1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: The law is not there to protect criminals. Is there 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: to protect the innocent. I was a criminal, so the 3 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: law wasn't there to benefit me. Is there the core? 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: So I have to respect that. You know, if I 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: was on the opposite side of the law, you know, 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: if I was on the right sad of law, maybe 7 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: that law would protect me. There's no one else who 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: were in our shoes. TA could sit next year and 9 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: tell you this. I'm alive, I'm here and where my family. 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: Things ain't the way I wish they were, But it's 11 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: like that for in every situation. Right, I'm sharing the 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: story with you. Right, Oh, I got me a chap couple. 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I can. I'm busy straight next Wednesday Night. 14 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: Now to the inside story of two Chicago brothers who 15 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: turned on El Chapo, Chicago's infamous drug trafficking twins Pedro 16 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: Flores and his brother Margarito. Growing up in Little Village, 17 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: the twins learned the drug trade at the age of seven. 18 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: Chicago is a wonderful place to become a drug distributor. 19 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: The two important more than thirty tons of cocaine from 20 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: El Chapo and sent close to a billion dollars in 21 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: cash from Chicago to the Sinaloa cartel. The two hid 22 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: the drugs in some of New York's best neighborhoods, and 23 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: the pantheon of drug prosecutions in the history of the 24 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: Northern District of Illinois, this case stands at the highest level. 25 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: Federal agents arrested twin brothers from Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, 26 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: Pedro and Mark Arrito Flores. We're El Chapo's biggest distributorsy 27 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: my name is Pedro Flores. I'm given this statement freely 28 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: and voluntarily. My name is Margarito Flores Jr. I was 29 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: born in Chicago, Illinois, and Julee tak One. I have 30 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: a twin brother named Pedro Flores. Since approximately m brother, 31 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: Argarrio Flores and I have been responsible for the distribution 32 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: of thousands of kilogans of cokine in Chicago, Illinois and elsewhere. 33 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: Thousands and thousands and thousands. We were distributing in Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Detroit, Michigan, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Louisa, Kentucky, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 34 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: New York City, Washington, Dunsey, Atlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles, California, 35 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: and Vancouver, British Columbia. Bargaryo and I have acted as 36 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: partners in the drug business, worked collectively with a cartel 37 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: known as a Federation. The federation was headed by Hawk Engles, 38 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: mat Laura White, Noise Chapel where Chapel was mine, and 39 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: members of his organization. Let me tell your story about 40 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: two brothers. If you think this is just another Knockos story, 41 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: you're wrong. Sure it's got all the action and drama 42 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: you'd normally expect, but at the end of the day, 43 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: it's about two boys born into a life they didn't choose. 44 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: It made me think about how my life could have 45 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: gone if not for music. I started dealing on the 46 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: streets of Queens at the age of twelve. At the 47 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: same time over in Chicago, seven year old identical twins, 48 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: Margolito Junior Flores and Pedro Flores, we're learning the family 49 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: trade these days. They go by Ja and Pete randomly. 50 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: I met these two after I had a necklace old 51 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: and in Chicago completely green projects June spinning piece the 52 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: young Bucks. Stupid ass was dumb enough to wear to 53 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: their neighborhood to us to completely Green projects when the 54 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: police don't go for no reason, he decided to go. 55 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: So after they recovered the piece and got it back 56 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: to me, we developed a relationship. I'm excited to share 57 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: this story. Which how would you describe Pete? I think 58 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: he's one wasn't touching person's like, why all offer me? 59 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: How would you describe Jay? The most intelligent personally? I know, 60 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: I mean that doesn't know. We're not all that people. 61 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: I couldn't tell the story I'm all so I called 62 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: the friend, Charlie Webster. She's one of the best journalists 63 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: I know in the person I could rely on to 64 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: do the story of some justice. Vifty called me up 65 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: and introduced me to the brothers over zoom. Because we 66 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: weren't allowed to meet in person. There's a condition of 67 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: that proble. The brothers aren't allowed to be together, and 68 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: to be honest with you, even if they were, it 69 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: would mean more danger for them anyway. Getting them in 70 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: the same room to be able to do this it 71 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: was not just a logistical nightmare, but also carried a 72 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 1: real risk of their lives. It took me around six months, 73 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: but eventually I managed to arrange a secret location for 74 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: us all to talk in. Imagine a safe house hidden 75 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: in plain sight. Inside the brothers Pete and Ja, their 76 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: entire families, me and outside a couple of bodyguards mine 77 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: the door. It's twenty one people crammed into this safe 78 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: house and if you walk past, you would never have known. 