1 00:00:15,316 --> 00:00:23,076 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey guys, this is Jake Halbern, host of Deep Cover. 2 00:00:24,356 --> 00:00:26,836 Speaker 1: We're currently working on season two and we'll be sure 3 00:00:26,836 --> 00:00:28,476 Speaker 1: to let you know when it will be coming out. 4 00:00:28,876 --> 00:00:31,836 Speaker 1: But in the meantime, we have our first bonus episode 5 00:00:31,876 --> 00:00:41,316 Speaker 1: for you. The supply side today's bonus episode. It's actually 6 00:00:41,356 --> 00:00:43,876 Speaker 1: a story that I really wanted to include in season one. 7 00:00:44,516 --> 00:00:46,196 Speaker 1: In fact, to tell you the truth, I had this 8 00:00:46,236 --> 00:00:49,996 Speaker 1: big debate with my producer Karen Shakerjee. I kept saying, look, 9 00:00:50,116 --> 00:00:53,036 Speaker 1: we got to include this story. She was like, it's awesome, 10 00:00:53,116 --> 00:00:56,116 Speaker 1: but it's kind of a tangent, like a crazy side trip, 11 00:00:56,156 --> 00:00:59,916 Speaker 1: and it just doesn't fit. Karen, she was right, kind 12 00:00:59,956 --> 00:01:05,036 Speaker 1: of annoyingly, she's almost always right. But fortunately this story 13 00:01:05,756 --> 00:01:08,876 Speaker 1: it's perfect for bonus episode because one thing that we 14 00:01:09,156 --> 00:01:12,796 Speaker 1: really didn't get into during season one was the suppliers, 15 00:01:13,116 --> 00:01:16,996 Speaker 1: the Colombians, the guys who actually harvested all those crops 16 00:01:16,996 --> 00:01:21,276 Speaker 1: of marijuana. If you recall, that's where Ned ultimately wanted 17 00:01:21,316 --> 00:01:24,476 Speaker 1: to go down to Columbia. He had a source named 18 00:01:24,476 --> 00:01:28,116 Speaker 1: Simone who had all kinds of connections down there. These 19 00:01:28,116 --> 00:01:31,196 Speaker 1: are the people that would have supplied the drugs to 20 00:01:31,356 --> 00:01:34,276 Speaker 1: likely rich. There are the people that controlled everything on 21 00:01:34,276 --> 00:01:37,116 Speaker 1: an Earth coast to Columbia. But in the end, and 22 00:01:37,276 --> 00:01:40,436 Speaker 1: spoiler your guys, So if you haven't heard episode nine yet, 23 00:01:40,836 --> 00:01:45,636 Speaker 1: hit pause, because Ned ends up leaving the FBI and 24 00:01:45,716 --> 00:01:56,316 Speaker 1: the suppliers, well, they just kind of slipped away naturally. 25 00:01:56,516 --> 00:01:58,876 Speaker 1: This was one piece of the puzzle that still really 26 00:01:58,916 --> 00:02:01,876 Speaker 1: intrigued me. So in this episode, we're going to do 27 00:02:01,916 --> 00:02:05,476 Speaker 1: a deep dive into the marijuana industry down in Columbia, 28 00:02:05,596 --> 00:02:08,716 Speaker 1: and our guide, interestingly enough, is a guy who once 29 00:02:08,836 --> 00:02:12,436 Speaker 1: helped supply Mike Vogel back in the day. Remember Mike, 30 00:02:12,756 --> 00:02:14,876 Speaker 1: I had it in such a way that I really 31 00:02:14,916 --> 00:02:18,076 Speaker 1: control the marijuana industry in Michigan, Anna Iver and all 32 00:02:18,116 --> 00:02:21,396 Speaker 1: the rest. He was the grocery guy, the distributor with 33 00:02:21,436 --> 00:02:25,076 Speaker 1: the big warehouse. Anyway, I heard about the supplier from 34 00:02:25,076 --> 00:02:28,196 Speaker 1: a customs agent, and I was intrigued. I had this 35 00:02:28,316 --> 00:02:31,356 Speaker 1: one question in particular that I wanted to run by him. 36 00:02:31,476 --> 00:02:34,716 Speaker 1: If you remember from season one, our smugglers had all 37 00:02:34,836 --> 00:02:39,556 Speaker 1: his products stuck down in Columbia, one million pounds of marijuana, 38 00:02:39,796 --> 00:02:42,836 Speaker 1: and so I'm kind of wondering, what does the bullion 39 00:02:42,876 --> 00:02:50,076 Speaker 1: pounds of marijuana look like a fucking mountain that's Tommy Powell. 40 00:02:50,476 --> 00:02:54,516 Speaker 1: My name is either Tommy, tom or Thomas, depending on 41 00:02:55,276 --> 00:03:00,356 Speaker 1: who I'm talking to. Tommy is to my friends, Tomas 42 00:03:00,436 --> 00:03:03,596 Speaker 1: people that don't know me, and Thomas is for the government. 43 00:03:04,076 --> 00:03:11,036 Speaker 1: I'm seventy two, I'm a lifelong vegetarian. I'm in great health, 44 00:03:12,556 --> 00:03:15,836 Speaker 1: and I look forward to another thirty or four years. 45 00:03:19,516 --> 00:03:23,396 Speaker 1: Tommy was a self identified smuggler and salesman for about 46 00:03:23,436 --> 00:03:26,476 Speaker 1: a decade. He started in the early seventies. He was 47 00:03:26,516 --> 00:03:29,356 Speaker 1: this American ex pat used to live and work down 48 00:03:29,356 --> 00:03:33,836 Speaker 1: in Columbia inspecting marijuana crops. He's responsible for bringing in 49 00:03:33,916 --> 00:03:37,836 Speaker 1: over three hundred thousand pounds of marijuana himself. Not just that, 50 00:03:38,236 --> 00:03:41,796 Speaker 1: he estimates he helped supply a bunch of other smugglers 51 00:03:41,876 --> 00:03:44,076 Speaker 1: who brought in somewhere in the range of two to 52 00:03:44,196 --> 00:03:47,956 Speaker 1: three million pounds. But Tommy was the guy. He would 53 00:03:47,996 --> 00:03:51,356 Speaker 1: be on the ground in Colombia and would often find 54 00:03:51,436 --> 00:03:56,396 Speaker 1: himself in some pretty dicey situations. He's lived a crazy life, 55 00:03:56,836 --> 00:03:58,916 Speaker 1: even by the standards of the character. As you got 56 00:03:58,916 --> 00:04:05,276 Speaker 1: to know in season one, Jake, I can't describe the 57 00:04:05,356 --> 00:04:09,276 Speaker 1: walk into the mountains. I mean, so treacherous, so treacherous. 