How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works : The Indicator from Planet Money

Former Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, appeared in a New York court yesterday. He’s facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges after the U.S. abducted him and his wife in an explosive operation over the weekend. But is there any credibility to the drug-trafficking accusations? And what does the cocaine supply chain look like in 2026?Today on the show, tracing cocaine’s journey from the Andes to the streets of U.S. cities.Further reading: Ioan Grillo – El NarcoRelated episodes: Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)Why Are Venezuelans Starving?Lessons from a former drug dealerFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Cooper Katz McKim and Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.