allowing us to keep them, and so I don't understand 239 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 8: how you can turn around and a decade later come 240 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 8: back and then charge us. 241 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 3: The wives filed emotion to dismiss their charges in twenty 242 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 3: twenty two, claiming that the twins deal provided them with 243 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 3: immunity from charges related to the twins' crimes. The wives 244 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 3: argued that the government allowed them to keep the money, 245 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 3: and that's in a profit session with US Assistant Attorney 246 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 3: Thomas Shakeshaft, all had tried to make the government aware 247 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 3: there was extra money out there, but they didn't want 248 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 3: to hear about it. All they were focused on was 249 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 3: getting El Chapo behind bars. A pre trial hearing was 250 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 3: held for Judge Matthew Kennelly to examine the evidence. The 251 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 3: wives had planned to have US Assistant Attorney Thomas Shakeshaft testify, 252 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 3: but one week before the hearing, on July the nineteenth, 253 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 3: shake Shaft died from chronic health problems and alcoholism. His 254 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 3: alcoholism was blamed in part on the stress of the 255 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 3: Flora's case. Michael Ferrara was called by the government to 256 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 3: be a witness. Here's what he had to say to 257 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 3: us about the alleged immunity deal. 258 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 9: The way that it was presented in that defense is 259 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 9: effectively that they were immunized forever more that they could 260 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 9: do whatever they wanted in the future, which I don't 261 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 9: know if that's a thing period in law enforcement, but 262 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 9: it certainly wasn't here. And immunity like that can only 263 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,360 Speaker 9: come in writing, and it can only come from. 264 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 6: The US attorney. And I'm positive that no. 265 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,439 Speaker 9: Immunity was issued by any US attorney in Chicago. The 266 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 9: wives were entitled to take, i mean, just blatant drug 267 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 9: proceeds and do whatever they want with them. The other 268 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 9: comment I can make is that the whole thing is 269 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 9: very unnecessary and unfortunate for their families. And I truly 270 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 9: do believe that Pete and Jay cooperated to give their 271 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 9: families a better life, and they had the opportunity to 272 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 9: do that, and so to allow sort of like material 273 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 9: things like spending money private schools, going on trips, the 274 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,479 Speaker 9: kind of things that they appear to have spent their 275 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 9: money on, all of that is just stupid in my opinion. 276 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,200 Speaker 9: I mean, to risk your freedom risk the safety of 277 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 9: your families over things like that. It's just sad. It's 278 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 9: a sad thing for their families. It's just a really 279 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 9: unfortunate thing that those kids were deprived of being around 280 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 9: their dads for so long and now for how way 281 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 9: long they're going to be deprived of being around their 282 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 9: mothers in a meaningful way, all for something that was 283 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 9: one hundred percent avoidable if they just would have, you know, 284 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 9: sort of. 285 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 6: Kept their heads down, drove a used minivan and those 286 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 6: kind of things. 287 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 9: The flip site to that, though, is I mean, in 288 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 9: comparison to again, like two tons a month of cocaine 289 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 9: coming into Chicago and Chapola being prosecuted and all that, 290 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 9: you're talking about a much smaller sum of money. And 291 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 9: whether it's it sent the right message to use government 292 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 9: resources like that to go after people who cooperated in 293 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 9: a way that that did a lot of did a 294 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:46,919 Speaker 9: lot of good and had a lot of benefit to 295 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 9: DJ So I think reasonable minds could differ on that 296 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 9: and whether it sends a strong enough message of what 297 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 9: should happen that that it's worth the potential downside. 298 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 3: To the wives and their lawyers. It was the government 299 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 3: that broke its promise to the Florest family from the 300 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 3: very beginning the Twins corporation and Pete's eventual testimony in 301 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 3: court against Alchapo was done with the understanding that the 302 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 3: rest of the family will be kept out of it. 303 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 3: When questioned during the El Chapo trial, Pete testified that 304 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,439 Speaker 3: his wife Viv had been given immunity as part of 305 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 3: his corporation deal. The point was made by Valenvi's defense 306 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 3: team that Pete spent eighteen months being prepped by the 307 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:39,360 Speaker 3: government to take the stand against Alchapo, and at no point, 308 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 3: including under oath in court, was there ever any challenge 309 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 3: to the notion that the wives had immunity. The wives 310 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,359 Speaker 3: argue that the government knew that there was money they 311 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,880 Speaker 3: were using to live off, and that it was used 312 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 3: to pay for their kids' education and their own living expenses. 313 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,479 Speaker 3: A single mother, they had to move their families across 314 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 3: the country every time J and P were transferred. Viv 315 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 3: had to move sixteen times due to viable threats on 316 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:15,880 Speaker 3: her life. The motion to dismiss the chargers was denied. 