58 00:04:09,476 --> 00:04:15,116 Speaker 1: There was this one section. It's probably a hundred yards 59 00:04:15,516 --> 00:04:21,796 Speaker 1: where there's a walk it's probably about three feet wide, 60 00:04:22,396 --> 00:04:26,956 Speaker 1: and it's over this cliff and the drop is probably 61 00:04:26,996 --> 00:04:30,116 Speaker 1: a thousand feet or five hundred feet or something. Some 62 00:04:30,516 --> 00:04:34,516 Speaker 1: seriously scary if you look over the edge when you're walking, 63 00:04:34,676 --> 00:04:39,076 Speaker 1: you really don't want to do that. So how does Tommy, 64 00:04:39,396 --> 00:04:42,236 Speaker 1: a dude from Michigan end up living down in Columbia 65 00:04:42,356 --> 00:04:47,876 Speaker 1: inspecting marijuana crops? Turns out it's kind of a wild story. Initially, 66 00:04:47,956 --> 00:04:50,396 Speaker 1: he was a dealer in ann Arbor around the same 67 00:04:50,436 --> 00:04:54,316 Speaker 1: time Mike Vogel was getting started. Mike Vogel I'm familiar with. 68 00:04:55,156 --> 00:04:58,156 Speaker 1: He used to sell my reefer in Detroit before he 69 00:04:58,196 --> 00:05:01,636 Speaker 1: got involved with those other criminals. At the time, Tommy 70 00:05:01,676 --> 00:05:04,236 Speaker 1: says he was smuggling his reefer, as he calls it 71 00:05:04,436 --> 00:05:08,876 Speaker 1: in from Mexico, but the product wasn't so great, nothing 72 00:05:08,916 --> 00:05:11,996 Speaker 1: to rag about. Eventually, Tommy gets in trouble with the 73 00:05:12,076 --> 00:05:16,076 Speaker 1: law when a drug sniffing dog named Bomber finds a 74 00:05:16,116 --> 00:05:19,036 Speaker 1: foot locker of weed at the airport. Police played at 75 00:05:19,076 --> 00:05:21,636 Speaker 1: sly and followed the foot locker as it was picked 76 00:05:21,716 --> 00:05:24,476 Speaker 1: up and then taken to a house. The cops eventually 77 00:05:24,516 --> 00:05:27,436 Speaker 1: barged in and made arrests Tommy. He was at the 78 00:05:27,476 --> 00:05:31,116 Speaker 1: house he got arrested. We found news articles documenting all this. 79 00:05:31,196 --> 00:05:34,796 Speaker 1: By the way, bottom line, this is bad news for Tommy. 80 00:05:35,236 --> 00:05:37,956 Speaker 1: But Tommy says that his case was thrown out because 81 00:05:37,956 --> 00:05:40,756 Speaker 1: the judge ruled it was an illegal search and seizure. 82 00:05:41,156 --> 00:05:45,436 Speaker 1: Bomber apparently was not authorized to sniff that foot locker. Still, 83 00:05:45,836 --> 00:05:48,516 Speaker 1: it was a close call, and so Tommy decides to 84 00:05:48,556 --> 00:05:52,636 Speaker 1: go clean for a while. Anyhow, so I said, ah, 85 00:05:52,756 --> 00:05:57,596 Speaker 1: I'm retiring. So I decided to go to Gainesville and 86 00:05:57,956 --> 00:06:00,556 Speaker 1: visit my brother Billy. And at that time, water beds 87 00:06:00,556 --> 00:06:03,796 Speaker 1: were real popular, and so I filled up my van 88 00:06:03,916 --> 00:06:08,076 Speaker 1: with like about fifty water beds and that drove down 89 00:06:08,076 --> 00:06:10,316 Speaker 1: to Gainesville and start selling them out of the back 90 00:06:10,356 --> 00:06:13,996 Speaker 1: of my van. And so I was so successful at it. 91 00:06:14,076 --> 00:06:16,516 Speaker 1: I mean I was doing good. I was selling thousands 92 00:06:16,516 --> 00:06:19,916 Speaker 1: of them. But as you've probably gathered, he gets drawn 93 00:06:20,116 --> 00:06:25,356 Speaker 1: back into the marijuana business. He meets a guy who 94 00:06:25,396 --> 00:06:29,596 Speaker 1: offers some some new product imported from Jamaica. This, by 95 00:06:29,636 --> 00:06:32,756 Speaker 1: the way, is the early nineteen seventies, and the export 96 00:06:32,836 --> 00:06:36,996 Speaker 1: market for Jamaican weed is expanding. In the US, the branding, 97 00:06:37,236 --> 00:06:41,116 Speaker 1: for lack of a better word, was good. Bob Marley 98 00:06:41,236 --> 00:06:44,636 Speaker 1: was becoming a household name. Tommy says the Jamaican buds 99 00:06:44,716 --> 00:06:47,716 Speaker 1: were a real upgrade from the Mexican stuff that he'd 100 00:06:47,716 --> 00:06:52,636 Speaker 1: been peddling. So I started taking his Jamaicans up to 101 00:06:52,716 --> 00:06:56,356 Speaker 1: ann Arbor and I probably sold Jesus Coming Guy alone 102 00:06:56,676 --> 00:06:59,836 Speaker 1: twenty thousand and thirty thousand pounds maybe of his reefer. 103 00:07:00,276 --> 00:07:03,236 Speaker 1: So while I'm selling it, I'm getting this Oh shit, 104 00:07:03,356 --> 00:07:06,836 Speaker 1: this stuff is not good. It's good. It's better than 105 00:07:06,876 --> 00:07:10,636 Speaker 1: that Mexican ship, but it's good. So I put it 106 00:07:10,636 --> 00:07:12,196 Speaker 1: in my mind. I says, man, I'm going to go 107 00:07:12,276 --> 00:07:14,596 Speaker 1: to Columbian and see if I can get from better 108 00:07:14,596 --> 00:07:16,996 Speaker 1: reefer out of there. And the reason that he says 109 00:07:17,036 --> 00:07:19,836 Speaker 1: this is because at some point he gets a chance 110 00:07:19,876 --> 00:07:25,596 Speaker 1: to smoke some of that Columbian weed. I think I 111 00:07:25,756 --> 00:07:29,316 Speaker 1: was at a Partian and Arbor and there were some 112 00:07:29,396 --> 00:07:33,076 Speaker 1: hipsters there and they had some Columbian Maryluana and we 113 00:07:33,196 --> 00:07:35,636 Speaker 1: smoked it, and I smoked, and I go home, Shit, man, 114 00:07:35,756 --> 00:07:38,636 Speaker 1: we've got to get this stuff. You know. It was 115 00:07:38,716 --> 00:07:41,396 Speaker 1: that much better. It was two times three times better. 