370: Martin Suarez - Inside the Cartel, Dismantling a Colombian Narco-Empire

FBI Case File Review

Jerri Williams

True Crime, Interviews, Fiction, History, Fbi, Government, Truecrime

4.6 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2025

⏱️ 89 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Retired agent Martin Suarez reviews his nearly seven-year undercover role infiltrating from inside the cartels. During Operation Colaboro, using the alias “Manny,” he smuggled millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine for the Medellín Cartel, all of which was seized by the FBI after delivery. During Operation Golden Trash, Martin became a high-level money launderer for the North Coast Cartel. When the operation ended and the cartel thought Manny had stolen their money, they sent a hitman to Martin's home to kill him.

Martin is the author of Inside The Cartel: How An Undercover FBI Agent Smuggled Cocaine, Laundered Cash, and Dismantled a Colombian Narco-Empire. His co-author, Ian Frisch, also takes part in this interview. The true crime tale recounts Martin’s undercover operations, but also how Martin the family man was trying not to lose himself in his undercover roles. Martin served in the FBI for 23 years.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	When I first met El Torre Negro, he was a very pleasant guy to talk to. He told me one time when I first met him, many. We're all going to make a lot of money. But I smell something bad. I have a long arm, and I can reach around the world and touch you on the shoulder. That's how they spoke.
0:23.6	They tell you they're going to kill you in a finesse way. Well, there's nothing finessed about a hitman hiding in your
0:31.0	bushes and then pointing a gun in your head. Welcome to episode 370 of FBI case file review with Jerry Williams. I'm a retired agent on a mission
0:47.1	to show you who the FBI is and what the FBI does through my books, my blog, and my podcast case reviews with former colleagues.
0:56.3	Today we get to speak to retired agent Martin Suarez and his co-author, Ian Frisch.
1:03.6	In this episode, they cover two cases from their book, Inside the Cartel,
1:11.2	how an undercover agent smuggled cocaine, laundered cash, and dismantled a Colombian
1:17.2	narco empire.
1:19.0	All about Martin's nearly seven-year undercover role infiltrating the meddling cartel.
1:25.1	Using the alias, Manny, Martin smuggled millions of dollars worth of cocaine for the
1:31.3	cartel, all of which upon delivery was seized by the FBI. During Operation Golden Trash,
1:38.8	Martin became a high-level money launderer for the North Coast cartel. When the operation ended and the cartel thought
1:46.4	Manny had stolen their money, they sent a hitman to Martin's home to kill him. Martin's co-author,
1:53.4	Ian Frisch has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Esquire. Martin
2:00.7	Suarez served in the FBI for 23 years. He was assigned to the
2:06.1	Miami Division, the San Juan Division, and the Miami Division again. Throughout his career,
2:13.1	he conducted numerous high-profiled investigations involving drug cartels, organized crime,
2:19.7	public corruption, murder for higher cases, national security, and terrorism matters.
2:25.6	Martin attended the FBI's Undercover Certification School and completed advanced undercover training
2:32.6	while still working undercover.
2:35.0	He was appointed the Southeast Region backstopping coordinator out of Miami,
2:40.3	providing national support for undercover operations and other FBI divisions.
	...

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