79 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: Tons of drugs going through to these two twins. They 80 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: create them distribution operation to send it to other parts 81 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 1: of the country. Certainly the Flower of his brothers cooperating 82 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: and providing all the information, uh literally in tons of 83 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: cocaine and billions of dollars, and then quite frankly getting 84 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: Chapel for the first time on a wire tap where 85 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: he's negotiating for Keelos of heroin secretly recorded the drug 86 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: lord before turning himself into the d e A. We're 87 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: not talking about kelos. We are talking about tons of 88 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: cocaine that went through their distribution system. There is never 89 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: a day in their lives where they won't have to 90 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: look over their shoulder. There's never a time that they'll 91 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: turn the ignition switch on a car and not wonder 92 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: to themselves is it going to start or is it 93 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: going to blow up? That's its own form of life sentence, 94 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: and that's a part of the extraordinary nature of this case. 95 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: There's a family drama regalis the how you look at 96 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: it because ups bringing your brother, your dad, and then 97 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: you got the significance is you really reationships. What obstacles 98 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: are in front of you obviously pulled you guys closer 99 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: to each other every time. And I always say people 100 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 1: were like plants, we gotta growth, and you guys managed 101 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: to do that. And it's tough to do that if 102 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: it's such a good business. Why they turned I'm Curtis 103 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: to st Jackson and I'm char Webster and then this 104 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: is surviving old chap that's once you brought down the 105 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: drug board. What happens when you decide to turn over 106 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,040 Speaker 1: the most wanted man in the world. How do you 107 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: get close enough to even be able to do that 108 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: in the first place. Identical twins Peter and j Flores 109 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: have just spent the last fourteen years in secret prison locations. 110 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: Much of the time was spent on the twenty three 111 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: hour lockdown. The story made international news because they are 112 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: the reason El Chapel is now in prison, and they've 113 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: never spoken publicly until now. But their story doesn't start 114 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: or end without Chapo. So to understand how we get there, 115 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: we need to rewind to the beginning, to the streets 116 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: of Chicago, in the neighborhoods called Little Village. Our production 117 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: to to the drug business started at that seven years 118 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: old woman that came for prison. How long was he 119 00:08:55,440 --> 00:09:00,599 Speaker 1: in prisoned? Seven years? Pete and Ja were born on 120 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: June twelve. They're the youngest of seven children and the 121 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: only twins in the family. They often speak as one. 122 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: They were only really ever known as twin in the singular. 123 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: So we won't keep bothering you by identifying which twinnies 124 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: which unless we really need to. While they might look 125 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: the same, they are very different people. You'll soon start 126 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: to figure it out. My father ends up being arrested 127 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: and leader seven kids. Their father, Margarito Flores Sr. Was 128 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: a well known drug trafficker who married their mother at 129 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 1: the age of twenty two when she was just twelve 130 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: years old. Margharito Sr. Was arrested in March one, three 131 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: months before the twin boys were born. He was caught 132 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: selling a million dollars worth of heroin to an undercover agent. 133 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: He asked not to be handcuffed in front of his 134 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: pregnant wife, concerned she might miscarry the twins. At that time, 135 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: like Mexicans don't get divorced. They just deal with it. 136 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: They don't know what divorce is. What was like him, 137 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: It was your typical like Mexican relationship. I think, where 138 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: the man is the the head of the household and 139 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: the woman just holds the house together, cooking, taking care 140 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: of the kids. That's what she was supposed to do. 141 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: But when my dad was away, she became everything without 142 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: even knowing it. I still remember me my brother, like 143 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: when my dad came home, we're like, we knew we 144 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: had a dad right with COVID, but we didn't know 145 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: what it was like. So we thought we were getting 146 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: like a reward. Now we're gonna be like everybody else 147 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: in our life of change, but not for good comes home. 148 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: My older brothers are gang members. My mother doesn't know 149 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: what a gang is. We're talking about, you know, any right. 150 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: She she doesn't know that my brother's be King ganger, 151 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: but she thinks that's there's just something they do. At 152 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: the time, the Black and Gold of the Latin King's 153 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: Gang dominated the streets of Chicago, but it was little 154 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: village known as Mexico of the Midwest. That was the 155 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: main battleground for the bad blood between the Latin Kings 156 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: and their main rival, the Two Sixes. The rules of 157 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: the Latin Kings demand members engage in violence. They are 158 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: still the biggest and one of the most violent Hispanic 159 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: and Latino street and prison gangs in the world. And 160 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: Peter and Jay's older brother, Armando was their dope peddler. 