REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM >>LORENE: HELLO, I AM LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, OUR GUEST TODAY IS MICHAEL S. VIGIL, THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK.

>>MICHAEL: LORENE, IT IS ALWAYS MY PLEASURE TO BE ON YOUR PROGRAM.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>>LORENE: WELL, YOU KIND OF CREATED A STORM, I MEAN PEOPLE ARE SO INTERESTED BECAUSE YOUR WORK AS A FORMER DEA CHIEF OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND ALL THE YEARS OF UNDERCOVER WORK THAT YOU DID.

LET ME JUST DO YOUR BACKGROUND BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T SAY ALL THIS STUFF, FOR 31 YEARS, YOU WERE A VETERAN DEA AGENT MUCH DECORATED.

YOU GOT THE HIGHEST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CALLED THE TOP COP AWARD GIVEN BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

>>MICHAEL: I WAS BORN IN ESPANOLA, NEW MEXICO, AND I GREW UP WATCHING TELEVISION PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE UNTOUCHABLES, DRAGNET , YOU KNOW, THE OLD POLICE MOVIES AND THAT REALLY PIQUED MY INTEREST IN TERMS OF SEEKING A LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER.

AND I FOUND IT TO BE REALLY INTERESTING SO I WAS BITTEN BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUG AT A VERY EARLY AGE.

>>LORENE: BUT LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING, LET'S GO BACK TO THAT EARLY AGE, WHICH PART OF IT INTRIGUED YOU THE MOST, THE PUZZLE SOLVING, THE DETECTIVE WORK OR THE SENSE OF JUSTICE AND GETTING BAD GUYS OUT OF COMMISSION OR IS THERE ANOTHER REASON?

>>MICHAEL: WELL THE THING IS THAT AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED, IT WAS AN ADVENTURE AND THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE CALLING OF "PROTECT AND SERVE" AND MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN EITHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE MILITARY.

MY FATHER WAS A BATAAN DEATH MARCH SURVIVOR.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

>>MICHAEL: AND HE WAS INTERNED IN A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP IN OSAKA, JAPAN, UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR.

MY UNCLE, RAMON, WAS WITH THE 577TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT AND HE PARACHUTED BEHIND ENEMY LINES DURING THE NORMANDY INVASION AND THEN FROM THERE HE WAS SENT TO BELGIUM AND HE WAS KILLED IN THE FINAL DAYS OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, HE WAS 23 YEARS OLD.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS, OH MY GOODNESS.

THAT'S POWERFUL, POWERFUL HISTORY TO COME IN WITH.

IF YOU GREW UP WITH THOSE STORIES YOU GREW UP RIGHT, THOSE WERE REALLY IMPORTANT.

SO YOU WENT TO NMSU AND GOT A DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE?

>>MICHAEL: WELL, AT THAT TIME, LORENE, IT WAS CALLED POLICE SCIENCE AND IT IS NOW CALLED CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

IT IS KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN I ARRIVED AT NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY, THERE WERE ONLY TWO PROFESSORS IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

YOU KNOW,DICK LEES AND THENED PERES AND THENRON PINKHAM CAME IN WHEN I WAS EITHER A JUNIOR OR SENIOR.

BUT I DO HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THE PROGRAM UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DENNIS GIEVER WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AT NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY AND THEN THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS PROFESSORS THERE LIKE MARIJA DIMITRIJEVIC AND THEN ALSO DR. DULCINEA LARA SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROFESSORS THERE NOW.

THEY HAVE EXPANDED THE CURRICULUM, THE OTHER THING THAT THEY HAVE DONE IS THEY DIVERSIFIED THE STUDENT POPULATION WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT AND NOW THEY ARE OFFERING A MASTER'S DEGREE.

AND WHAT I FIND EVEN MORE INTRIGUING IS THAT THEY HAVE FORMED ALLIANCES WITH A LOT OF POLICE AGENCIES SO THAT THEY CAN COME TO NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY AND RECRUIT PEOPLE FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

SO IT IS REALLY BEYOND THE IONOSPHERE.

SO I NAMED THREE OF THE PROFESSORS BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF THEM AND THEY ARE ALL GREAT.

>>LORENE: WOW.

YES, THEY ARE.

SO YOU WENT RIGHT OUT OF GETTING YOUR DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR POLICE SCIENCE RIGHT IN TO THE DEA?

>>MICHAEL: I DID AND I WAS RECRUITED AND I WENT TO WASHINGTON, DC.

