The Syndicate

Mar 05 2023 15 ep. 30 mins 2k
The Syndicate Podcast artwork

Buried cash. DEA moles. Sibling rivalries. Skydiving planes. Fast cars. And an exploding hash lab. A group of college friends took advantage of Colorado’s medical marijuana laws to create one of the longest, most lucrative smuggling runs in U.S. history. But when a drug mule flipped, the whole enterprise came crashing down— and revealed how the marijuana black market is not just evolving in the era of legal weed, but thriving.New episodes publish Tuesday mornings.

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A POTTED PLANT HISTORY | Bonus Episode 2

Oct 06 2020 36 mins  
An extended conversation with drug historian Emily Dufton about history of cannabis in the United States, the protagonists who shaped it, and what we might expect for nationwide legalization going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FOLLOW THE MONEY | Bonus Episode 1

Sep 29 2020 23 mins  
In this first bonus episode, Special Agent Steve Bratten with the Colorado Department of Revenue discusses the prior cases and investigative techniques he devised that informed his investigation of the Syndicate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ALL GONE TO POT | Chapter 8

Sep 22 2020 42 mins  
Lifelong friendships and familial bonds shatter as law enforcement pressures members of the Syndicate into ratting on one another to avoid lengthy prison sentences. But looking back, did their outcomes constitute justice? And what did “Operation Golden Go-Fer” mean for marijuana's black market? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OPERATION GOLDEN GO-FER | Chapter 7

Sep 15 2020 40 mins  
After Joe Johnson flips and becomes an informant, the noose starts to tighten around the Syndicate. In October 2014, police execute 18 simultaneous search warrants, bringing down the entire enterprise with SWAT teams and over a hundred armed police officers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FAMILY MAN | Chapter 6

Sep 08 2020 45 mins  
The backstory of the Syndicate's kingpin. We explore Tri's motivations, his history with the Syndicate's key distributor in Minnesota, and why he reacted the way he did when things in Denver started to go terribly sideways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ALMOST LEGAL | Chapter 5

Sep 01 2020 43 mins  
Even as the Syndicate hits its stride as an illegal operation, Tri sets up a big play to go legal. He wants to leave the black market forever. But what will it take -- and what will the Syndicate sacrifice in order to go legit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PEST CONTROL | Chapter 4

Aug 25 2020 43 mins  
Even as the Syndicate's growing network expands, distribution remains a problem. Getting the organization’s product across state borders is as risky as it is profitable. And early on, the Syndicate goes through growing pains and personnel issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices