#341 Katarina Szulc - Cartels Are Recruiting Drone Operators From the Ukraine War
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How did Katarina Szulc transition from traditional newsrooms to on‑the‑ground cartel reporting?
Katarina Schultz.
Sean Ryan.
Welcome back.
Thank you for having me back.
Thanks for coming back. You've been busy.
Truly.
How many places have you been? When was the first? We met like two years ago, I think. No, we
met last year.
Was it last year? A little
over a year ago. Yeah.
Wow. How many places have you been since then? Do you even count them?
I actually couldn't tell you off the top of my head. Everywhere, it feels like. Yeah, I can't tell you off the top of my head. Where's
your favorite place you've been?
In the last year?
Yeah.
Ukraine.
Really?
Yeah. I love Eastern Europe. And I was really interested in the war and, like, doing the certain stories that I went to do that I felt like didn't have any coverage. So, and everyone was so kind. Like, it was a very different experience for me.
Interesting. Well, I mean, it's not surprising that's your favorite place, especially with the conversation we just had, you know, prior to being on air here, that your first passion is being a war correspondent. Mm-hmm.
That was the goal.
Well, here, let me give you an interview, excuse me, an interview, an introduction. You're a former traditional journalist who realized you had to get out of the newsroom to understand what was really happening on the ground. Now based in Mexico City, you report on cartels, organized crime, and political corruption through your work in borderland dispatches, often traveling directly into the regions where these stories are unfolding. Today, you're back to share updates on some of our past discussions and break down your latest reporting from the field. Welcome back. Thanks. All right. So since we last spoke, I know you've spent a ton of time in Ukraine, but if you remember right, I think we opened the show last time with this Valeria Marquez.
Valeria Marquez.
Valeria Marquez. When we
spoke about that, people, it really popped off. People wanted to know more.
So this is just a recap for the audience. Okay. She was, what, a TikTok influencer?
She was a TikTok influencer. She also, Instagram, did, like, beauty pageants and stuff. Pretty well known across Mexico and particularly in Guadalajara. And she was shot three times, murdered, on TikTok Live last year, over a year ago now. Uh... And for the longest time, it wasn't until last month, someone was officially accused by the Mexican government for putting the hit on her. Prior to that, the United States government actually gave their own accusation, so to speak. They said that El Doble R, a major figure high in the ranks in CG&G, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was responsible for it. They sanctioned him, did all that business, the OFAC list. And then Mexico denied that, and Mexico said they were still investigating.
And then just recently, Mexico arrested R1, high-ranking member within the Rs. Everyone kind of has an R name in CG&G.
Why is that?
It's just that sort of sub-cell of CG&G in a way. Los R's. R1, R2, R3.
So these are like call signs?
Yeah, call signs. And so they arrested this individual for the murder of Carlos Manso, a... mayor of a town in Michoacán, who was very outspoken against cartels and the violence, and he was murdered in broad daylight. It was an assassination very similar to Valeria's assassination. So, R1 was arrested. for that murder. And then Omar Garcia Harfuch, the Secretary of Security of Mexico, did a press conference saying, you know, we've finally taken someone into custody for not only their ties with this major criminal organization, but for the murder, particularly, of Carlos Manso. Now, we are looking for his son, who they believe put the hit on Valeria Marquez. And this young man was in a romantic relationship with Valeria Marquez.
Actually, Luis Chaparro went to Mexico and interviewed this guy who's hiding from authorities right now.
Really? Mm-hmm. How do you feel about that? Interviewing somebody that's hiding from authorities. Do you feel like there is... Have you done that?
I've definitely interviewed criminals who have, who are being looked for, yes.
Do you feel any type of responsibility to...
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did Katarina Szulc transition from traditional newsrooms to on‑the‑ground cartel reporting?
0:05–12:55
2
What was the Valeria Marquez TikTok‑Live murder case and how did the investigation unfold?
12:55–29:40
3
Why do CJNG leaders use call‑signs like R1, R2, and R3, and what do those designations reveal about cartel hierarchy?
29:40–45:00
4
How extensive is cartel involvement in Mexico’s economy and who are the major employers?
45:00–1:01:03
5
How are Ukrainian FPV‑drone training programs being used to recruit operators for Mexican cartels?
1:01:03–1:16:10
6
Are cartels beginning to use large‑language‑model AI to coordinate drone swarms, and what would that mean for their capabilities?
1:16:10–1:29:58
7
How likely is a U.S. drone or missile strike against a cartel target inside Mexico, and what would be the consequences?
1:29:58–1:46:20
8
What does Katarina predict for the future of Mexican cartels, U.S. involvement, and international drug trafficking?
1:46:20–2:00:57
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