AT THAT TIME THE ACADEMY WAS AT 1405 I STREET AND IT WAS A VERY SMALL BUILDING AND THEN WE HAD A GYMNASIUM NEXT DOOR THAT WAS VERY NARROW AND THEY WOULD SAY, "OKAY, WELL WE ARE GOING TO RUN THREE MILES," SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO RUN ABOUT 3,000 LAPS TO COMPLETE THE THREE MILES.

AND THEN THE INDOOR RANGE WAS THERE AND IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXTRACTOR FOR THE FUMES YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WOULD FIRE.

>>LORENE: YEAH.

>>MICHAEL: SO YOU WOULD INHALE THOSE AND I REMEMBER SHOOTING AND THEY HAD AN INCLINE SO THAT THE BULLETS WOULD HIT THE INCLINE BOUNCE OFF THE ROOF, AND THEN HIT YOU, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR BODY, IT LACKED THE FORCE TO BREAK SKIN OR WHATEVER BUT IT WAS VERY ODD AT THAT TIME.

>>LORENE: IS THAT LIKE RICOCHET 101.

>>MICHAEL: RICOCHET 101 IS RIGHT.

>>LORENE: SO AFTER YOU BECAME A DEA AGENT, YOU WERE IN 13 FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC STATIONS AND YOU ROSE TO THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE.

YOU HAVE GOTTEN SO MANY AWARDS AND WHEN I READ YOUR AWARDS, I KNEW THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF PROFESSION THAT GIVES YOU, YOU KNOW, A PLAQUE.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR UNUSUAL AWARDS.

>>MICHAEL: SURE.

I RECEIVED THE KEY, THE PROVERBIAL KEY TO THE CITY OF SHANGHAI, BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THEN I RECEIVED AN ADMIRAL'S SWORD FROM THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HIPÓLITO MEJÍA.

I ALSO RECEIVED A MEDAL AND AN OFFICER'S SWORD FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF COLUMBIA SO I RECEIVED A LOT OF AWARDS.

I WAS EVEN GIVEN A HORSE BY THE ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT, A STALLION AND THEY PRESENTED THAT TO ME AT A CEREMONY WHERE ALL THE REGIONAL HEADS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE WERE MEETING BUT YOU KNOW I COULDN'T ACCEPT IT BECAUSE NUMBER ONE I COULDN'T SHIP IT TO AMERICA NOR DID I HAVE A BACKYARD SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE HORSE, A BEAUTIFUL HORSE.

I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN COMMENDATIONS, I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN AWARDS BY DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS.

IN MY CAREER I MET WITH MANY PRESIDENTS, PRIME MINISTERS, ATTORNEY GENERALS AND I STILL KEEP IN CONTACT WITH MANY OF THEM.

YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE MENTIONED THAT THE FEDERAL POLICE IN MEXICO EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM FOR DECADES SEND ME BLESSINGS ON THE TELEPHONE WITH PICTURES OF JESUS CHRIST AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND THEY CHECK ON MY HEALTH DAILY AND THOSE ARE THE TREMENDOUS RELATIONSHIPS.

AND THAT, LORENE, IS WHAT I TREASURE MORE THAN ANY OTHER AWARD.

>>LORENE: BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME THAT THE SECRET BECAUSE YOU WERE INVOLVED IN SEVERAL MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS AND THE LARGEST ONE WAS 36 COUNTRIES.

BUT THAT YOU HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYBODY, YOU WEREN'T JUST A TEXT, WELL THERE WASN'T EVEN TEXT OR EMAILS THEN IT WAS JUST TELEPHONE CALLS, BARKING ORDERS.

YOU HAD A RELATIONSHIP.

YOU KNEW ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES, AND THAT IS A BOND THAT IS UNBREAKABLE AND I'M SO PLEASED THAT THEY ARE STILL SENDING YOU BLESSINGS, THE BLESSINGS OF WISHING YOU WELL.

>>MICHAEL: IT IS TRUE, LORENE, IS THAT YOU KNOW PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE KEY TO GETTING THINGS DONE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE YOU ARE CUTTING YOURSELF SHORT, YOU ARE CUTTING THE MISSION SHORT, AND YOUR OBJECTIVES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO FALTER.

>>LORENE: WELL, I HAVE A WHOLE LOT I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT.

BUT THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE CARTELS.