161 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: He's a high ranking member Bland King's at the time 162 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,319 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood, and he had like all this gang 163 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: graffiti all over the basement where they're going to take 164 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: pictures and and my mom would be like, oh, your 165 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,959 Speaker 1: friends are here, like it was okay because she didn't understand. 166 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,839 Speaker 1: But my dad came on from prison like what he's 167 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: like these these guys, I mean he's with them. He 168 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: was like up, said with my mom like what were 169 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: you doing? My mom like what are you talking about? 170 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: And kicked my older brothers at the house that week. Wow, 171 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: And now we had a new set of rules, which 172 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: was harsh because my dad, who's had that strong voice, 173 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: he would say that we're being raised to be almost 174 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 1: like women because we're being raised by women. And since 175 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,719 Speaker 1: day one he said, I'm gonna change them. So that 176 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: came with chores and just be birmless stuff that me 177 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: and my brother weren't as a kid. I hate that 178 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: he came all right, this is James us being kids. 179 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: They're like got shifted, that got turned upside, you know down. 180 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: Then we gotta do chores, you know, throughout the garbage. 181 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,959 Speaker 1: And he would make us do like clean up the 182 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, pick up the garbage from the street. And 183 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: we were done too fast, but pick up the one 184 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:38,719 Speaker 1: for the full block. Right, yeah, I'll tell you my 185 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: best friend growing up, Right, he looks very close and 186 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: street for away. Growing up, he had to be his 187 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: pops are very strict, right, he had to be on 188 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: his stoop as the street light came on. So at 189 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,839 Speaker 1: certain days when you go to school early far in 190 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: the year, the street light would come on before it's 191 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: done outside. So we've been playing touch football. He run 192 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: like on the catch the ball and he would just 193 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,719 Speaker 1: run past all the way back to the stool. We're like, 194 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: what the fun? But we he just his dad growing up. 195 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: I'd be like, man, I hate that mother kill him. 196 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: He was like looking at me like you're gonna do 197 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: it later. You do appreciate it because those things. Look, 198 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: he was three years older than me and he couldn't 199 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: leave the block. So when I came back and I 200 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: had all these experiences, I was talking to him about 201 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: it was a known drug location for twenty years that 202 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: I was up to block. To him back, this is 203 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: when I'm twelve seeing all of the ship you ain't 204 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: supposed to be seeing. And he didn't get a chance 205 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 1: to see it because he had to be on the block. 206 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: They went to become a lawyer. The way he was 207 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: studying for law, and very becose. It prevented the things didn't. 208 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: But your see the difference, you see, Like you said, 209 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: I was going there at our years old to see 210 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: some ship that he was in seat with me and 211 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: my brother. The ship we were seen was at home. 212 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: Where do you go from there? At that time eighties, nineties, 213 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: dang violence all the time high. My dad would tell 214 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: us like, don't be here on with these sucking bumps 215 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: all the time. You're not gonna be one of these bumps. 216 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: You're not gonna be one of these bumbs on the corner. 217 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: And uh, I guess we were not going to be 218 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: one of those bumps in the corner. I guess we're 219 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: gonna be something else, and which is weird. He would 220 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: say that at the same time and be like, now, 221 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: go get me those pounds, or go get me that 222 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: bag of money, and go go give me those guns. 223 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: You know. But I don't even think we thought marijuana 224 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: was like a bad thing, right, well, else it was 225 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: a plant that stunk. There's no Internet, there's no people 226 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: explaining to you about what drug dealing is. You know, 227 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: here we are in with this stinking in the middle 228 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: of Americans, in the big city metropolis like Chicago with 229 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: the drug business, right and I mean, you know, my 230 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: dad went from heroin f marijuana. I guess because it 231 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: was the easiest. Was like I could invest you know, 232 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: tan grand or five grand and come back and make 233 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: you know, a hundred grand. It was like, as soon 234 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: as he got home, he was like back at it 235 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 1: to that look we looked back when you didn't even 236 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: wait a year. Their father began the twins education at 237 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: the age of seven by taking them on his regular 238 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: runs from Little Village, Chicago across the Mexican border them 239 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: back again. All look, it was a three thousand mile 240 00:16:51,560 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: round trip when we first it. Mentally, I remember and 241 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: really he was like next, you know, we're in the 242 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: middle of a desert, a desert, and there there's other 243 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: cars and they're like all on the open and they're loading, 244 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: they're loading, they're they're compressing marijuana bills, they're they're drying 245 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: up the actually the drying up like it's a whole 246 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 1: little factory. Like we did everything that you could think 247 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: about when it came to drug did it from the 248 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: loading up or even the cultivating of the marijuana in 249 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: Mexico all the way to the last drop of who 250 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: was actually gonna receive marijuana back in the state. And 251 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: it was translating, if it was you know, transporting, if 252 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: it was counting the money, it was bagging up the 253 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:49,159 Speaker 1: marijuana into pounds, every single thing that had to do 254 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: with Druggingly, he took us. He showed us he we 255 00:17:52,560 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: were there with him. Remember them compressing the bills. If 256 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: we have seen they had coke bottles when they were 257 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: fitting up these spray bottles. I mean, what's the quotable 258 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,239 Speaker 1: quota for it? We spray that too, compressed the way 259 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: to make a stick together like Colca coola. Okay, it's 260 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 1: nice long drive through like thats a you know, coming 261 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 1: back from where we're from, and it would be like 262 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: a maybe ten hour drive to the border. You a 263 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: crossing border at Laredo. Oh, it was a learning experience 264 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: though every state. My dad was like he knew exactly 265 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: what every state did, what they cultivated, what they were 266 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 1: known for in the states and in Mexico. So it 267 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: was a learning experience. Yeah, who tell us about the cattle, 268 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: and we'll ask so many questions right the whole trip, 269 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: I was always learning, Ernie. So getting to the board, 270 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: I remember like I was getting sick on the way 271 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: back home because that marijuana wet Mary want to smell, 272 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: smells different than like smokes. It just had this ugly 273 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: like smell to it. Then we get you know, car sick. 274 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: You know that smell didn't help would draw up, you know, 275 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: it was just it was kind of hard. I remember 276 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: getting to the border. I remember feeling that anxiety and 277 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: dance and not understanding but knowing that just hearing the conversation, 278 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: that having that feeling where okay, we're next in line, 279 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: and the customer agent coming to the car, you know, 280 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: American citizens, where you guys head it. Remember pulling us 281 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: out the car and separating my brother and I from 282 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: my parents. But me and my brother knew exactly had 283 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: it played off. What could you guys go to who 284 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: are your parents? You know, just the question to make 285 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: sure that we were A market says, to make sure 286 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: that they were our parents. I guess we passed the test. Yeah, 287 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 1: I remember that later and we're like, let's just pretend 288 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: we're sleeping. And I think that because of most of 289 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: the time, we're pretty kind to be like I told 290 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: them that the kids are sleeping in the back. You 291 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: now go ahead, go through. We didn't notice that. My 292 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: dad he handled it pretty well, but I can't. It 293 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: would get nervous as well. I remember this time when 294 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: we have a car full of drugs and we pull 295 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: up h m h and everyone American Saysians. My dad said, yes, sir, 296 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: my dad Namerpans says, and my dad, you just told 297 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: him the Americans says that I did, and we're like, okay, 298 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: he's nervous. He was nervous. I see him here. Sometimes 299 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 1: he'll buy the hot pepper peppers for some reason, and 300 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: if he was nervous, he'll buy it. I started, He'll 301 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: started eating it just like that. He started. You don't 302 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: have to. I guess to get his mind up of 303 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: I don't know. I guess it helped him to kind 304 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: of calm the nerves. And I remember also thinking like, 305 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: once we're across those high stakes places, when we're at 306 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: our worst with anxiety, then he'll stop to rest, and 307 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: I'll be like this, he has to stop to rest. 308 00:21:54,760 --> 00:22:01,920 Speaker 1: Can we just get home. When we did make it across, 309 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: you would say we need steak, we need great state dinner. 310 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: I remember he orders these people's steaks like we could eat, 311 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: and he just wanted to make sure, like this is 312 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: what the reward is, like I guess, like a sign 313 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: to go, you're gonna eat good. Why do you think 314 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: he took you? I honestly, I think it helped him. 315 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: I don't think he was thinking like, oh, my teaching 316 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: kids a drug business. It was teaching us everything enough 317 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: the highway system. Oh he give us here, you know, 318 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: and usful to him to have us with him. Of course, 319 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 1: no doubt. At those times, people were like, yeah, he 320 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: wouldn't do that to his kids, and don't forget in 321 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: those eighties, you know, Twinson realized comment that's today. So 322 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 1: we were a big deal for a long time. It's 323 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: so easy to remember saying things for us. We did 324 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 1: just fifty times when I don't want one to three, 325 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 1: we did. Actually my dad take three cars at a time, 326 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: so we would go across the border because across the border, 327 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: get off, across the border, walking, go pick up the 328 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 1: next car, across the border again, because he didn't trust 329 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: the driver, like I don't want to cross the board 330 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: said some cars had double gas tanks. I got back up, 331 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 1: you know, because they took up a lot of gas, 332 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: and I keep those carder the easier wants to use 333 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: for a drug dealer. But there was an easier once 334 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: for police officers to be you have this car because 335 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: it has two gas things, what's in use? And I 336 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: think that my dad knew that he was to take 337 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: that chance. But his more successful trip roup with smaller cars, 338 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: compact cars that that's who were like trusts that he 339 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 1: could fit. The first he used it was like a 340 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 1: four temple, a four temple, a four or four temple, 341 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: like a two tone like blah, It was like eighty 342 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: and look for our first trip, eight hundred pounds and 343 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,200 Speaker 1: you might think, well, eight hundred pounds and you're bringing 344 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 1: it from Mexico at that time, he probably spent a 345 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. Yeah, made sixties seventy tholland dollars. I love money. 346 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: It's a lot of money from not all of them, 347 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: but now that money. He loves that marijuana business. He 348 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: was like, this business would mean you money. It grows on, 349 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: trade might go down trades and he's like, you don't 350 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: invest a lot, you don't lose a lot. You know. 351 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: All that start on what was that year that too 352 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: when our an was Radiobu chicaw put his department. The 353 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: Chicago police found two hundred pounds of marijuana at the 354 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,719 Speaker 1: family home with the street value of over a million dollars. 355 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 1: My older brother took could blame the first time. The 356 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: second time they came, they're the ones that will take 357 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: the blame fame. That's where my dad was on human 358 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: un Eleven years old, j and Pete were pulled out 359 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: of school by their now fugitive dad and along with 360 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 1: them more and were forced to do one more trip 361 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: to Mexico. This time it was so Margarito Flores Sr. 362 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: Could live as a freeman. They wouldn't be returning to 363 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: America for only enough Mexico is also where he started 364 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: his cash that he built from thirty years and the 365 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: drug trade. We got to see my dad, you know, 366 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: and he was like having to gambling, you know. He 367 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: liked horse races and um. He liked to back up 368 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: his big mouth. You know, He'll say something and he'll 369 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: go through with it, like I'll bet you my car. 370 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: He introduced us to everyone and we knew exactly how 371 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: to speak to you. Nice to meet you. He's are 372 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 1: my sons, and we were here so many stories about 373 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: how rich my dad was back in the sixties. He's 374 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: the only one that had a car. He's not even 375 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: the governor to use his car or driving the governor. 376 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: And he owned more land in the state than anyone else. 377 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: I remember it was funny that I was a kid 378 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: and there's a big daddy on some marcles. It's called 379 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: the fat of some marcles and oscans. It's like the 380 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: biggest festivals, you know in Mexico, and gambing is huge there. 381 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: You have cock fights and gambles, tune dollars fight. Think 382 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: about that. Oh yeah, there's even at our age you 383 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: can go to a horse race and gamble a hundred 384 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: thousand with dollars you know, it's just weird, like would 385 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: tell me like that was like the big thing to do, 386 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: like gamble money, hundred dollars, game of poker, like one hand, 387 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: nothing to walk away from it. There was a kind 388 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,880 Speaker 1: of introduction of Mexico right he's introductions. People were meeting people. 389 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 1: We understand the culture, we understand the respect and how 390 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: to treat people, how to talk to people and all 391 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: that stuff. And even though we looked in their views 392 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: like America in kids, those people started looking at a 393 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: little bit different when they went in school in Mexico. 394 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: The dad sent the twins to spend their evenings and 395 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 1: weekends doing hard labor on a chicken farm. They were 396 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,160 Speaker 1: the youngest workers there, though not by much. The rest 397 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 1: of the workforce were also at varying stages of puberty. 398 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:29,160 Speaker 1: Heavy machinery and trucks were being operated by twelve year olds. 399 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: It was almost the hardest thing I had ever done 400 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: as a kid. And I would see other kids like 401 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: my age, like working in man. There's there's strong they 402 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: need to do this, like notham, I'm dying. We will 403 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: be like this is so stupid. Do you want to 404 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: find a better answer? That was started to kind of 405 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: like to Mexico, we weren't happier. It's a big, drastic change. 406 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: They spent every chance they could on the phone to 407 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: the older brother, Armando. He was just twenty three himself, 408 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: begging to come home to Chicago. I'll never forget that 409 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: conversation he actually called. And at that we're like the 410 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: only house, one of all the house some towns. I 411 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 1: had a phone, Hey, what are you doing? I'mlike nothing. 412 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: I probably give him the side voice like board. He's like, 413 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: you want to come back home? He said, I'll bring 414 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: you back comb only if you agree that I'm not 415 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 1: gonna be a babysitting. You can come, you can go 416 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: to school, you can be out the way. I want 417 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: to hear. No, bs, I don't have time for that. 418 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: If you and p could promised me to get in 419 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: a comment and not give me a hard time and 420 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: do everything saying respect the rules, I'll buy your planet 421 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 1: because you come back home tomorrow. How would the twelve? 422 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: I was like, yeah, for sure, for sure? And what 423 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: about your parents? What did you? Oh? He said, let 424 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: me speak to my mom was and she understood. She 425 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: wanted to see us happy, and my dad was just like, well, 426 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: I can't go back, so like whatever, thank whatever, you know, 427 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: their mama's says, it's okay. After a year of complaining, 428 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: j and Pete were able to head back home to 429 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: Chicago and live with Armando, who was still active in 430 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: the Latin Kings. My dad actually, even though he was 431 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: on the run, he'd come back. He came back with 432 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: an alias and unexpectedly show up and and say, look, 433 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: I got a hundred pounds of my I wanna okay, 434 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,719 Speaker 1: what was that right? When he showed up for us? 435 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, we will be like, oh my god, 436 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: can you just did this again? That would hurt us though, 437 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: that was like hurt us. Allowed my older brother he 438 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: brought us back and he build out the basement for us, 439 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: and because an apartment and your older brother's house. My 440 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: older brother actually bought my parents house in the neighborhood. 441 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: He said two rules for us. Don't get caught for curfew, 442 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: you know the city curfew, which was ten thirty in 443 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: the weekdays, eleven thirty the weekends. The city case you 444 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: because of the because again gangs, So stay out of 445 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: trouble and help out however you could. That was simple. 446 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: We're not telling me Kase, What was it like living 447 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: in his in the basement that he built you there 448 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: for you don't write we front God, right. You guys 449 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: into Catholic school and they've created they considers to be 450 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: like gang members. And I always like to have a haircut. 451 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: And they said, well, if you come to school with 452 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: your haircut, you can. We're gonna make you wear a 453 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: shower cat came to school. There's a shower camp was 454 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 1: a pink one with flowers, and give it to me. 455 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: I'm aware, no way. And everybody would laugh weekend week out. 456 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: I wonder because eventually they're like, he's not gonna give it, 457 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: like they should give you the shower cut. Bro. It 458 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: was for a long time. I did wor shower cup 459 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: every week. When my hair will start going out, I'll 460 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: take it off and now I'll go get another haircut, 461 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 1: wear it again. I could look back and see him 462 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: sitting there, you know, as shower and how he said 463 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: in eighth grade third um, I didn't mean to this 464 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: perspect to school. It was about me saying that's what 465 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: I like and that's what I'm gonna stand for. And 466 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: and it was a learning experience. Once I did it, 467 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: it gave me a little confidence to it, Okay, being 468 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: able to kind of stick up for herself and give 469 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,719 Speaker 1: your plan name help help kind of start developing who 470 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: we were later and who who we're going to be, 471 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: and why we looked at in a certain way. And 472 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: it's gonna be like the foundation of I think that's 473 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: today right, why we actually say here kind of bag 474 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: for them to give us a chance because they thought 475 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: we were not the fait. I mean the principal knew 476 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: of like she could see who my brother was. He 477 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: knew who we were, and I don't think it that 478 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: was a good fair for the school. I remember being 479 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: so upset, like because I was thinking to my brother like, 480 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: oh man, they're gonna transfer your school. Man, I think 481 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,640 Speaker 1: you said that they would you have to do. And 482 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: then because the final they transferred of us, I was like, 483 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: it's like my eighth crazy, Like it was upsetting. I 484 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,800 Speaker 1: think it was the beginning of what I call always 485 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: being caught in this middle right, and this middle ground 486 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: is gray zone that here we're on Catholic school when 487 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,120 Speaker 1: most of those kids were good kids, right, and here 488 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: we come to them. We were two street and in 489 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 1: the school we went, so there was young hood kids 490 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: there now here we are in this place where we're two. 491 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: I guess bad for the good