The Opioid Matrix: A Journey Into the Rabbit Hole

Rigaku

The Opioid Matrix is a podcast for anyone looking for the latest information in the illegal drug supply chain — Beginning to end. Each episode will feature a discussion with industry experts about the current opioid crisis, including drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, drug identification, drug addiction, as well as the role of government, law enforcement, new health and social programs, and more. Welcome to The Opioid Matrix-A Journey into the Rabbit Hole.

  1. Fighting Fentanyl at the Root: Why Every City Needs Project SMART

    2 SEP

    Fighting Fentanyl at the Root: Why Every City Needs Project SMART

    Fentanyl isn’t just stealing lives—it’s exposing a broken system. Year after year, billions are spent on programs that barely move the needle, while families keep losing loved ones. But what if the solution has been sitting right in front of us all along? In this episode of The Opioid Matrix, Michael Brown talks with Larry Kenemore a retired paramedic who’s seen addiction up close, and now leads the North American Rotarian Action Group on Addiction Prevention. Larry shares Project SMART, a practical, community-driven plan to shut down the “addiction pipeline” before it claims more lives. The problem? Politics, pride, and money are keeping proven ideas on the sidelines. Together, they break down why past efforts like “Just Say No” fell short, how fentanyl is showing up in vape pens, and why the real fix might come from neighbors helping neighbors.

    44 min
  2. From Most Wanted to Most Trusted: The Double Life of a Law Enforcement Informant

    19 AGO

    From Most Wanted to Most Trusted: The Double Life of a Law Enforcement Informant

    What if the people we locked away for drug crimes were running million-dollar trafficking empires—from behind bars? In this explosive episode, we sit down with Benjamin Freedland—once a mid-level trafficker moving hundreds of pounds of marijuana and deeply embedded in a cartel’s East Coast operation. After flipping and working undercover with the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Freedland now trains law enforcement on how to recruit and manage high-level informants.But this story isn't about redemption—it’s a chilling look at the new face of the fentanyl crisis.  Freedland reveals how America’s correctional system has become a breeding ground for synthetic drugs and organized crime. This episode will challenge everything you think you know about law enforcement, cooperation, and the systemic failures that keep the opioid epidemic alive. We discuss: Prisons are ground zero for synthetic drug trafficking, especially K2 and fentanyl-laced substances.Old-school “tough cop” methods backfire when recruiting reliable informants—respect wins.The criminal justice system needs a radical overhaul to disrupt the fentanyl pipeline—starting with how we train officers.

    51 min
  3. California: Sanctuary City Policies, Homelessness and Cartel Fentanyl, where does this Road Lead to?

    15 JUL

    California: Sanctuary City Policies, Homelessness and Cartel Fentanyl, where does this Road Lead to?

    While overdose deaths climb and homelessness surges, billions in taxpayer dollars disappear into broken systems and half-hearted solutions. And beneath it all, an industrial-sized drug economy thrives: unseen, unchallenged, and politically inconvenient. In this searing episode of The Opioid Matrix, Scott Silverman, CEO and Founder at Confidential Recovery, comes back to the show to dissect alongside Michael Brown the fentanyl-fueled collapse happening in plain sight. We dive into: How fentanyl has turned homelessness into an economic loop no one’s breakingImplementing harm reduction strategies without treatment or housing infrastructureThe cartel tactics reshaping distribution into thousands of small, undetectable channelsThis episode doesn’t pull punches. It asks what too many refuse to: What if we’re letting fentanyl win because it’s just easier that way?

    45 min
  4. Why does America Keep Losing the Same Drug War Over and Over Again?

    27 MAY

    Why does America Keep Losing the Same Drug War Over and Over Again?

    The U.S. dismantled Colombia’s Cali Cartel with strategy, buy-in, and force. What are we doing wrong now that fentanyl is winning in the U.S.? Former DEA agent Chris Feistl helped take down one of history’s most powerful cartels—but now he’s watching history repeat itself.  In this episode, he and Michael Brown draw a straight line from Colombia’s bloody narco-wars to the synthetic opioid crisis destroying American communities. From political division and foreign inaction to fractured law enforcement strategy, the U.S. is reliving the past, without the resolve to win.  We also discuss: How the U.S. let the fentanyl threat evolve into a HydraWhy Mexico and China are today’s ColombiaWhat America lost when it stopped doing what workedHow decriminalization and division cripple federal actionWhat it would take to end the crisis—for real

    48 min
  5. Former Shot Caller for the Sinaloa Cartel Reveals America’s New Strategies Against Cartels