HOW DID THEY EVOLVE, AND WHAT HAVE THEY EXPANDED THEIR TENTACLES INTO, I WAS SURPRISED THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO CORNER THE AVOCADO MARKET, THE WINE MARKET, SOMEBODY IS COMING FOR OUR GUACAMOLE AND MARGARITAS, SO THEY ARE INVOLVED IN OUR OIL AND GAS AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

WHEN DID THEY START COMING INTO POWER AND WHAT IS A CARTEL?

>>MICHAEL: WELL THE THING IS THAT IN THE 1950S, 1960S, AND 1970S, THEY WERE SMALL DISORGANIZED ORGANIZATIONS IN MEXICO THAT WERE TRAFFICKING PRIMARILY MARIJUANA AND THEN HEROIN.

IN THE 1980S, WE SAW THE RISE OF THE FIRST CARTEL IN MEXICO, WHICH WAS THE GUADALAJARA CARTEL.

AND THEY WERE THREE LEADERS AND WHAT PROPELLED THEM TO BECOME A CARTEL WAS THAT THE COLUMBIANS WERE TAKING GREAT HITS IN TERMS OF THEIR COCAINE SHIPMENTS TO THE CARIBBEAN.

SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MOVE THEIR ROUTE INTO MEXICO BECAUSE THEY SPOKE A COMMON LANGUAGE, SPANISH AND THE MEXICAN CARTELS ALREADY HAD PIPELINES FOR HEROIN AND MARIJUANA INTO THE STATES THAT THEY COULD TAP INTO.

SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME THEY STARTED TO BECOME MORE STRUCTURED, BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT IMPACTED ON THAT AND THAT WAS IN FEBRUARY OF 1985 WHEN THE GUADALAJARA CARTEL KIDNAPPED KIKI CAMARENA AND THEY TORTURED HIM, KILLED HIM IN A VERY BRUTAL MANNER.

AND IN THAT POINT IN TIME, THE DEA WENT AFTER THEM WITH A VENGEANCE, LIKE AN AVENGING WIND.

I WAS IN COLUMBIA AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND I STARTED TO LOOK AT CAPTURING THEIR SOURCE OF SUPPLY AND AN INDIVIDUAL BY THE NAME OF JUAN MATTA-BALLESTEROS, WHO WAS ACTUALLY HONDURAN BUT MARRIED TO A COLUMBIAN WOMAN AND HE ACTUALLY WAS MAKING SO MUCH MONEY THAT HE WAS THE SINGLE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN HONDURAS, OFFERED TO PAY THE FOREIGN DEBT OF THAT COUNTRY AND WE CAPTURED HIM IN CARTAGENA AND HE STARTED TO RUN THROUGH THE COURTYARD, I KICKED DOWN THE DOOR AND HE WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE COURTYARD WITH A 9MM IN HIS HAND, JUMPED OVER A WALL, COULDN'T NAVIGATE THE SECOND WALL AND LATER I FOUND OUT HE HAD BACK SURGERY.

>>LORENE: OH GOSH.

>>MICHAEL: SO I PEEKED OVER THE WALL AND HE IS LAYING ON HIS BACK POINTING THE GUN UPWARDS AND I DID A PEEKABOO VERY QUICK AND I WAS GOING TO SHOOT HIM RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW, USE LETHAL FORCE WHICH I WAS JUSTIFIED AND HE SAYS, "NO, NO, NO, DON'T SHOOT, I CAN GET OUT OF A JAIL BUT I CAN'T GET OUT OF A TOMB."

SO LATER, HE PAID OFF THE ENTIRE PRISON GUARD POPULATION AT LA PICOTA PENITENTIARY IN COLUMBIA, ESCAPED AND WENT TO BACK TO HONDURAS.

THEY INTERVIEWED HIM THERE AND THEY SAID WELL HOW DID YOU ESCAPE AND HE SAID WELL AS I WAS WALKING THROUGH THE PRISON THE DOORS JUST KEPT OPENING.

SO WE WENT TO THE HONDURAN GOVERNMENT AND WE SAID DO YOU WANT MATTA-BALLESTEROS OR DO YOU WANT US AID?

THEY SAID TAKE HIM AND WE BROUGHT HIM TO THE UNITED STATES AND HE WAS GIVEN A LIFE SENTENCE, HE IS CURRENTLY IN A FEDERAL PENITENTIARY IN PENNSYLVANIA.

WE CAPTURED ANOTHER LEADER IN GUADALAJARA AND THEN ANOTHER ONE IN COSTA RICA.