317 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 3: They each had a choice to take their case to trial, 318 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 3: but they were advised that the negative public perception would 319 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 3: make a trial difficult. Instead, they each pled guilty to 320 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 3: money laundering conspiracy. Viv was sentenced to three and a 321 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 3: half years in prison and ordered to pay five hundred 322 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 3: and four thousand, eight hundred and fifty eight dollars in forfeitshire. 323 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 3: She went to prison on the nineteenth of October twenty 324 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 3: twenty three. 325 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 11: It's definitely scary because I mean, unusually, I mean, Peter 326 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 11: is a very you know, his presence is like the 327 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 11: rock of our family. I felt like I took his 328 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,360 Speaker 11: face when he had to leave, you know, I took 329 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 11: over and I had to do I had to be 330 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 11: mom and dad everything. 331 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 2: This is what kills me. 332 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 7: I think that it's you know, it's really really, definitely hard. 333 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 7: I wasn't built for this, definitely wasn't built for this. 334 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 12: But a strong woman, and by far I know I am. 335 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 7: I think that my kids would definitely be very This 336 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 7: is a scar that probably would never ever, ever would 337 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 7: be able to repair. 338 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 12: We sit here and you know, you know, we've been 339 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 12: here with you, Charlie for so many days, and you know, 340 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 12: we talk about the kids and how we wanted to 341 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 12: change their lights, and I feel like we're right back. 342 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 7: We're right back exactly where we never wanted to be. 343 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 3: Vaal received the same sentence as Viv three and a 344 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 3: half years in prison, plus a five hundred and four thousand, 345 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 3: eight hundred and fifty eight dollars forfeiture. She goes to 346 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 3: prison on January tenth, twenty twenty four. 347 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 8: I felt like I was being targeted. I felt like 348 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 8: they wanted to make an example of me, which is hurtful. 349 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 8: But after understanding, you know, the government, the prosecutors that 350 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,760 Speaker 8: are in charge today of the case, I feel like 351 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 8: they're only doing their job. And I know that if 352 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 8: they were, you know, the prosecutors back then when my 353 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 8: husband was cooperating, I feel like things would have been 354 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:15,880 Speaker 8: a lot different. I did actually testify at my hearing, 355 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 8: and I did take accountability for money laundering. However, I 356 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 8: did believe that I had immunity. Whether the government agrees 357 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 8: with that or not or just going to agree to disagree, 358 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,959 Speaker 8: but unfortunately I'm going to have to go to prison. 359 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 7: Think that I'm fighting with that, I'm struggling with, you know. 360 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 8: In court, I apologize to my children, you know, for 361 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 8: the pain I caused, and I just regret putting them 362 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 8: through this again. But I feel really blessed with the 363 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 8: time that I did get because I got three and 364 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 8: a half years, and I feel like that was a 365 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 8: blessing for me. Especially this is my second time going 366 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 8: away for money laundering, so I think that I'm very 367 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 8: fortunate because it could have went a lot different, that's 368 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 8: for sure. 369 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 3: You might remember back in season one that val has 370 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 3: been to prison before. As a teenager, she fell in 371 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 3: with the wrong crowd and was used as a drug mule. 372 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 3: Before Jay, she was married to notorious Latin King's boss 373 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 3: Rudy Cato Rankel, also known as King Kato. Before Cato, 374 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 3: she was married at twenty one for a short time 375 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,120 Speaker 3: to Valentine Rivella's, who was working for the Juarez cartel. 376 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,959 Speaker 3: While she was married to Rivella's, she became caught up 377 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 3: in his business dealings. 378 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 8: Back in two thousand, in my prior marriage, I was 379 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 8: married to a drug dealer and he got indicted for 380 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 8: a drug conspiracy. I deposited money in the bank for 381 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 8: him in my accounts and that's what got me into 382 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 8: trouble and he ended up cooperating against me and I 383 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 8: went to prison for it. I received the ten months 384 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 8: but sentence where I was in prison for five months 385 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 8: and the other five months I was on house arrest. 386 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:18,239 Speaker 8: There's consequences to everything that we do. And sometimes when 387 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 8: you're in love with someone, or sometimes when you're in 388 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 8: a relationship, you don't think about certain things. You put 389 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 8: yourself second and you don't realize how this can affect you. 390 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 2: And I just hope that, like, by. 391 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 8: Sharing my story, you know, I just want to bring 392 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 8: awareness to like other women that have like walked in 393 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 8: my shoes and that have that are going through this 394 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 8: and sometimes you're living that life and it's like a 395 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,920 Speaker 8: really fast lifestyle, right and you don't realize the consequences 396 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 8: that comes with this life. I'm hoping that other women 397 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 8: can make better choices than I did. I mean, it 398 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 8: could be anything taken a small gift from someone, or 399 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 8: just trying to be loyal to the person that you're with, 400 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 8: whether it's your husband or your boyfriend, and just trying to, 401 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 8: you know, get through life. It's like you don't realize 402 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 8: that these choices that you make it can affect you 403 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 8: and they can definitely change your life. And I'm hoping 404 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 8: that other women can see my story and they can 405 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 8: maybe think twice about it and not put themselves in 406 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 8: that position. Every choice you make, it has a consequence. 