116 00:07:41,396 --> 00:07:45,436 Speaker 1: It looked better you know, and it was definitely had 117 00:07:45,436 --> 00:07:49,316 Speaker 1: a higher THC content for sure. Then one day two 118 00:07:49,356 --> 00:07:52,716 Speaker 1: of Tommy's friends, Ronnie and Dave, propose a kind of 119 00:07:52,876 --> 00:07:55,516 Speaker 1: spur of the moment trip. They said, hey, let's go 120 00:07:55,636 --> 00:07:58,916 Speaker 1: to Columbia. I says, yeah, man, let's go to Columbia, 121 00:07:58,956 --> 00:08:01,236 Speaker 1: go up the north coast and see if we can 122 00:08:01,236 --> 00:08:03,956 Speaker 1: find something out up there. You know. I Jamaican ships 123 00:08:03,996 --> 00:08:08,716 Speaker 1: getting boring. So we got on a plane Abianca flight 124 00:08:09,116 --> 00:08:15,316 Speaker 1: out of Miami, and Ronnie comes up like ten minutes 125 00:08:15,396 --> 00:08:17,396 Speaker 1: after the flight's going and says, hey, man, you want 126 00:08:17,396 --> 00:08:21,676 Speaker 1: to take a hit of ascid? Oh my lord. So 127 00:08:21,716 --> 00:08:23,556 Speaker 1: I says, yeah, man, I'll take a hit of Assis. 128 00:08:23,716 --> 00:08:28,996 Speaker 1: Landed in Bogata and proceeded to go directly to the 129 00:08:29,036 --> 00:08:34,916 Speaker 1: closest house of ill repute and got an aunt of 130 00:08:34,996 --> 00:08:39,756 Speaker 1: cocaine and like five bottles of old par Scotch and 131 00:08:39,916 --> 00:08:42,076 Speaker 1: sat in there and drank in there and did other 132 00:08:42,436 --> 00:08:48,516 Speaker 1: nfarious things, and I crawled out the front door. Tommy 133 00:08:48,556 --> 00:08:51,956 Speaker 1: says that by this point, Ronnie and Dave, there's two 134 00:08:51,956 --> 00:08:55,316 Speaker 1: buddies that he'd flown down with. They were in rough shape. 135 00:08:55,836 --> 00:08:57,716 Speaker 1: They were so freaked out they didn't want to stay. 136 00:08:58,556 --> 00:09:01,516 Speaker 1: So I don't want to stay either, because I'd be 137 00:09:01,556 --> 00:09:04,916 Speaker 1: all alone then and I didn't know anybody, you know. 138 00:09:05,796 --> 00:09:08,316 Speaker 1: So we hopped back on a cane and flew back 139 00:09:08,396 --> 00:09:11,876 Speaker 1: to my Ammy. When you went to Columbia that first time, 140 00:09:11,916 --> 00:09:16,796 Speaker 1: did you actually make contact with any marijuana fellers, No, 141 00:09:17,236 --> 00:09:21,796 Speaker 1: just with the ladies of the night. A few months later, 142 00:09:21,916 --> 00:09:24,956 Speaker 1: Tommy gives it another go, and he has a bold plan. 143 00:09:25,196 --> 00:09:27,876 Speaker 1: He wants to set up a twenty thousand pounds shipment 144 00:09:27,956 --> 00:09:30,916 Speaker 1: of weed. He heads back down to Columbia this time, 145 00:09:31,036 --> 00:09:35,116 Speaker 1: skips the whole acid trip brothel visit, and actually manages 146 00:09:35,156 --> 00:09:39,516 Speaker 1: to get an introduction to a reputable supplier, a very cool, 147 00:09:39,916 --> 00:09:43,276 Speaker 1: nice Columbian guy, the nicest value want to run into 148 00:09:43,596 --> 00:09:48,796 Speaker 1: in the world. And his nickname but we nicknamed him uncle, 149 00:09:49,716 --> 00:09:53,516 Speaker 1: and his name was gamo Avola. He's going up in 150 00:09:53,556 --> 00:09:57,276 Speaker 1: the mountains talk to the farmers, getting whatever you can 151 00:09:57,396 --> 00:09:59,876 Speaker 1: from and he's bringing a spank, samples and stuff like that. 152 00:10:00,676 --> 00:10:04,276 Speaker 1: So it's the stuff's awesome. So yeah, yeah, we'll take 153 00:10:04,276 --> 00:10:07,556 Speaker 1: twenty thousand, he says. Here, okay, I could do twenty thousand, 154 00:10:08,116 --> 00:10:12,236 Speaker 1: I says, well, when it comes down the loaden night, 155 00:10:12,316 --> 00:10:17,436 Speaker 1: he only had sixteen thousands, but that's how the Colombian 156 00:10:17,556 --> 00:10:22,756 Speaker 1: market started. Tommy says he was the guy, like the pioneer, 157 00:10:22,916 --> 00:10:26,316 Speaker 1: who first smuggled really big loads of Colombian weed to 158 00:10:26,436 --> 00:10:29,636 Speaker 1: the United States. It's a bold claim and one that 159 00:10:29,716 --> 00:10:33,996 Speaker 1: I couldn't totally verify, but the timing of it is right. 160 00:10:34,516 --> 00:10:38,036 Speaker 1: Starting in the mid nineteen seventies, weed from Mexico kind 161 00:10:38,036 --> 00:10:42,116 Speaker 1: of lost its popularity, in part because Mexican authorities began 162 00:10:42,236 --> 00:10:46,676 Speaker 1: using a herbicide known as paraquat to poison marijuana crops 163 00:10:46,716 --> 00:10:51,836 Speaker 1: down there. According to declassified CIA documents, American consumers began 164 00:10:51,956 --> 00:10:56,716 Speaker 1: to quote prefer the better manicured and reputedly more potent 165 00:10:56,956 --> 00:11:01,436 Speaker 1: Colombian marijuana end quote. Tommy says he was the guy 166 00:11:01,516 --> 00:11:04,596 Speaker 1: who first brought in large quantities of this more potent 167 00:11:04,676 --> 00:11:09,676 Speaker 1: stuff starting in nineteen seventy two. It's a really big success. 