SO THE ULTIMATE LEADER WAS CAPTURED IN 1989 AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE GUADALAJARA CARTEL FRAGMENTED AND MANY OF THE TOP RANKING MEMBERS OF THAT CARTEL MET IN MEXICO CITY AND THEY DIVIDED TERRITORIES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIJUANA CARTEL HEADED BY THE ARELLANO-FÉLIX BROTHERS TOOK OVER THE TIJUANA CORRIDOR.

YOU HAD AMARO CARRILLO FUENTES THAT TOOK OVER THE JUAREZ CARTEL OR FORMED THE JUAREZ CARTEL AND THEN CHAPO GUZMAN, THE SINALOA CARTEL, THAT LEAD TO MULTIPLE CARTELS.

>>LORENE: WE ARE SPEAKING TODAY WITH MICHAEL S. VIGIL ABOUT HIS AMAZING ADVENTURES AS AN UNDERCOVER DEA AGENT AND AS THE HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEA OPERATIONS.

SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF STORIES.

BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HIM EXPLAINING HIS ESCAPE, "THE DOORS KEPT OPENING," THEY KEPT OPENING BECAUSE OF CORRUPTION AND THAT IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.

WE THINK WE DON'T HAVE IT HERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVIES THAT SAY WE DO, I DON'T KNOW, YOU WILL TELL ME.

BUT I REMEMBER THAT WHEN I WAS IN GUATEMALA AND TALKING WITH SOME OFFICIALS DOWN THERE THAT THEY DON'T LET NEW RECRUITS COP RECRUITS, JUST OUT OF COP SCHOOL, THEY DON'T LET THEM RIDE AROUND WITH THE OLD GUYS BECAUSE THE OLD GUYS TEACH THEM HOW TO TAKE BRIBES.

SO THEY KEEP IT VERY, A WALL BETWEEN THE OLD WAY OF DOING THINGS, THEY ARE GRATEFUL THAT THEY HAVE THOSE COPS THERE, THEY ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE CORRUPTION, BUT THEY DON'T WANT THE NEW ONES THINKING, OH, THIS IS HOW WE DO BUSINESS, A MORDIDA, A LITTLE BITE, BRIBING.

SO I STARTED ALL THAT WITH A QUESTION FOR YOU, WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH CORRUPTION AND HOW DO WE ADDRESS IT, YOU TELL A STORY TOO, ABOUT THAT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THAT HAD DONE THESE HORRIBLE THINGS AND HE WAS GIVEN TO US AND WE MADE A DEAL TO GIVE HIM BACK TO MEXICO BUT NOTHING WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED TO HIM IN MEXICO, RIGHT?

>>MICHAEL: THAT IS CORRECT.

YOU KNOW WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS OR TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME THESE NETWORKS ARE GENERATING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR.

AND THEREFORE, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY HUGE BRIBES AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT A BLACK AND WHITE ISSUE BECAUSE IN A LOT OF THESE COUNTRIES THE GOVERNMENTS DON'T PAY THEIR SECURITY FORCES A LOT OF MONEY.

AND THEY KNOW THAT ONCE THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THE POLICE INSTITUTION, THEY HAVE A BULLSEYE PAINTED ON THEIR CHEST AND THE CARTELS ARE GOING TO COME AFTER THEM SO THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO FLEE THE COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO HIDE.

BUT THEY ARE TEMPTED BECAUSE IN A LOT OF AREAS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MEXICO, YOU KNOW, REGULAR POLICE OFFICER WOULD MAKE MAYBE ABOUT $600 A MONTH AND THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, TO BUY A HOUSE, TO EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN AND THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T DO IT, SO THE CARTELS STEP IN AND GIVE THEM THAT MONEY.

ON THE ISSUE WITH THE GENERAL, HIS NAME IS SALVADOR CIENFUEGOS AND HE WAS THE MEXICAN SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER THE PENA-NIETO ADMINISTRATION AND THAT WAS FROM 2012 TO 2018.

HE WAS INDICTED AND THEN ARRESTED WHEN HE WAS GOING TO DISNEYLAND WITH HIS FAMILY IN LOS ANGELES, AND LOPEZ-OBRADOR, THE CURRENT MEXICAN PRESIDENT, HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT.

BUT THEN A CABAL OF MILITARY GENERALS SAID, YOU NEED TO GET HIM BACK AND I THINK THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY AFRAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO COME HERE AND DENOUNCE THEIR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OR THEIR, YOU KNOW, BRIBERY SCHEMES SO MARCELO EBRARD, WHO IS THE CURRENT FOREIGN MINISTER IN MEXICO, APPROACHED BILL BARR AND SAID, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU RELEASE HIM, YOUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS IN COUNTER DRUG EFFORTS ARE GOING TO FALTER.