407 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 7: For sure. 408 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 8: I went through a lot of trauma, and you know, 409 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 8: I talk about abusive relationships all the time, and I 410 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 8: think that it definitely affected my thought process and the 411 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 8: things that I've done. But I honestly thought that it'd 412 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 8: be different when I met Day. I felt like, you know, 413 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 8: Jay was totally different from any person I have ever 414 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 8: been with, and so I saw the good in him 415 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,119 Speaker 8: and I really thought that I could change him. And 416 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 8: I was happy that the judge acknowledged that in court, 417 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 8: and he did say that I know that it was 418 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 8: because if you convinced your husband to change his life, 419 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 8: and I think with that type of validation, I felt like, 420 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,439 Speaker 8: you know what this is for something, And I feel 421 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 8: like our lives could have turned out a lot different. 422 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 7: Than what it is today. 423 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,399 Speaker 8: And I feel like if Jay didn't make the choice 424 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 8: that he made to change his life, he probably wouldn't 425 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 8: be here today, and for me and my children, they 426 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 8: probably would have wiped out our whole family. 427 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 3: How do you feel about and how you're going to 428 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,919 Speaker 3: cope with prison? Is there anything you've thought about and 429 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,120 Speaker 3: has it come up in your head about your own safety. 430 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 8: In court, you know, there's a Mexican lady in there. 431 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 8: She was sitting in the back row and I could 432 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 8: just feel her eyes burning through me. And when I 433 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 8: was walking out, she just looked at me and smartd 434 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 8: and I was walking out of the building, out of 435 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 8: the courthouse. She was recording me and taking pictures of me. 436 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 8: And it's scary because at the end of the day, 437 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 8: there are people looking for us, and these are things 438 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 8: that we have to continue to live with. 439 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 2: I don't know, it just doesn't feel good at all. 440 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 8: It is scary. You know, I've been to prison before, 441 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 8: so I know what it feels like. More so of 442 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 8: just the fact of being alone. And I think that's 443 00:28:54,840 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 8: what scares me, you know, just you know, it's it's 444 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 8: really hard to just you know, to your time alone. 445 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 8: And I think that's the hart that scares me the most. 446 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 3: Vows with Jay as I was speaking to her after 447 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 3: a sentencing and I asked Jay, well, seeing his wife 448 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 3: go through something that was ultimately caused by him, felt like. 449 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 5: You can't even put what we're feeling against into words. 450 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 5: And to see her struggle like like she don't have 451 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 5: to say it to me because I am I. 452 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 2: Understand my kids would have to lose their mom for 453 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 2: a little bit. 454 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 5: And that's hard, you know, like being the person that 455 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 5: I am, no matter what, I'm always gonna call myself 456 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 5: responsible because I, you know, made a vow to protect 457 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 5: her and keep her my children safe, and I fail. 458 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 5: And this is all consequences of. 459 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 2: Me not being there for her or not being there 460 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 2: for my children. 461 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 5: It's gonna be hard to come, you know, to day 462 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 5: she has to turn herself in and she would never 463 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 5: be alone. I could promise her that she was always 464 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 5: there for me, and I even felt, you know, I 465 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 5: felt bad that couldn't be with her her sentencing, that 466 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 5: couldn't hold her hand and just And it's gonna be 467 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 5: like that as well. 468 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 2: Because of her being in prison. 469 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 5: I am one hundred percent sure that they're not gonna 470 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 5: allow me to visit her for safety reasons. The BP 471 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 5: would never allow me to step foot in their facility. 472 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 5: So you know, that's another hard trip that we're gonna 473 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 5: have to face. The punishment and its own, it's one thing, 474 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 5: but the pain that we're actually gonna feel from that punishment, 475 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 5: it's totally on a different level. 476 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:05,479 Speaker 2: It's hard to cope with right. But moving forward, I 477 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 2: have faith in my wife and us and our family 478 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 2: that we're going to get through this and we're going 479 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,479 Speaker 2: to be together again and continue on what we just 480 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 2: started to do was to try to live, you know, 481 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 2: a normal life as a family again. It's going to 482 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 2: be put on pause for a little bit, and I 483 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 2: just have I'm going to have a lot of work 484 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 2: to do. I have to measure up to all of 485 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 2: who val is, and that's the scary part to me. 486 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 2: For sure, that could be a lot of things, but 487 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 2: I could never fill her shoes. 488 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 8: If I wasn't with Ja, I probably wouldn't be going 489 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 8: through this today. For sure, my life would be a 490 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 8: lot different. But at the end of the day, I 491 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 8: don't regret it. I love my husband, I love my children, 492 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 8: I love my family, and I feel like I'll be okay. 493 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 8: There's a light at the end of the tunnel. I 494 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 8: truly believe that this is the last obstacle, and I 495 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 8: really know that once this is over, we can finally 496 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 8: have a fresh start at life. 497 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 3: Valenviev will be released from prison in early twenty twenty seven. 498 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 3: At the same time that Valenviev were being sentenced for 499 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 3: charges related to the spending of drug proceeds. El Chapo's wife, 500 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 3: Emma Coronel Aspuro, was released from prison. She pled guilty 501 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 3: to the distribution of cocaine, heroine, and over a thousand 502 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 3: kilograms of marijuana, as well as laundering narcotics proceeds and 503 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 3: assisting her husband El Chapo in his drug business. At 504 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:58,479 Speaker 3: her sentencing, the fact that she facilitated El Chapo's escape 505 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 3: from prison in Mexico was also brought up. She was 506 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 3: sentenced to just three years in prison and was released 507 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 3: after twenty one months and two weeks, a little under 508 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 3: two years. As Valenviev were getting ready to go to prison, 509 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 3: Emma was parting it up in Los Angeles. Valenviev's case 510 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 3: brought up questions about what this means for future cooperators 511 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 3: and the message it sends when cooperation is often based 512 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 3: on trust between the cooperator and the government. I asked 513 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 3: Michael Ferrara how important cooperators are when it comes to 514 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 3: prosecuting a case. 515 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 9: It is the single most important thing it is to 516 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 9: be able to develop cooperators once a case reaches a 517 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 9: certain level of complexity, and certainly when you're talking about 518 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 9: like an international criminal organization as large as the sin 519 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 9: of Little Cortel and all of the various things that 520 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 9: feed the Cortel and help it to exist, the corruption, 521 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 9: all of that. You can put a case together without 522 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 9: sort of like an insider point of view. 523 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 6: I mean, you need a tour. 524 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 9: Guide to say, like, this is how this worked, and 525 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 9: this is who this guy was, and this is how 526 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 9: we did this thing. So without that, those kind of 527 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 9: massive cases just realistically don't come together. When the Twins surrendered, 528 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 9: I mean, they were certainly the largest drug traffickers in 529 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 9: Chicago history, which is saying something, and at the time 530 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 9: they surrendered, they were probably the largest in the United States. 531 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 9: They were at the tippy top of the drug world, 532 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 9: but they were largely insulated from like the violence and 533 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 9: a lot of the things that come along with that. 534 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,280 Speaker 9: And I think at that time, like around two thousand 535 00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 9: and eight, Mexico was just exploding with narco violence. They 536 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 9: were smart enough to realize that they were at the 537 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 9: level where they either needed to become Chopo and everything 538 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 9: that comes along with that, or turn against Chopo and 539 00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 9: try to basically. 540 00:34:59,239 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 6: Hit to reset. 541 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 9: And what they did was extraordinarily uncommon. They were at 542 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 9: the top of the drug world. It is ultra rare 543 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 9: where somebody in that position decides to hang. 544 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 6: It up before they're caught. 545 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:21,280 Speaker 9: That facilitated their cooperation in a way that was really unique. 546 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 6: The twins were winning. 547 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 9: They were under no suspicion from the cartel, or their 548 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 9: customers or any of these other components of the drug 549 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 9: trafficking and money laundering conspiracies in which they operated that 550 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 9: they were cooperating, So that enabled them to do all 551 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 9: kinds of things that the otherwise would not have been 552 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 9: able to do, or resulted in a lot more people 553 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 9: being prosecuted and much more robust prosecutions that were it's 554 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 9: always trial proof because you had those recordings, you had 555 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 9: the life seizures, you had undercover officers being inserted to 556 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:54,399 Speaker 9: a mix, all those kinds of things. The flip side 557 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 9: to that is because their cooperation was so long and ongoing, 558 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,839 Speaker 9: they were put under a microscope like few cooperators are, 559 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,279 Speaker 9: and so the US government certainly knew more about them 560 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 9: than your average cooperator. I mean, in some ways you 561 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 9: could say that they're penalized for their truthfulness, but I 562 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 9: don't know that that's fair because again, you sort of 563 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:20,480 Speaker 9: have to go back to that all or nothing proposition, 564 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 9: and so even if you look at it as what 565 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 9: it was, a fourteen year sentence, had they not cooperated 566 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 9: and had they been arrested, they absolutely would have died 567 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 9: in prison. 