168 00:11:09,716 --> 00:11:12,356 Speaker 1: He buys the weed for six dollars a pound and 169 00:11:12,476 --> 00:11:15,876 Speaker 1: sells it for two hundred and forty pound back in Michigan, 170 00:11:16,196 --> 00:11:19,236 Speaker 1: and it's really good stuff. He keeps making trips down 171 00:11:19,276 --> 00:11:22,356 Speaker 1: there each year. I tried to always get my loads 172 00:11:22,396 --> 00:11:25,276 Speaker 1: together and make sure they're ready by December or I 173 00:11:25,316 --> 00:11:27,676 Speaker 1: had a trip together by December, because that's when they 174 00:11:27,676 --> 00:11:30,556 Speaker 1: did the harvest, and that's when they had the best marijuana. 175 00:11:31,076 --> 00:11:34,156 Speaker 1: Anybody that else goes to Columbian, you know, they all 176 00:11:34,156 --> 00:11:36,436 Speaker 1: went down there and they would take anything they'd stashed 177 00:11:36,476 --> 00:11:39,396 Speaker 1: that reefer in warehouses, you know, and it'd be like 178 00:11:39,476 --> 00:11:42,876 Speaker 1: eight ten months old, you know, and just be trash weed, 179 00:11:43,476 --> 00:11:46,076 Speaker 1: you know. And then they also packed it in bricks, 180 00:11:46,156 --> 00:11:49,076 Speaker 1: these big fifty pound bricks where they use they use 181 00:11:49,156 --> 00:11:52,556 Speaker 1: a press pressing machine and pressed it all up down tight, 182 00:11:53,236 --> 00:11:55,276 Speaker 1: you know, and screwed up all the buds, you know. 183 00:11:55,756 --> 00:11:58,156 Speaker 1: So I started, I demanded that none of mine to 184 00:11:58,196 --> 00:12:00,676 Speaker 1: be pressed like that. I wanted mind to be in pillows. 185 00:12:00,676 --> 00:12:05,956 Speaker 1: We call them, nice fluffy pillows of high quality weed. 186 00:12:06,596 --> 00:12:13,476 Speaker 1: That was the key. Tommy ended up making a lot 187 00:12:13,556 --> 00:12:16,276 Speaker 1: of money, so much money in fact, that he decides 188 00:12:16,316 --> 00:12:19,076 Speaker 1: to hide some of it in the ground. He puts 189 00:12:19,316 --> 00:12:22,956 Speaker 1: three hundred and eighty three eight hundred and forty dollars 190 00:12:22,996 --> 00:12:25,436 Speaker 1: in a suitcase and buried it on some lamb that 191 00:12:25,476 --> 00:12:28,956 Speaker 1: he owned in Michigan. Sometime later, this hunter comes along, 192 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:32,676 Speaker 1: finds it, and being a good Samaritan, the hunter hands 193 00:12:32,716 --> 00:12:35,636 Speaker 1: it over to the state police. Tommy then tried to 194 00:12:35,636 --> 00:12:39,116 Speaker 1: get the suitcase and the money back. He actually shows 195 00:12:39,196 --> 00:12:42,396 Speaker 1: up with a receipt for the suitcase, proving that hey, 196 00:12:42,476 --> 00:12:45,876 Speaker 1: I purchased this particular handback. He even gave a sworn 197 00:12:45,956 --> 00:12:49,276 Speaker 1: statement saying the money was hit, but he took the 198 00:12:49,316 --> 00:12:51,836 Speaker 1: fifth when it came to explaining how he got it 199 00:12:52,596 --> 00:12:55,796 Speaker 1: no dice. The police wouldn't hand it over the suitcase. 200 00:12:55,876 --> 00:12:59,516 Speaker 1: Though it made big news, newspapers and Detroit wrote about it. 201 00:12:59,676 --> 00:13:02,156 Speaker 1: It was even mentioned on an episode of Sixty Minutes. 202 00:13:06,036 --> 00:13:09,316 Speaker 1: None of his notoriety was especially good for tom in 203 00:13:09,356 --> 00:13:11,636 Speaker 1: the long run. He says it really put him on 204 00:13:11,676 --> 00:13:15,276 Speaker 1: the authority's radar. Not long after this, he was indicted 205 00:13:15,316 --> 00:13:19,956 Speaker 1: by the FEDS, So naturally, Tummy sends to run for it, 206 00:13:20,036 --> 00:13:23,556 Speaker 1: become a fugitive. He flies to Europe, spend some time 207 00:13:23,596 --> 00:13:26,316 Speaker 1: and some money there, and then he bounces around a 208 00:13:26,316 --> 00:13:29,516 Speaker 1: bit to Morocco, the Canary Islands, down to the Bahamas 209 00:13:29,796 --> 00:13:33,876 Speaker 1: before deciding where he'll land next. That so hell, and 210 00:13:34,076 --> 00:13:35,556 Speaker 1: might as well get it over worth. I'm just going 211 00:13:35,596 --> 00:13:37,556 Speaker 1: to Columbia. They're not going to extradite me out of there. 212 00:13:37,636 --> 00:13:39,236 Speaker 1: There are never going to get me out of there, 213 00:13:39,316 --> 00:13:43,956 Speaker 1: you know, I get the world's baddest ass bodyguards. Yeah, 214 00:13:44,316 --> 00:13:47,076 Speaker 1: so that's kind of how I ended up in Columbia. 