kids. But yeah, we're 492 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: too good for the bad kids. We're gonna be stuck 493 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: in this zone. I think many times, even to this day, 494 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 1: my older brother he had people coming to the house 495 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:03,280 Speaker 1: all day. B D. We started meeting all kinds of people, 496 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 1: you know, in his business. He would sell cocaine out 497 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: the house. It's a bag of cocaine. And he was 498 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: also selling ketoes at the same time. Around that time, 499 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 1: just we met Marron Thompson, who was ahead of a 500 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: streaking these big you know names in the Chicago in 501 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: the streets, like we've been knowing him since we were 502 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: ten years old. You know, he is up becoming like 503 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:41,880 Speaker 1: the owning creator of the charter slide. He's fighting like 504 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 1: a case. You know. I think it was like some 505 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: kind of attempted murder and a police officer or something 506 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 1: like that. You know, we're marling like what everyone, that's 507 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 1: just him. That's when we start me a lot of 508 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,319 Speaker 1: people from seeing a lot of for sure, miles from 509 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 1: the closest Mexican border. Even members of l Chapos in 510 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: a lower cartel would stop by the house. As teenagers, 511 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: they were already connected to the biggest drug lord in 512 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 1: the world without even knowing. KA nine, my older brother 513 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: to all like a lot two kilos on informat and 514 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 1: he was arrested by the d e A that left 515 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: us in her situation and we depended on him, you know, 516 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: he was our provider view them when he got arrested. 517 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,360 Speaker 1: It was with him. He had this car lot it 518 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 1: was I was signing partner and that he used to 519 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: work at on the West side of Chicago. He used 520 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: that as a spot where it was convenient for him 521 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: to some drugs and at that time he was probably 522 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 1: he was probably moving, you know easy a the month. 523 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: I still remember that that day in the afternoon, he's 524 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:32,239 Speaker 1: sitting down at the desk. He saw so many cars 525 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: at that time. Everybody loved my brother. He's just so 526 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: people presenting the car that held a big office for 527 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:45,200 Speaker 1: surrounding windows. Man. I remember looking at the window and 528 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 1: I saw the Lincoln town car come inside, but you 529 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:51,279 Speaker 1: can't see I couldn't see inside. They just like came 530 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: into a dry room like part like where the cars 531 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: come in and out, and I'm like looking out and 532 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,919 Speaker 1: when I turned to my left. I saw a white band. 533 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 1: I saw a bunch of agents coming. Yeare at the 534 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:21,399 Speaker 1: office door. Get down, get downe the the other one 535 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,799 Speaker 1: down on the ground. They'd short of supremacism. They had 536 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: me handcuffed in for a little bit. Oh do you 537 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 1: that I had just turned seventeen. I remember being nervous, 538 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 1: like what's at the house or whatever the case is, 539 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,520 Speaker 1: like what's going on? So they took him and I 540 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: remember they took him to that Tom Cark and they 541 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 1: put me to the garage. He said, what do you 542 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: know about your brother? Do you know where he had 543 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: his trugs? Of Like, no, no, no, no, I don't 544 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. And he said, we know 545 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 1: that you're always with your brother. He said, we hope 546 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 1: we don't find that that you're involved with his business, 547 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 1: me involved with him? This is like, what are you 548 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: talking about? Did you not see yourselves? I was like 549 00:39:18,239 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: seeing business? Yeah, And he just he just were his 550 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: brothers right when it's only been in the house and 551 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 1: you know, hey, and what are you talking about? And 552 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 1: and he was taken away. It was hard. I think 553 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: it was hard for all of us. You know. I 554 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: was worried about my brother just like wow, like it 555 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 1: was a shocker, Like damn, my brother got to go. 556 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 1: Was seemed like everyone wanted to take a spot right away, 557 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 1: some way, somehow, and everyone wanted to be him. I 558 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: guess not too long after that, a couple of months 559 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: was when we first got approached by his connect ye 560 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:10,800 Speaker 1: drug supplier with opportunity to to get in the business. 561 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: I knew my brother were like, you know, we're in 562 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:17,439 Speaker 1: theia really, I mean we we felt where we knew 563 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,480 Speaker 1: some of like like to cook details, like a whole 564 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 1: different bargame. You know. It wasn't just that cocaine came 565 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 1: knocking on their door. Their older brother, Armando, might have 566 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,680 Speaker 1: been an alright drug peddler, but he was not very 567 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: good at managing the family's finances. Their kitchen table was 568 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 1: covered not only were weeks of empty take our boxes, 569 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: but mounds of red inked papers. When Armando went to prison, 570 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,359 Speaker 1: the twins were let to fend for themselves, and they 571 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:55,040 Speaker 1: suddenly became responsible for years of unpaid household bills, mortgage, electricity, gas, 572 00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:05,239 Speaker 1: and an almost three thousand dollar phone bill. Yeah, I'm 573 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 1: sixteen years old, I'm ten years old, and you know 574 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,240 Speaker 1: there's ten thousand dollars where four bills on the table. 