568 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,600 Speaker 3: J and P cooperated to give their family a chance 569 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 3: at a better life, but taken down the world's most 570 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:45,240 Speaker 3: neworious drug Blood was bigger than just the Flores family. 571 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 3: I wondered what impact the twins' decision had on the 572 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 3: drug epidemic, and with actually catching El Chapo made a difference. 573 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 9: The macro level effect on drug trafficking, it's hard to 574 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 9: claim it was positive at all. A drug trafficking still 575 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 9: exists the United States. 576 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 6: Problems are just as bad, if not worse, today than 577 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,280 Speaker 6: they were at any. 578 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 9: Of the times when when Choppo was caught or convicted, 579 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:16,000 Speaker 9: or any of those those road markers. The cartel is 580 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 9: cartel's plural. It's kingpins like Chopo are taken taken out, 581 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 9: like the cartels, tend to fracture and splinter, and the 582 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:28,880 Speaker 9: unfortunate trend has been like the most violent people, the 583 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 9: people who are the most ruthless, the most willing to 584 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 9: use violence to sort of enforce their business ways, risen 585 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 9: to the top of these now splintered organizations. 586 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 6: They don't get. 587 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 9: Along, they fight each other, and so that is ramping 588 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:46,360 Speaker 9: up the bolent side in Mexico. And then on the 589 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,759 Speaker 9: supply side, I mean, again, things are as bad as 590 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 9: they they've ever been, with much more potent, much more 591 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 9: dangerous drugs. On your question, like, what did removing Choppo 592 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 9: do If you look at it through that lens, like, 593 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 9: there's no positive, but I don't think that's a fair 594 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 9: way to look at it at all. 595 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 6: You also just have to. 596 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 9: Look at who Chopel was as a person, and he 597 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 9: is one of the most prolific criminals in history. I mean, 598 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 9: he is singularly responsible for thousands and thousands of deaths, 599 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,280 Speaker 9: whether they be drug related deaths, whether they be deaths 600 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 9: by violence, all political corruption where the tentacles extend. 601 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:26,040 Speaker 6: All over the world. 602 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 9: He was just a completely terrible person to leave out 603 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 9: there in the world, and so removing him and the 604 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:36,319 Speaker 9: leadership structure that was around him that the twins were 605 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,799 Speaker 9: central to all of that, Like, if you look at 606 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 9: it through that lens, it was historic, an immensely beneficial 607 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,040 Speaker 9: good thing that happened. 608 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 6: But again it's just a balance. Did chopel and drugs. No, 609 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:52,719 Speaker 6: of course not. 610 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:55,479 Speaker 9: But to taking him out did that remove a great 611 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 9: threat to everything from Mexican security to U S security, 612 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 9: to just having an infrastructure in place that was exceptionally 613 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 9: good at moving drugs, nor of pulling money and guns 614 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 9: south with all of those things. That, yes, it was 615 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 9: a positive to take him out of commission. The Twins, 616 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,200 Speaker 9: they were supplying so much of the drug market, and 617 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 9: in particular the cocaine market in Chicago in the country 618 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 9: that when they left, I mean, there was certainly a 619 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 9: temporary drop in drug levels. 620 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 6: So I mean, at their peak they were importing. 621 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:35,360 Speaker 9: About two tons a month of cocaine into the United States, 622 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:38,719 Speaker 9: about a full ton of that state in Chicago and 623 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 9: was distributed in the Chicago area, which is just a 624 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 9: staggering amount. And then the other time went all over 625 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 9: the place. It fed New York, DC, places on the 626 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 9: East coast. And so when that switch went from on 627 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 9: off suddenly and the Twins weren't pushing that product into 628 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 9: the United States, that only made levels drop and made 629 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:06,200 Speaker 9: things more expensive. All of that, and in the process 630 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 9: of their cooperation, they took out people who were massive 631 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 9: drug traffickers in their own right, so all of them 632 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 9: left in a comparatively short period of time. It's getting 633 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,760 Speaker 9: people who were very bad for society out of the mix. 634 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 9: And for a short period of time, it did make 635 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:23,880 Speaker 9: cocaine in particular. 636 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 6: Harder to get. 637 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 9: But wherever there's that void, it's going to get very 638 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 9: very quickly filled, and it did. 639 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 6: Cocaine levels rebounded, And right around. 640 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,960 Speaker 9: That time is when the cartel started moving into the 641 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 9: opioid markets, and Chopo and people like Chopo recognized that 642 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:48,240 Speaker 9: their profit margins were dramatically, dramatically higher with opioids period 643 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 9: because they could grow poppies in Mexico, and then with 644 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 9: synthetic opiods in particular, once they started to fully understand 645 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 9: the benefits of fentanyl, how cheaply it can be manufactured, 646 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,920 Speaker 9: pope and it is where if you get one kilo 647 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:04,799 Speaker 9: of fentol to the United States, it's the same as 648 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:06,440 Speaker 9: getting fifty kilo as a heroine. 649 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:09,120 Speaker 6: And so I mean that that's just a horrific. 