215 00:13:47,396 --> 00:13:53,236 Speaker 1: I wanted to be safe, well, relatively safe. There was 216 00:13:53,276 --> 00:13:55,196 Speaker 1: always the danger that he'd fall off one of those 217 00:13:55,236 --> 00:13:58,876 Speaker 1: cliffs or worse. More on this when we come back 218 00:13:58,916 --> 00:14:20,436 Speaker 1: after the break. So Tommy was under indictment in the 219 00:14:20,476 --> 00:14:23,436 Speaker 1: United States, spend some time on the lamb, and then 220 00:14:23,596 --> 00:14:27,156 Speaker 1: moves down to Columbia. He deepens his connections there, makes 221 00:14:27,196 --> 00:14:29,956 Speaker 1: more trips out to the countryside to inspect the weed 222 00:14:30,036 --> 00:14:33,036 Speaker 1: that he wants to buy. Now, typically he didn't do 223 00:14:33,076 --> 00:14:37,556 Speaker 1: this in the fields, but at these makeshift marijuana warehouses 224 00:14:37,756 --> 00:14:40,076 Speaker 1: that were set up right at the base of the mountains. 225 00:14:40,676 --> 00:14:44,036 Speaker 1: And all the while, Tommy says that he maintained his 226 00:14:44,156 --> 00:14:50,476 Speaker 1: distribution network back in Michigan. I controlled the boats from 227 00:14:50,516 --> 00:14:55,236 Speaker 1: the onloading spots, the trucks, and the market and ann arbor. 228 00:14:55,836 --> 00:14:58,756 Speaker 1: You know, already at that point you're telling me that 229 00:14:58,836 --> 00:15:02,316 Speaker 1: you weren't just working supply side. You were actually like 230 00:15:03,236 --> 00:15:07,676 Speaker 1: complete system. Like you were there at the College of 231 00:15:08,716 --> 00:15:14,476 Speaker 1: Vertically Integrated vertically Integrated Marijuana Business. I always did it 232 00:15:14,556 --> 00:15:17,196 Speaker 1: all myself. It's interesting because like with Lee Rich and 233 00:15:17,316 --> 00:15:22,156 Speaker 1: his group, they basically always just subcontracted out to supply. 234 00:15:22,316 --> 00:15:25,596 Speaker 1: They had dance supply partners. If I'm understanding you correctly, 235 00:15:25,676 --> 00:15:31,276 Speaker 1: you're saying that like you manage the supply side yourself personally. Yep. 236 00:15:31,436 --> 00:15:34,276 Speaker 1: I would go on like three days a week and 237 00:15:34,596 --> 00:15:38,836 Speaker 1: go inspect marijuana. And I would inspect marijuana for other 238 00:15:38,916 --> 00:15:45,116 Speaker 1: people too, you know, because some of these smugglers quote 239 00:15:45,236 --> 00:15:49,636 Speaker 1: non quote, they they didn't know how to get it, 240 00:15:49,676 --> 00:15:51,916 Speaker 1: where to get it, who to get it from, and 241 00:15:51,996 --> 00:15:53,516 Speaker 1: how it was going to be safe, and how much 242 00:15:53,516 --> 00:15:55,116 Speaker 1: they were going to pay and all that shit. I 243 00:15:55,116 --> 00:15:58,716 Speaker 1: would take care of all that, especially for my friends. Wait, 244 00:15:58,796 --> 00:16:00,996 Speaker 1: so were you like, were you like a consultant? When 245 00:16:00,996 --> 00:16:02,916 Speaker 1: you say you're doing this for other people? Are you 246 00:16:03,036 --> 00:16:05,836 Speaker 1: are you charging them? Oh? Yeah, I would charge him. 247 00:16:05,876 --> 00:16:08,036 Speaker 1: Might get hard of the load. You're like the guy, 248 00:16:08,116 --> 00:16:10,836 Speaker 1: like you're the equivalent of like the Costco guy who 249 00:16:10,836 --> 00:16:13,756 Speaker 1: like comes in to check out the coffee beans or 250 00:16:13,876 --> 00:16:16,276 Speaker 1: like the grapes or something to make sure that they're 251 00:16:16,356 --> 00:16:21,596 Speaker 1: up to Costco standard. Yeah, it's on one of these 252 00:16:21,676 --> 00:16:25,356 Speaker 1: quality inspection trips. The tummy visits what he calls a 253 00:16:25,476 --> 00:16:30,716 Speaker 1: quote mountain of marijuana out in the Guahira Desert. And 254 00:16:30,876 --> 00:16:33,716 Speaker 1: that's how he knew how to answer my question, what 255 00:16:33,796 --> 00:16:36,636 Speaker 1: does a million pounds of marijuana look like? It was 256 00:16:36,916 --> 00:16:39,356 Speaker 1: it was up in the water here and I was 257 00:16:39,396 --> 00:16:41,556 Speaker 1: looking for a load of sixty thousand I think in 258 00:16:41,796 --> 00:16:44,396 Speaker 1: uh and say, oh, well, we're going to take you 259 00:16:44,436 --> 00:16:46,236 Speaker 1: to this low here and you can pick out whatever 260 00:16:46,276 --> 00:16:49,476 Speaker 1: you want. Well, it was get late in the day 261 00:16:49,596 --> 00:16:52,636 Speaker 1: and we decided to we didn't want to drive in 262 00:16:52,676 --> 00:16:54,796 Speaker 1: the water here and at night. Just something you really 263 00:16:54,836 --> 00:16:58,116 Speaker 1: don't want to do. And because you got M nineteen 264 00:16:58,276 --> 00:17:02,316 Speaker 1: and H and h F a dose F two, you know, 265 00:17:02,556 --> 00:17:07,516 Speaker 1: it's just the FBI and Colombian and the dogs, is 266 00:17:07,796 --> 00:17:11,356 Speaker 1: uh the CI A wait wait, can you just go 267 00:17:11,436 --> 00:17:15,676 Speaker 1: back and explain this again? Do you help me visualize 268 00:17:15,756 --> 00:17:21,276 Speaker 1: a million pounds of marijuana? Like, what does it look like? Well, 269 00:17:21,916 --> 00:17:25,316 Speaker 1: when you're driving up to it, it's like a like 270 00:17:25,356 --> 00:17:28,316 Speaker 1: a big mound or you know, And it was all 271 00:17:28,956 --> 00:17:33,316 Speaker 1: piled up into like a peak. And that's where we 272 00:17:33,316 --> 00:17:36,996 Speaker 1: went and built our little fort spend the night in. Yeah, 273 00:17:37,156 --> 00:17:40,796 Speaker 1: thirty feet thirty five somewhere in there. Wow, that's like 274 00:17:40,836 --> 