🏞️ Sign up for free and exclusive updates: https://camp.beehiiv.com/ Fernando Puente the cartel homie i always wanted. He got wrapped up in cartel business as a teenager in Tijuana, and began smuggling people, g*ns, and dr*gs across the US border. He went to prison for a year and has since changed his ways. He explains the role of music in the cartels, what cartel parties are like, and how he survived getting kidnapped by Tijuanas most dangerous Cartel... The State Police. Welcome to camp baby! Thanks to our sponsors as usual Morgan & Morgan (The best lawyers ever that help you get fair money in a lawsuit FÜM (An actual device I use when I'm anxious) Ekster (My actual wallet I use everyday) Support Fernando @ElBordoMx Edited & Produced by @99OvrAll TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Start 01:45 Working for anyone + friends in the cartels 04:06 Border town advantages 07:14 Growing up, Grandma involvement, going to school in US 14:37 Bumping into Paisanos + seeing other minorities 18:01 Mom getting arrested, complicated relationship w/ his father 24:00 Father was a cop + Prison riots and blaming cartels 25:19 “The Fourth Power” Government as cartel, music & grafitti 29:30 Breaking point - enemy becoming friends 34:56 How Fernando started out + handling your own business 39:11 Straddling different worlds at 16 + school life 46:15 Don Sergio - father figure, kidnapping + death 53:59 Death, jealousy & moving in the hood 01:00:56 Constantly in trouble, first time in prison + fighting 01:07:35 Tijuana tagging style, cartel fashion & etiquette 01:11:56 Cartels in US, police brutality + gang violence 01:16:02 Smuggling, stealing visas + practicing for border crossing 01:26:22 Nervous border crossers, Fee + people snitching 01:34:00 Separating Mexican gangs + prison 01:38:58 Fernando’s smuggling stats + scenarios 01:45:11 Craziest ways people cross the border 01:49:22 Separating families was cruel + justifying smuggling 01:54:43 Being in the MCC + probation 02:03:17 Listening to podcasts/music + quitting that life 02:06:45 Tattoos, ear for music + Cali herb is elite 02:11:50 Corridos - music & street life + banned in Mexico 02:21:31 Explaining Gavilan II by Peso Pluma + fake corridos 02:26:00 Chalino Sanchez’s “note” + Narcos recording their own corridos 02:33:53 Chapo’s corridos, El Bordo podcast + Cartel parties 02:47:31 Corruption not lack of firepower + US benefitting too 02:51:17 Starting in the Cartels + controlling industries, sending to Europe 02:57:37 Structure & scariest Cartel 03:02:44 Growing up with Sicarios + Contracts 03:11:57 The Bosses + different rules 03:18:08 Smuggling contraband + business interests 03:22:10 El Chapo arrest, escape, successors & getting too big 03:26:32 What defines a Cartel? 03:28:02 Cartels will always be appealing + people getting out 03:31:42 Friends joining rival cartels + people listening 03:35:42 Way out of this + writing books 03:39:14 Being a tourist in Mexico 03:44:25 Closest Fernando’s life was threatened 03:52:17 Therapy, trauma triggers + crying at movies 04:02:00 Mexican cartels following African religions + looking into faith 04:08:06 Redeeming your legacy 04:10:03 Fernando’s kidnapping 04:26:00 Shooting short movies + leaving the old life behind