575 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,160 Speaker 1: I mean, working at Walmart wasn't going to cover that. 576 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:18,440 Speaker 1: And it just felt like everything was settled. Like if 577 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:22,800 Speaker 1: someone comes in, you know, and invites you to make money, 578 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: and you have the opportunity to make thirty tho dollars 579 00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:32,879 Speaker 1: enough day, it's hard when you're you know, seventeen years 580 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 1: old to pass that up. You know, your naturalistic kicks 581 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: and like what I learned to do kicks and you 582 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:43,200 Speaker 1: go to doing what you and I guess we're bred 583 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 1: to do. You're going talk. But like I think what 584 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:47,600 Speaker 1: you see the labras and retrievers, they go out and 585 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 1: they bring back. You fetch them a ball and they 586 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: will fetch you. They bring you back to you, you 587 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:53,799 Speaker 1: throw the ball. They do it over and over again, 588 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,359 Speaker 1: because that's what they're training to do, that's what it's 589 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: in there blood. They do it naturally. You don't have 590 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 1: to teach them. I felt like that, like we're just 591 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 1: on autopilot, just doing it and again, you know, feeling 592 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,080 Speaker 1: that void and my brother left and taking care of 593 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: the family, you know, remb you said to me, and 594 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 1: it always sticks in my head. If we were from 595 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:18,160 Speaker 1: a family of lawyers. We would have been lawyers. So 596 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 1: we went. My dad was sending drugs, my brothers are 597 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: selling drugs. Um in a way, it was a family business. 598 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,360 Speaker 1: My mom and we all knew, you know, what was 599 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: going on in the family. And sadly I always say that, 600 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,279 Speaker 1: you know, no one ever told me to stop. So 601 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:37,120 Speaker 1: I felt like you've done the right thing. Three months 602 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:40,279 Speaker 1: into our drug traffic careers, three four months, we're making 603 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:44,560 Speaker 1: a million dollars. To be clear, we never count the 604 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: money we had spent. We kind the only we had saved. 605 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,279 Speaker 1: When we say we made a million dollars, because we 606 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 1: had a million dollars saved, that we're spending a lot 607 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,480 Speaker 1: that how much do we make by then? Who knows? 608 00:42:56,520 --> 00:43:03,400 Speaker 1: We're probably in a couple of million dollars. There was 609 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:08,080 Speaker 1: times like in the Big Emmy where I used to think, well, 610 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:11,480 Speaker 1: I go back to a regular dropt and you go 611 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:16,080 Speaker 1: out at eighteen years old with you know, I didn't 612 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 1: know where to care. I have to be here here 613 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:19,640 Speaker 1: care of this money for me because it didn't from 614 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:24,759 Speaker 1: my pockets. This is before man bags and your influences 615 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 1: are the people that have done the best around you 616 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: have done it in this path. The path looked about it. 617 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 1: It looks like a route like and you said in 618 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:37,560 Speaker 1: the early stages, you making decisions, when for me it 619 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: was girl hustle I was twelve. Is because everybody that 620 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:44,319 Speaker 1: I saw it from my mom was it were from 621 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,480 Speaker 1: my mom's life, and she had already chose to go 622 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 1: down that path to take care of me. And there 623 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:52,600 Speaker 1: was always they had nicer things like you see things. 624 00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 1: They were representing financial freedom. You don't see it represented 625 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood growing up unless they're done. Mha. The 626 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 1: brothers are fascinating, at least to me. Their cooperation helped 627 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: to take down one of the world's most notorious criminals. 628 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:23,399 Speaker 1: He and his brother visited l Chopo, where they saw 629 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:26,640 Speaker 1: a naked dead man chain to a tree, a reminder 630 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:30,160 Speaker 1: that those who crossed the cartel rarely live to talk 631 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:34,320 Speaker 1: about it. I just imagine that that wasn't in that world. 632 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,279 Speaker 1: That would have probably been a regular person, right, regular person. 633 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:43,720 Speaker 1: And I am a regular person, just full of ideas, 634 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 1: full of you know, aspiration myself and once and just 635 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:52,680 Speaker 1: I happened to add me born into this world. It's 636 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:58,440 Speaker 1: part of my story. This is who we are. Just 637 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:01,920 Speaker 1: in my life. Keep it here. The story is Just 638 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:09,399 Speaker 1: Gets Started Surviving l Chapo, The Twins who brought down 639 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:12,680 Speaker 1: a drug lad is hosted by Curtis fifty cent Jackson 640 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: and me Charlie Webster. Our producers are myself alongside Jackson mcclennan. 641 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 1: Research and editorial support is from Casey Hurtz. Edit and 642 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: sound design by Nico Palella. Original score by Ryan Sorenson. 643 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 1: Audio provided by Very Tone and Next Star Media, Inc. 644 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:35,720 Speaker 1: Executive produced by Curtis fifty cent Jackson and myself Charlie Webster. 645 00:45:36,200 --> 00:45:38,359 Speaker 1: If you'd like to know more about this story, head 646 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:41,759 Speaker 1: over to lions Gate Sound dot com. Curtis fifty cent 647 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:45,360 Speaker 1: Jackson presents a lions Gate Sound and G Unit audio 648 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:48,320 Speaker 1: production exclusively for I Heart Podcast