00:17:45,436 Speaker 1: a three story tall building that was totally amazing. Wait, 275 00:17:45,476 --> 00:17:48,476 Speaker 1: so so you're telling me you climbed up on top 276 00:17:48,476 --> 00:17:50,876 Speaker 1: of this mountain marijuana. You built a fourth out of 277 00:17:50,876 --> 00:17:56,036 Speaker 1: the marijuana. Yeah, we'll put up little you know, put 278 00:17:56,076 --> 00:18:00,636 Speaker 1: up little walls and stuff, you know, and you know 279 00:18:00,676 --> 00:18:03,196 Speaker 1: they're like bricks or like building blox. Hell, it's like 280 00:18:03,276 --> 00:18:06,396 Speaker 1: a you know, a rector set or something, you know, 281 00:18:06,596 --> 00:18:09,716 Speaker 1: I mean, what are those what's that where they have 282 00:18:09,716 --> 00:18:13,156 Speaker 1: all the plastic blocks and they build castles and shipped 283 00:18:13,156 --> 00:18:20,156 Speaker 1: out of them here in Florida the Danish company Legos. Yeah, Legos. Yeah, 284 00:18:20,196 --> 00:18:22,796 Speaker 1: it was like a lego. It was a meritorial lego. 285 00:18:25,116 --> 00:18:28,516 Speaker 1: It's while he's building his lego for it that he 286 00:18:28,556 --> 00:18:32,116 Speaker 1: gets a sense for exactly what kind of weed this is. So, 287 00:18:32,356 --> 00:18:34,036 Speaker 1: but we went up to the top of the mountain 288 00:18:34,116 --> 00:18:37,756 Speaker 1: and started digging out all the bales. You know, these 289 00:18:37,796 --> 00:18:41,396 Speaker 1: are all like these were hard pressed bales. You know. 290 00:18:42,436 --> 00:18:44,996 Speaker 1: We I never did the hard pressed bales because well 291 00:18:44,996 --> 00:18:46,476 Speaker 1: I did them in the beginning because I didn't know 292 00:18:46,516 --> 00:18:49,356 Speaker 1: any better. I was spent the whole next day going 293 00:18:49,396 --> 00:18:51,916 Speaker 1: through the whole damned lot of the ship and there 294 00:18:51,956 --> 00:18:53,996 Speaker 1: was nothing in there. There was any good. You know, 295 00:18:54,756 --> 00:18:57,796 Speaker 1: it was dry and dusty. It's out in the middle 296 00:18:57,836 --> 00:19:02,396 Speaker 1: of the Wahara Desert. Man, it's probably one hundred degrees 297 00:19:02,476 --> 00:19:06,876 Speaker 1: and it was dry and just dusty, and some of 298 00:19:06,876 --> 00:19:10,116 Speaker 1: it was moldy. And you know, it's just the stuff 299 00:19:10,156 --> 00:19:13,716 Speaker 1: that anam smuggler would go ahead and entertain putting on 300 00:19:13,836 --> 00:19:18,516 Speaker 1: her boats. So, yeah, the mountain of marijuana was made 301 00:19:18,516 --> 00:19:23,276 Speaker 1: of really shitty weed. And Tommy, he didn't do shitty weed. 302 00:19:23,676 --> 00:19:28,036 Speaker 1: He did pillows of the nice fluffy stuff. Tommy has 303 00:19:28,076 --> 00:19:31,716 Speaker 1: a whole process worked out. Once he'd okay a batch, 304 00:19:32,236 --> 00:19:34,196 Speaker 1: he had to move it down from the mountains where 305 00:19:34,196 --> 00:19:36,356 Speaker 1: it was grown and get it loaded up on ships 306 00:19:36,396 --> 00:19:41,436 Speaker 1: bound for America. And this there's no easy task. Even 307 00:19:41,476 --> 00:19:45,636 Speaker 1: the CIA recognize this. In one declassified report from nineteen 308 00:19:45,636 --> 00:19:50,556 Speaker 1: eighty two, it says, quote, the complicated logistics of smuggling 309 00:19:50,596 --> 00:19:55,116 Speaker 1: Colombian marijuana, which calls for massive quantities to be hauled 310 00:19:55,156 --> 00:19:59,276 Speaker 1: over long distances for large amounts of capital, attracted a 311 00:19:59,476 --> 00:20:05,236 Speaker 1: new class of smuggling organizations structured along corporate lines. Yep, 312 00:20:05,676 --> 00:20:09,276 Speaker 1: that's Tommy. And to tackle those logistics, at least at 313 00:20:09,276 --> 00:20:14,676 Speaker 1: the start of the process, he used mules and or donkeys. Yeah, 314 00:20:14,676 --> 00:20:17,196 Speaker 1: a lot it takes a lot. I mean, okay, look 315 00:20:17,196 --> 00:20:20,516 Speaker 1: at like take a donkey's or more sure footed, and 316 00:20:20,916 --> 00:20:23,636 Speaker 1: they can't carry as much as a mule. So donkey 317 00:20:23,716 --> 00:20:29,396 Speaker 1: could probably carry two hundred pounds maybe two fifty, you know, 318 00:20:30,156 --> 00:20:34,076 Speaker 1: and then a mule another matter, the mule could probably 319 00:20:34,116 --> 00:20:37,396 Speaker 1: carry four hundred. Wow. So it was the mule preparable 320 00:20:37,436 --> 00:20:42,756 Speaker 1: for the donkey. The donkeys were more sure footed. Mules, well, 321 00:20:42,796 --> 00:20:46,636 Speaker 1: sometimes they slipped. And Tommy saw this for himself on 322 00:20:46,636 --> 00:20:50,236 Speaker 1: one very harrowing part of the trail they were traversing 323 00:20:50,236 --> 00:20:53,636 Speaker 1: it at night. He had all his heinekens, all our heinekens. 324 00:20:53,636 --> 00:20:55,916 Speaker 1: He had like six cases of heinekens on that mule. 325 00:20:56,476 --> 00:20:59,356 Speaker 1: And what happened. There's a washout area where the water 326 00:20:59,436 --> 00:21:01,716 Speaker 1: runs down the mountain and it carved a little bee, 327 00:21:01,716 --> 00:21:05,956 Speaker 1: and I was watching it, and the mule stepped in 328 00:21:06,076 --> 00:21:09,076 Speaker 1: that bee and went over the mountain with the heineken. 