SO SOMETHING THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE CAREER, THEY GAVE HIM BACK TO MEXICO WITH THE PROMISE THAT MEXICO WAS GOING TO INVESTIGATE HIM, WHICH THEY DIDN'T AND I KNEW THAT.

AND RIGHT NOW HE IS A FREE MAN AND HE WILL NEVER COME TO THE STATES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE WILL PROBABLY BE REARRESTED.

>>LORENE: WE HAVE SO MUCH TO GET TO, BUT I LOVE THESE STORIES AND BY THE WAY, JUST LET ME TAKE A MINUTE, PEOPLE WHO ARE HANGING ON YOUR EVERY WORD ABOUT THESE STORIES CAN READ ABOUT THEM.

JUST LET ME TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOKS, YOUR BIOGRAPHY IS CALLED, DEAL , DEA FOR DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND L, DEAL, YOUR BIOGRAPHY AND THESE ARE SO COMPELLING TO READ.

CLAW OF THE DRAGON, THE RISE OF THE SICARIO OR HITMAN , AND YOU HAVE LIVED AT SO MANY PLACES, YOU LIVED HERE AFGHAN WARLORD .

SO ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T GET TO ALL OF OUR STORIES TODAY, I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THEY CAN FIND YOUR BOOKS AND READ THEM.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN GO INTO THIS BRIEFLY IS WEAPONS.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF TRADE, IT IS NOT JUST DRUGS GETTING ACROSS THE BORDER, BY THE WAY WILL YOU TELL PEOPLE WHAT THE REAL WAY THAT MOST ILLEGAL DRUGS ENTER THE COUNTRY.

>>MICHAEL: YES, MOST OF THE ILLEGAL DRUGS COME INTO THE UNITED STATES THROUGH LEGAL PORTS OF ENTRY.

YOU KNOW THEY DON'T CROSS THE BORDER, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT THE MIGRANTS ARE BRINGING IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO, THEY ARE GOING TO BRING SMALL AMOUNTS IN BACKPACKS.

THE CARTELS NEED TO MOVE LARGE QUANTITIES, SO IT IS THE LAND PORT OF ENTRIES THAT THEY USE AS SMUGGLING ROUTES.

>>LORENE: AND THERE ARE TUNNELS ALSO.

>>MICHAEL: AND THEN IF YOU TOOK A GIANT KNIFE TO THE 2,000 MILE US/MEXICO BORDER, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A BLOCK OF SWISS CHEESE BECAUSE IT IS RIDDLED WITH TUNNELS.

>>LORENE: OKAY, THE WEAPONS.

HOW MANY GUNS STORES ARE THERE IN MEXICO?

>>MICHAEL: IN MEXICO, LORENE, THERE IS ONLY ONE GUN STORE.

>>LORENE: OKAY, LET'S LET THAT SINK IN.

AND HOW MANY WEAPONS COME ACROSS THE BORDER NORTH TO SOUTH INTO MEXICO, ROUGHLY.

>>MICHAEL: THERE IS ABOUT 580 WEAPONS ON A DAILY BASIS THAT FLOW FROM THE UNITED STATES INTO MEXICO.

>>LORENE: OKAY, IN WHOSE HANDS ARE THOSE WEAPONS NEWLY ARRIVED IN MEXICO, WHO GETS THEM?

>>MICHAEL: MOST OF THE WEAPONS THAT GO INTO MEXICO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE CARTELS, THEY USE THEM TO GENERATE VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHER CARTELS AND THEN AGAINST INNOCENT JOURNALISTS, POLITICIANS AND THEN JUST REGULAR ORDINARY CITIZENS.

>>LORENE: SO IT IS IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN EFFECT TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THEIR POWER AND TO BE UNASSAILABLE IF YOU HAVE GOT THE WEAPONS AND NO ONE CAN GET YOU.

>>MICHAEL: AND I SHOULD SAY THIS, LORENE, THAT GUN STORE THAT IS RUN BY THE MEXICAN ARMY IS LIKE A FORTRESS, HEAVILY GUARDED AND THEY ONLY SELL ON AN AVERAGE OF 38 WEAPONS NATIONALLY ON A DAILY BASIS, 38 WEAPONS.