650 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 9: Formula for more drugs and more dangerous drugs getting pushed 651 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 9: out on the street if you look at it holistically, 652 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:19,839 Speaker 9: like problems are worse after the Twins cooperation than they 653 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:23,799 Speaker 9: were before the Twins cooperation, which is a depressing thing 654 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 9: to say about, but. 655 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:26,919 Speaker 6: I think it's it's a very true thing to say. 656 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 3: Despite the work to stop it, the drug tray continues 657 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,400 Speaker 3: to grow. The removal of Al Chapo didn't end the 658 00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 3: Sinila cartel. His four sons, together known as Lost Japzzas, 659 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 3: took over the cartel in his place. They are known 660 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 3: as being richer, more powerful, and more violent than Al 661 00:41:49,239 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 3: Chapo ever was Lost Japzos used corkscrews, electrocution, and hot 662 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 3: chilis to torture their rivals and feed people to tiger. 663 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,799 Speaker 3: In January of this year, twenty twenty three, one of 664 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:10,319 Speaker 3: El Chapo's sons, Olivido Guzman Lopez, the logistics manager for 665 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 3: the cartel, was arrested in a bloody operation resulting in 666 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:20,040 Speaker 3: twenty nine deaths. In September, Olivido was extradited to the US. 667 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 3: The other three sons continue to run the cartel. One 668 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:28,479 Speaker 3: of them, Ivan Arcovaldo, is now on the DEA's most 669 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:32,040 Speaker 3: wanted list with a ten million dollar bounty on his head, 670 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:36,440 Speaker 3: a higher bounty than his father, El Chapo ever had. 671 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,640 Speaker 3: As for El Chapo, he's still trying to appeal his sentence. 672 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:00,799 Speaker 3: Over the past three years, I've gotten to know the 673 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:05,200 Speaker 3: Flores family really well. In sharing their story, they opened 674 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:09,760 Speaker 3: up about things they've never spoken about before. Fifteen years ago, 675 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 3: that one decision to turn themselves in sets off a 676 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,759 Speaker 3: domino effect that led to where they are today. I 677 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 3: couldn't help but wonder if Jay still felt it was 678 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:24,600 Speaker 3: all worth it. How do you feel about that decision 679 00:43:24,680 --> 00:43:29,000 Speaker 3: you made all those years ago now to turn yourself in. 680 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,200 Speaker 5: I don't live with regrets tortally. I trust in God 681 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:40,800 Speaker 5: that he had led us to this point. I believe 682 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 5: that everything that's good that came out of my decision 683 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:50,400 Speaker 5: was from Him. And I feel like everything that hasn't 684 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:57,399 Speaker 5: been good has been because of our personal mistakes. And 685 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:00,920 Speaker 5: I would never want to change work. You know, the 686 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:07,439 Speaker 5: positive outcome that that He has blessed us with. We're 687 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:11,000 Speaker 5: far removed from that life except for our legal issues. 688 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,440 Speaker 5: You know, I've been home almost three years. It's been 689 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,720 Speaker 5: fifteen years since we made that decision and we decided 690 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 5: to turn our life around, and fifteen years that I 691 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 5: got to be a husband and father, even though I 692 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:27,760 Speaker 5: was away from my wife and children for twelve years. 693 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 5: I still got to see my children grow and become 694 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:39,279 Speaker 5: these amazing young men and young women, and I get 695 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:41,400 Speaker 5: to still be a father to my children. I feel 696 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 5: like even though it was from Afar, I still was 697 00:44:44,520 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 5: able to feel that, And there's nothing more important to 698 00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:50,879 Speaker 5: me than that. 699 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:53,560 Speaker 2: I feel like that it's a blessing in itself. 700 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 5: That would never second guess or never want to change. 701 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 5: I still have my wife life, I still have my family, 702 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 5: and it was what I did it for the first place. 703 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:13,960 Speaker 5: I'm looking forward to, you know, all the amazing opportunities 704 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:17,400 Speaker 5: that are away for us in the future, and I 705 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:20,719 Speaker 5: know we're going to get through this. I feel like 706 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:23,520 Speaker 5: we have to take the good with the bad and 707 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:27,839 Speaker 5: the bad with the good, and I honestly feel there's 708 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:33,760 Speaker 5: a lot more good us sharing our personal lives review 709 00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:37,680 Speaker 5: with the world. It's about our suffering. It's about all 710 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 5: these small decisions just snowball. 711 00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:46,200 Speaker 2: Into a whole lot of suffering. 712 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:49,440 Speaker 5: For so many lives, for so many of our family members, 713 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:53,439 Speaker 5: for our children, for us, And it continues, and it's 714 00:45:53,520 --> 00:46:01,960 Speaker 5: a fight to just want to make things right. And 715 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:05,320 Speaker 5: I know that there's not many people who have walked 716 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:07,359 Speaker 5: in those shoes as me and my brother who has 717 00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:11,640 Speaker 5: made it that far up into the you know, cartel 718 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:17,000 Speaker 5: life or drug trafficking life. And there's a reason why 719 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 5: my brother and I decided to change our lives along. 720 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 2: With our family, with our wives. 