329 00:21:09,716 --> 00:21:12,316 Speaker 1: So you did you actually see your mule with all 330 00:21:12,316 --> 00:21:15,636 Speaker 1: the hind hims go over the edge. Yea. At the 331 00:21:15,716 --> 00:21:19,476 Speaker 1: end of this ledge, there's there's a little waterfall, you know, 332 00:21:19,596 --> 00:21:23,276 Speaker 1: like a shower built into the side of the cliff 333 00:21:23,316 --> 00:21:25,076 Speaker 1: at the end, and then there's a pool of water 334 00:21:25,436 --> 00:21:28,716 Speaker 1: where there's like a it's like a big jakuzi, I 335 00:21:28,756 --> 00:21:32,156 Speaker 1: mean probably ten fifteen feet across and three or four 336 00:21:32,236 --> 00:21:35,636 Speaker 1: feet deep. And I was sitting in there and drinking 337 00:21:35,676 --> 00:21:41,036 Speaker 1: some toniac and watching the mule, and then he stepped off. 338 00:21:41,036 --> 00:21:43,036 Speaker 1: And I'm telling you what, you never heard anything like 339 00:21:43,116 --> 00:21:45,676 Speaker 1: that in your life. I could never. I mean it 340 00:21:45,716 --> 00:21:49,036 Speaker 1: was the cross between a horse, K mean and a 341 00:21:49,076 --> 00:21:52,596 Speaker 1: donkey bay. I mean, it was terrible sound. And he 342 00:21:52,716 --> 00:21:54,236 Speaker 1: hit the rocks and that was the end of him. 343 00:21:55,036 --> 00:21:57,676 Speaker 1: Once it was down from the mountains, Tommy and his 344 00:21:57,756 --> 00:22:00,956 Speaker 1: associates had to move the stuff to the coast in trucks. 345 00:22:01,636 --> 00:22:04,436 Speaker 1: There were always some military checkpoints, but they knew the 346 00:22:04,516 --> 00:22:07,996 Speaker 1: right guys to pay off. Tommy's an entire business model, 347 00:22:08,036 --> 00:22:11,196 Speaker 1: by the way, matches up almost exactly with the intel 348 00:22:11,276 --> 00:22:14,236 Speaker 1: that the CIA gathered at the time. It's almost as 349 00:22:14,276 --> 00:22:18,956 Speaker 1: if the CIA's report was describing Tommy's operations. The report 350 00:22:18,996 --> 00:22:22,076 Speaker 1: mentioned convoys of up to two hundred mules and the 351 00:22:22,116 --> 00:22:25,916 Speaker 1: fact that smugglers typically placed bribes for each shipment. The 352 00:22:25,996 --> 00:22:28,876 Speaker 1: last stage of the process, according to the CIA report, 353 00:22:29,556 --> 00:22:32,436 Speaker 1: was loading the weed into canoes bringing it out to 354 00:22:32,516 --> 00:22:36,316 Speaker 1: supply boats. Tommy did this in Ta Ganga, a little 355 00:22:36,316 --> 00:22:40,556 Speaker 1: fishing village located on the Caribbean coast of Columbia. Tommy 356 00:22:40,556 --> 00:22:42,916 Speaker 1: says that the harbor was run by the native tribes 357 00:22:43,156 --> 00:22:44,876 Speaker 1: and that the chief was a good friend of his. 358 00:22:45,516 --> 00:22:48,716 Speaker 1: These locals helped him load the weed onto smuggling ships 359 00:22:48,876 --> 00:22:52,596 Speaker 1: that pulled into the harbor, and they would use these dugouts. So, 360 00:22:52,676 --> 00:22:56,316 Speaker 1: you know, they pick up tree and the biggest tree 361 00:22:56,356 --> 00:22:59,196 Speaker 1: they can find, they chop it down and they carve 362 00:22:59,236 --> 00:23:04,156 Speaker 1: out a nice boat, make it into a boat. And 363 00:23:04,316 --> 00:23:07,196 Speaker 1: they had one dug out there. I swear to god, 364 00:23:07,236 --> 00:23:08,716 Speaker 1: it was the biggest thing I ever saw. I was like, 365 00:23:09,556 --> 00:23:11,436 Speaker 1: I don't know, but it was from a big tree 366 00:23:11,556 --> 00:23:15,836 Speaker 1: from Stowe. Gotta be one piece. And that's thing. How 367 00:23:15,956 --> 00:23:21,316 Speaker 1: five thousand pounds. That's basically a canoe that can hold 368 00:23:21,356 --> 00:23:24,756 Speaker 1: five thousand pounds of marijuana. Yeah, it was a one 369 00:23:24,796 --> 00:23:29,916 Speaker 1: of a kind. And that was Tommy's business model, finding 370 00:23:29,956 --> 00:23:32,996 Speaker 1: the fluffy pillows of weed, moving it by donkey, then 371 00:23:33,036 --> 00:23:36,916 Speaker 1: by truck, and then a giant dugout canoe floating into 372 00:23:36,956 --> 00:23:40,076 Speaker 1: shrimp boags, smuggling it back to the US and selling 373 00:23:40,156 --> 00:23:44,396 Speaker 1: it in Michigan. It all worked really well, but Eventually, 374 00:23:44,756 --> 00:23:48,276 Speaker 1: Tommy says, the business warmed down. He got ripped off 375 00:23:48,316 --> 00:23:51,876 Speaker 1: on one load. He decided, know what time to retire 376 00:23:52,396 --> 00:23:55,436 Speaker 1: and really retire. This time he met a Swedish woman 377 00:23:55,516 --> 00:23:58,716 Speaker 1: on the beach into Ganga and she got pregnant. He 378 00:23:58,836 --> 00:24:02,236 Speaker 1: decided he wanted to follow her home to Sweden, but 379 00:24:02,956 --> 00:24:05,396 Speaker 1: first he needed to make sure that he couldn't be 380 00:24:05,516 --> 00:24:08,556 Speaker 1: extradited from there. I remember, he said, the days before 381 00:24:08,596 --> 00:24:11,796 Speaker 1: the internet. So you sides, he needs to go to 382 00:24:12,276 --> 00:24:19,916 Speaker 1: well a law library, a really good law library, the 383 00:24:20,076 --> 00:24:25,436 Speaker 1: International Law Library at Harvard University. You went up to Cambridge, 