    14 MAY

    Former Shot Caller for the Sinaloa Cartel Reveals America’s New Strategies Against Cartels

    Sealing borders won’t resolve the fentanyl crisis unless we rethink how domestic trafficking can be disrupted.  In this episode, we welcome back Margarito “Jay” Flores Jr.—a former Sinaloa cartel kingpin turned law enforcement educator—to dive deeper into the operations behind the illicit fentanyl trade that’s taken thousands of U.S. lives each year. With cartels now designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, the U.S. is taking a harder stance, but Jay and Michael explore if policy is enough if we don’t also confront the networks operating in our own neighborhoods.  We also discuss:Why labeling cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations could shift the legal landscape of drug enforcement in America.How fentanyl reaches U.S. communities, and why most traffickers don’t look like the stereotype.The importance of treating domestic distribution networks with the same urgency as international ones.Why prevention, education, and empathy must be part of any long-term solution to the opioid crisis.

    50 min
  6. A Doctor’s Journey: Seeking the Truth Behind his Son’s Fentanyl Death

    15 ABR

    A Doctor’s Journey: Seeking the Truth Behind his Son’s Fentanyl Death

    In this episode, Michael Brown sits down with Dr. Gary Latson, a licensed anesthesiologist and father who lost his son to a fentanyl-laced substance. Dr. Latson brings over four decades of medical experience and shares the difference between medical fentanyl and the illicit version flooding American streets—and why this distinction can mean life or death. We discuss:The dangers of illicit fentanyl from a medical perspective.The biology of opioid addiction and genetic vulnerability.The growing danger of fentanyl-stimulant combos.The role of physicians, policymakers, and parents in the opioid crisis.

    44 min
  7. Terror has a Name - Inside Los Zetas Cartel

    25 MAR

    Terror has a Name - Inside Los Zetas Cartel

    In this gripping episode, we sit down with former DEA Special Agent and author Leo Silva to discuss the evolving landscape of the illicit drug trade and the growing sophistication of cartel operations. Drawing from his experiences detailed in Reign of Terror, Silva provides a firsthand account of how organizations like Los Zetas have transformed from traditional drug traffickers into highly organized, militarized criminal enterprises. We explore the new challenges law enforcement faces, including the cartels' use of advanced technology, encrypted communications, and financial networks that rival those of legitimate corporations. Silva also sheds light on the increasing dangers posed by synthetic drugs like fentanyl, the deep-rooted corruption that enables these networks to thrive, and the shifting alliances that make combating them even more complex. Throughout the discussion, Silva shares powerful stories of resilience, the personal toll of fighting the war on drugs, and what steps must be taken to curb the growing influence of cartels. In this episode, we discuss: How the Zetas cartel pioneered a new level of brutality and controlWhy Mexico’s war on drugs has failed—and how it impacts the U.S.The role China plays in fueling the fentanyl crisisHow law enforcement can fight back using anti-terror tacticsWhat every American should know about how fentanyl gets into our streetsYou can learn more about Agent Leo Silva’s work in his book “Reign of Terror.”

    38 min
  8. Cartel Fentanyl is in Everything - even Marijuana

    18 FEB

    Cartel Fentanyl is in Everything - even Marijuana

    If you think your child is safe, think again. Fentanyl isn’t in counterfeit pills anymore—it’s laced into marijuana, hidden in vape pens, and disguised in party drugs. No one is immune. In our first episode of the year, host Michael Brown speaks with Paula Young, a mother who turned grief into action after her son, Andrew, unknowingly consumed fentanyl-laced marijuana and lost his life. They reveal how cartels are evolving their tactics, why social media is fueling the crisis, and the urgent policy battles needed to fight fentanyl—an issue beyond party lines. Paula also shares the emotional journey behind Andrew’s Law, a legislative push to make fentanyl education mandatory in schools nationwide. We also discuss: How Andrew’s story exposes the hidden dangers of trusting "safe" sources.Why current drug laws fail to hold fentanyl dealers accountable.The importance of bipartisan action to tackle the fentanyl crisis effectively.For more information about Achieve Greatness, visit AchieveGreatness88.org or contact Paula at +1 774-417-7972.

    41 min
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The Opioid Matrix is a podcast for anyone looking for the latest information in the illegal drug supply chain — Beginning to end. Each episode will feature a discussion with industry experts about the current opioid crisis, including drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, drug identification, drug addiction, as well as the role of government, law enforcement, new health and social programs, and more. Welcome to The Opioid Matrix-A Journey into the Rabbit Hole.

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