721 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:23,280 Speaker 5: You know, we want to change our lives because it's 722 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 5: we would never choose anything else but our family. And 723 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:34,719 Speaker 5: I just have this burning desire to not let this go, 724 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:38,720 Speaker 5: not let you know, all my children suffering, my wife's suffering, 725 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:43,399 Speaker 5: for it to be for nothing. I feel like we 726 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,520 Speaker 5: were meant to be here, We were meant to come 727 00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:48,359 Speaker 5: this far, and I feel like it was to share 728 00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:52,880 Speaker 5: into our testimony to our past life and hopefully inspire 729 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:54,960 Speaker 5: someone not just in drug trafficking, to say, hey, you 730 00:46:55,040 --> 00:46:57,800 Speaker 5: know what, I was on the opposite end of something 731 00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 5: really bad, and through support through my family, I had 732 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:11,879 Speaker 5: to endure some sacrifice. It was suffering, but after that 733 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:15,000 Speaker 5: suffering because of choices I made, that was able to 734 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:20,480 Speaker 5: turn that into something positive, something that could bring hope 735 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:23,239 Speaker 5: to other people, right, something that could make my first 736 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:25,440 Speaker 5: so that my children could go back and say, hey, 737 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:28,719 Speaker 5: you know what, I spent all these years without my father, 738 00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:31,960 Speaker 5: without my mom, but you know what, it came for 739 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 5: a good cause because my dad was able to change 740 00:47:34,560 --> 00:47:37,400 Speaker 5: his life for wrong and he had an impact on 741 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:40,000 Speaker 5: his war on drugs. He had an impact on something 742 00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:46,840 Speaker 5: that he helped create, and that's important to me. I 743 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:52,600 Speaker 5: have the potential that potentially right changed the way the 744 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:55,920 Speaker 5: war on drugs has been attacked or dealt with for 745 00:47:55,960 --> 00:48:00,200 Speaker 5: the last fifty years. 746 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:04,800 Speaker 3: Jay is now working with Dynamic Police Training to educate 747 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,880 Speaker 3: law enforcements on the intricacies of the drug world. He 748 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:12,320 Speaker 3: runs a course called From Kingpin to Educator. 749 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:16,480 Speaker 5: I did my first conference, my first law enforcement conference. 750 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:19,360 Speaker 5: I was a guest speaker for four hundred and fifty 751 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:26,279 Speaker 5: officers in August and the state, federal law enforcement, and 752 00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:32,680 Speaker 5: some local law enforcement. And by chance, I was speaking 753 00:48:32,719 --> 00:48:37,239 Speaker 5: to these law enforcement officers and I got pulled to 754 00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:41,279 Speaker 5: the site by for d EA officers that were part 755 00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:44,480 Speaker 5: of the swat team that rated my home when they 756 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:51,319 Speaker 5: came to arrest Vow. And that is a moment where 757 00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:55,480 Speaker 5: it's like wow, Like they were in my house not 758 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:59,279 Speaker 5: so long ago and they came arrested my wife. But yeah, 759 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:04,800 Speaker 5: here I am working with them, right, And I guess 760 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:06,240 Speaker 5: it's just another. 761 00:49:07,840 --> 00:49:10,680 Speaker 2: Just unbelievable marketing our. 762 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 5: Story that it's hard to you know, it's probably hard 763 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:16,080 Speaker 5: for people to believe or hard for. 764 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,200 Speaker 2: People to understand. And it's been like that for a 765 00:49:19,239 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 2: lot of my life. 766 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:25,600 Speaker 5: And I'm just thankful and grateful for the opportunity that 767 00:49:26,120 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 5: I will be able to do that moving forward. 768 00:49:28,320 --> 00:49:32,799 Speaker 2: And it does make me. It makes me feel good. 769 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:36,840 Speaker 5: I feel like I'm finally doing something positive, especially with 770 00:49:37,040 --> 00:49:40,360 Speaker 5: something that filled me and has brought so much hardship 771 00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 5: and heartache. And now here I am, you know, in 772 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:48,840 Speaker 5: a room for the law enforcement who are eager to 773 00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:52,040 Speaker 5: listen to me, eager to learn. And it's talk about 774 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,399 Speaker 5: coming full circle, right, like, you know, I started on 775 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 5: one end, and now here I am, you know, working 776 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:01,880 Speaker 5: with law enforcement you know, across the country, around the world, 777 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:06,879 Speaker 5: sharing I guess all my suffering, right, you know, and 778 00:50:06,920 --> 00:50:09,840 Speaker 5: everything I've learned since I was seven years old in 779 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:15,120 Speaker 5: joy trafficking. It's kind of weird because people are like, wow, yes, 780 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:18,919 Speaker 5: you're helping the same people that are imprisoning in your family, right, 781 00:50:20,520 --> 00:50:23,360 Speaker 5: But no, I don't look at it that way, not 782 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:29,399 Speaker 5: at all. I understand the system more than anyone in. 783 00:50:31,520 --> 00:50:36,600 Speaker 2: I don't have carrying out alice. 784 00:50:36,800 --> 00:50:40,200 Speaker 3: All the classes and conferences something that you're going to 785 00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:41,200 Speaker 3: do moving forward. 786 00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:45,600 Speaker 2: Now, yes, it's my plan. I'm moving forward. I'm doing 787 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:46,680 Speaker 2: conferences and classes. 788 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:51,840 Speaker 5: I have sixteen set dates already and I will continue 789 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:54,040 Speaker 5: working on those classes as much as I'm able to 790 00:50:54,080 --> 00:50:59,200 Speaker 5: get booked right and as longest law enforcement officers you 791 00:50:59,239 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 5: know here around the country, around the world are open 792 00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:04,080 Speaker 5: to hear me that I'm. 793 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:04,600 Speaker 6: Going to be there. 794 00:51:07,360 --> 00:51:10,200 Speaker 5: I always say that, well for my brother, and there's 795 00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:14,960 Speaker 5: not anyone out there that could that has the knowledge 796 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:19,040 Speaker 5: and expertise that we have. And I said this, you know, 797 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:21,240 Speaker 5: to law enforcement, like I was not made in Mexico. 798 00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:23,760 Speaker 2: I was born in Chicago, made in America. 799 00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:29,120 Speaker 5: And if I could share this with law enforcement, share 800 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:32,480 Speaker 5: all the knowledge and the expertise that I think I have, 801 00:51:32,719 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 5: and hopefully they could take that and use it a 802 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:40,880 Speaker 5: positive way, I think to me, that's like, that's the 803 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:41,720 Speaker 5: biggest reward. 