384 00:24:25,476 --> 00:24:29,556 Speaker 1: mass for this, Yeah, I went there specifically for that. 385 00:24:29,876 --> 00:24:33,756 Speaker 1: I had a good time too. I love sitting on 386 00:24:33,876 --> 00:24:36,436 Speaker 1: that bridge watching all them guys rolling their boats and 387 00:24:36,556 --> 00:24:39,836 Speaker 1: shit like that. But what I did is I had 388 00:24:39,876 --> 00:24:41,876 Speaker 1: some ideas. I had a forger at that time, and 389 00:24:42,556 --> 00:24:45,396 Speaker 1: he's a really good forger, ande he forged some paperwork 390 00:24:45,476 --> 00:24:49,196 Speaker 1: for me. You know that I was a visiting professor 391 00:24:49,316 --> 00:24:52,116 Speaker 1: from the University of Florida, so I could have access 392 00:24:52,196 --> 00:24:54,796 Speaker 1: to the library, and every day I'd go into the 393 00:24:54,956 --> 00:24:58,716 Speaker 1: university and study the Extradition Treaty, a case law with 394 00:24:59,396 --> 00:25:02,476 Speaker 1: Sweden and the United States and I figured out that 395 00:25:02,836 --> 00:25:07,516 Speaker 1: according to the law of reciprocity, that there's no way 396 00:25:07,596 --> 00:25:10,236 Speaker 1: they could get me for a conspira or for the 397 00:25:10,356 --> 00:25:13,316 Speaker 1: one I was really worried about. The one that had 398 00:25:13,396 --> 00:25:16,796 Speaker 1: me with life with no parole plus seventy years was 399 00:25:16,996 --> 00:25:21,276 Speaker 1: continuous criminal enterprise. While continuous criminal enterprise is based on 400 00:25:21,436 --> 00:25:25,516 Speaker 1: predicate defenses. This didn't match any Swedish laws whatsoever. It 401 00:25:25,676 --> 00:25:28,996 Speaker 1: was non extraditable, it was non extraditable crime, and sol 402 00:25:29,156 --> 00:25:33,196 Speaker 1: was conspiracy. Oh, I figured I'm cool in Sweden. So 403 00:25:33,356 --> 00:25:35,716 Speaker 1: he moved to Sweden, married the woman he met on 404 00:25:35,796 --> 00:25:41,956 Speaker 1: the beach, and became a dad. It all worked out 405 00:25:42,036 --> 00:25:45,676 Speaker 1: pretty well for about three years until the US entered 406 00:25:45,716 --> 00:25:49,316 Speaker 1: into a new extradition treaty with Sweden. So much for 407 00:25:49,396 --> 00:25:52,516 Speaker 1: all of his sleothing at the Harvard Law Library, Tommy 408 00:25:52,596 --> 00:25:56,716 Speaker 1: was indicted for conspiracy to import marijuana and extradited back 409 00:25:56,796 --> 00:25:59,756 Speaker 1: to the United States. He ended up spending six years 410 00:25:59,796 --> 00:26:02,636 Speaker 1: in prison before he was finally released in nineteen ninety. 411 00:26:03,076 --> 00:26:06,476 Speaker 1: He says he's very proud that he never cooperated with 412 00:26:06,556 --> 00:26:09,676 Speaker 1: the government. He now lives down in Saint Petersburg. He's 413 00:26:09,716 --> 00:26:13,396 Speaker 1: reinvented himself as a computer expert and he actually got 414 00:26:13,476 --> 00:26:16,836 Speaker 1: a degree in digital forensics at the age of seventy one. 415 00:26:17,476 --> 00:26:21,356 Speaker 1: He's working on a memoir called Reefer, recounting all of 416 00:26:21,436 --> 00:26:24,716 Speaker 1: his life stories, and let me tell you, there are 417 00:26:24,836 --> 00:26:37,316 Speaker 1: a lot of them. Deep Cover is produced by Jacob 418 00:26:37,396 --> 00:26:41,236 Speaker 1: Smith and edited by Karen Shakerjee. Original music and our 419 00:26:41,316 --> 00:26:45,236 Speaker 1: theme was composed by Luis Gara, fact checking by Amy Gaines. 420 00:26:45,836 --> 00:26:50,236 Speaker 1: Miao Bell is Pushkin's executive producer. Special thanks to Julia Barton, 421 00:26:50,556 --> 00:26:55,756 Speaker 1: Heather Fame, Carly Mcleori Lee, Tom Mallad, Maya Kanig, Eric Sandler, 422 00:26:56,116 --> 00:27:00,796 Speaker 1: Maggie Taylor, Kadija Holland, and Jacob Weisberg at Pushkin Industries. 423 00:27:01,236 --> 00:27:05,196 Speaker 1: Additional thanks to Jeff Singer at Stowaway Entertainment. You can 424 00:27:05,316 --> 00:27:08,676 Speaker 1: learn more about Tommy Powell on his website Tommy Powell 425 00:27:08,796 --> 00:27:11,436 Speaker 1: dot net, and stay tuned to this feed from more 426 00:27:11,516 --> 00:27:16,196 Speaker 1: bonus episodes and announcements about season two. I'm Jake Holder. 427 00:27:26,356 --> 00:27:29,156 Speaker 1: All right, Tommy, I gotta run, but um, all right, brother, 428 00:27:29,716 --> 00:27:33,116 Speaker 1: it's been real. We'll be able to just together and 429 00:27:33,636 --> 00:27:36,516 Speaker 1: drink some agua dante. That would be great. I look 430 00:27:36,556 --> 00:27:40,276 Speaker 1: overd to it. Thanks that you ever at it. No 431 00:27:40,596 --> 00:27:46,596 Speaker 1: I had it So the last time I drank Agua dente, 432 00:27:48,356 --> 00:27:51,756 Speaker 1: I drank it with the remains of my partner, Victor 433 00:27:51,956 --> 00:27:55,876 Speaker 1: in the Agua dente. For this, two brothers, all three 434 00:27:55,956 --> 00:27:58,316 Speaker 1: of us, they put some of the ashes in the 435 00:27:58,396 --> 00:28:02,316 Speaker 1: Agua dante and did shots of Aguadiente with his bones 436 00:28:02,436 --> 00:28:07,716 Speaker 1: in it. You drank your friend, Yeah, how was that? 437 00:28:07,836 --> 00:28:11,156 Speaker 1: Drinking the remains of your friend and fucking horrible