804 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,920 Speaker 2: I'm one of those persons I believe that anything's possible, 805 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:46,760 Speaker 2: especially you look. 806 00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:51,120 Speaker 5: At my life and where I came from and where 807 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:54,719 Speaker 5: I ended up at and you know our family struggles 808 00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:57,200 Speaker 5: and to have the opportunity that I that I have 809 00:51:57,320 --> 00:52:00,480 Speaker 5: it it wasn't given to me. Charlie. 810 00:52:00,680 --> 00:52:04,840 Speaker 2: I had to create it. I had to push for it. 811 00:52:04,920 --> 00:52:07,880 Speaker 5: I had to fight for it, and I'll continue to 812 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:10,200 Speaker 5: fight for what I believe in. And I think that 813 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:13,400 Speaker 5: we all have it in us, and we just got 814 00:52:13,440 --> 00:52:16,399 Speaker 5: to look for their strength and courage to go through 815 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:16,719 Speaker 5: with it. 816 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:22,880 Speaker 3: Alongside the classes, Jay is looking for more steady work. 817 00:52:23,320 --> 00:52:25,560 Speaker 3: He's been working on a resume that he showed me, 818 00:52:26,080 --> 00:52:30,920 Speaker 3: and it's hopeful that someone will take a chance on him. 819 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:34,680 Speaker 3: Jay's dedicated to turning his life around and writing a 820 00:52:34,719 --> 00:52:38,480 Speaker 3: new legacy for the Flora's name. But it's not always 821 00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 3: that easy when you have a criminal record like Jade's 822 00:52:41,920 --> 00:52:46,399 Speaker 3: that follows you through life. Half of the seventy eight 823 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:50,880 Speaker 3: million Americans with the criminal record have difficulty finding a 824 00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:54,720 Speaker 3: job and making a living. Nearly a third of federal 825 00:52:54,760 --> 00:52:59,520 Speaker 3: inmates don't find work at all after they're released. Will 826 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:03,479 Speaker 3: someone like Jay or anyone with a criminal record get 827 00:53:03,560 --> 00:53:04,480 Speaker 3: a second chance? 828 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:06,640 Speaker 6: Can you read this? 829 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:08,319 Speaker 2: Can I read it? 830 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:09,760 Speaker 6: Ye're sure you read it? 831 00:53:09,560 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 2: It's an email there, Okay. 832 00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:18,160 Speaker 3: I recently came across something unusual, a tweet from Elon 833 00:53:18,239 --> 00:53:21,440 Speaker 3: Musk that spoke to me drug dealers know more about 834 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:24,480 Speaker 3: running a business than ninety five percent of college professors. 835 00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:27,480 Speaker 3: So here I am today taking a leap of faith 836 00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:30,400 Speaker 3: and sending you my resume. I worked on it with 837 00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:33,280 Speaker 3: intentions of sending it to a like minded business person 838 00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:36,760 Speaker 3: like yourself. My goal is to utilize the business skills 839 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:39,760 Speaker 3: I've acquired in the drug trade and apply these street 840 00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:44,240 Speaker 3: smarts toward doing something positive in the corporate world. Although 841 00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:46,400 Speaker 3: I chose the wrong path in life, it's helped me 842 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:50,560 Speaker 3: shape me into the businessman I am today. I am 843 00:53:50,600 --> 00:53:55,560 Speaker 3: a senior operations executive and internationologistic specialist. My twin brother 844 00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:00,680 Speaker 3: and I built a two billion dollar drug trafficking enterprise 845 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,560 Speaker 3: nothing We encountered far more obstacles than our average corporation, 846 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,640 Speaker 3: but with determination and strong will, I pushed through day 847 00:54:07,640 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 3: to day challenges. By focusing on innovative solutions, I acquired 848 00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:13,840 Speaker 3: the skills needed to do a thorough risk assessment and 849 00:54:13,920 --> 00:54:17,560 Speaker 3: quickly mitigate any potential losses. Because in our business there 850 00:54:17,640 --> 00:54:18,200 Speaker 3: was less. 851 00:54:18,040 --> 00:54:20,840 Speaker 2: Room for error. Can I carry on? 852 00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:24,239 Speaker 3: With twenty plus years of extensive experience, I gained the 853 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:29,440 Speaker 3: entrepreneurial skills necessary to successfully develop, structure, managed, nurture, innovate, 854 00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:32,960 Speaker 3: and grow any business. Despite being driven and having a 855 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:36,800 Speaker 3: fierce hunger for success. I am relatable, willing to learn, 856 00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:40,000 Speaker 3: adapt easily, and have the interpersonal skills needed for team 857 00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:42,080 Speaker 3: building and customer relations. 858 00:54:41,640 --> 00:54:42,520 Speaker 7: In any industry. 859 00:54:43,320 --> 00:54:45,280 Speaker 3: Although I was born into the world of drug trafficking, 860 00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:47,720 Speaker 3: at the height of my career, I decided to denounce 861 00:54:47,719 --> 00:54:50,640 Speaker 3: that life and take a road less traveled. At the 862 00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:51,879 Speaker 3: young age of twenty. 863 00:54:51,600 --> 00:54:54,439 Speaker 13: Six, my brother and I gave it all up, voluntarily 864 00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:58,759 Speaker 13: turned ourselves into the authorities, dismantled our organization, and soved 865 00:54:58,760 --> 00:55:01,160 Speaker 13: a fourteen year prison sent since I had a federal 866 00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:04,759 Speaker 13: correctional institution in a special WITSEC unit. 867 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:08,000 Speaker 3: Today, I live under a new identity and I'm a 868 00:55:08,040 --> 00:55:11,200 Speaker 3: firm believer in redemption and second chances. I know I'm 869 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:13,320 Speaker 3: here for a reason and have a bigger purpose in 870 00:55:13,400 --> 00:55:15,040 Speaker 3: life to fulfilm. 871 00:55:15,200 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 2: I'm in the. 872 00:55:15,600 --> 00:55:18,960 Speaker 3: Process of rewriting my story and with your help, I 873 00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:21,640 Speaker 3: hope to remove stigmas and leave a positive imprint in 874 00:55:21,680 --> 00:55:46,840 Speaker 3: this world. That's the end of our time with the 875 00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:50,359 Speaker 3: Flores family. Thank you for coming on this journey with us, 876 00:55:51,200 --> 00:55:53,880 Speaker 3: and a big thank you to the Flores's family for 877 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:55,759 Speaker 3: sharing their story. 878 00:55:56,480 --> 00:56:00,279 Speaker 4: Stay tuned for the Flores Twins doctor series and scripture series. 879 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:08,520 Speaker 3: Commons Surviving l Chapo, The Twins Who Brought Down a 880 00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:12,120 Speaker 3: Drug Lord. Season two is hosted by Curtis fifty Cent 881 00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:17,120 Speaker 3: Jackson and me Charlie Webster, produced by myself and Jackson McLennan, 882 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:22,160 Speaker 3: Assistant producer and research support by Katy Hurtz, Edit and 883 00:56:22,239 --> 00:56:26,240 Speaker 3: sound design by Nico Polella, Theme music and original score 884 00:56:26,360 --> 00:56:31,560 Speaker 3: by Ryan Sorenson. It's executive produced by Curtis fifty cent 885 00:56:31,600 --> 00:56:37,120 Speaker 3: Jackson and Me Charlie Webster. Curtis fifty cent Jackson presents 886 00:56:37,120 --> 00:56:41,200 Speaker 3: a Lionsgate Sound and G Unit audio production exclusively for 887 00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:42,400 Speaker 3: iHeart Podcasts