>>LORENE: THESE ARE SMALL NUMBERS FOR THE LEGIT WAY AND THE ILLEGIT WAY IS REALLY...WELL NOW LOOK ONE OTHER PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY IS DRUGS AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO WORK TO SECURE THE BORDERS AND TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT CITIZENS FROM BEING ADDICTED TO THE BIG DRUG NOW IS FENTANYL, WHICH IS AMAZINGLY ADDICTIVE AND AMAZINGLY HIGH MORTALITY RATE.

SO I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT THE RISKS THAT YOUR DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENTS, WHO WORK BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER, AND THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I OFTEN WONDERED WELL WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE.

MANY WHO HAVE DIED IN THE SERVICE TO PROTECT AND SERVE THE CITIZENS AND YOU TOLD ME THAT THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED CLUB 100 OR THE 100 CLUB AND WHAT IS THAT, IS THAT A WAY THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND POLICE WHO HAVE DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY?

>>MICHAEL: WELL, I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE 100 CLUB OF NEW MEXICO BY MY GREAT FRIEND, GORDEN EDEN.

>>LORENE: OH, I KNOW HIM.

>>MICHAEL: AND IT IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE FAMILIES OF FIRST RESPONDERS, YOU KNOW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS WHO ARE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

AND I BECAME A MEMBER OF THE 100 CLUB OF NEW MEXICO AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT JOINING THIS ORGANIZATION.

IT ONLY COSTS ABOUT $100 A YEAR FOR MEMBERSHIP AND I WOULD LOOK AT A LOT OF BUSINESSES TO MAYBE DONATE MONEY TO THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE YOU HAVE POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE PROTECTING THEM IN THEIR BUSINESSES AND I THINK THAT IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT THEY SHOULD SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIFE IN SUPPORT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>>LORENE: AND I LOOKED UP THE 100 CLUB, IT STARTED WITH ONLY 100 MEMBERS, THERE ARE MANY MORE NOW.

SO THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM IF YOU WANT TO JOIN.

BUT WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT AND WHAT DO YOU THINK AT THIS POINT YOU WANT OUR VIEWERS TO KNOW THE MOST, WHAT DO CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN ALL THESE DARK REALMS?

>>MICHAEL: I THINK THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE UNITED STATES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE IN A CRISIS AND THAT CRISIS ARE ILLEGAL DRUGS, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY ARE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER AND THE MOST DEADLY ONE IS OBVIOUSLY FENTANYL, IT IS FIFTY TIMES STRONGER THAN HEROIN, A HUNDRED TIMES STRONGER THAN MORPHINE AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ARE NOW LACING A LOT OF OTHER DRUGS WITH FENTANYL.

I AM SPEAKING ABOUT THE CARTELS, SO A LOT OF THE DRUG ADDICTS THAT MAY BE SMOKING MARIJUANA OR ARE USING HEROIN DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE DRUGS ARE LACED WITH DEADLY FENTANYL AND IT WILL ONLY TAKE ABOUT THE EQUIVALENT OF FIVE GRAINS OF SALT TO KILL A NORMAL HUMAN BEING.

>>LORENE: SO, WHEN WE SPOKE THE LAST TIME, YOU URGED THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE USING SOME ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES OR MAYBE EVERYONE SHOULD GET A TEST KIT, THEY CAN TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF FENTANYL.

BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS MODEL OF A DRUG MANUFACTURER OR DEALER THAT IS GOING TO MAKE IT REALLY EASY TO KILL OFF HIS CUSTOMERS.

>>MICHAEL: BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS CUSTOMERS AND THEN WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIRTH RATE OF THE UNITED STATES, YOU KNOW, THERE IS OVER THREE MILLION BIRTHS THAT OCCUR EVERY YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES SO IT IS KIND OF LIKE A CONVEYOR BELT.

BUT THEY ARE NOT ONLY DISTRIBUTING HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY DISTRIBUTE AROUND THE WORLD.

THEY DISTRIBUTE IN SIX OF THE SEVEN CONTINENTS, THE ONLY ONE THEY DON'T DISTRIBUTE DRUGS IS ANTARCTICA.

>>LORENE: YEAH, WELL WE WILL HAVE TO READDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES ANOTHER TIME TOO, BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS A SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE SITUATION AND WE ARE READING ALL OVER NEW MEXICO THE FENTANYL DEATHS AND IT IS HEARTBREAKING, THESE ARE YOUNG VIBRANT PEOPLE WITH A WONDERFUL FUTURE AND MOST OF THESE DEATHS THE DRUG USER IS NOT PLANNING ON OVERDOSING.

BUT THAT IT IS MADE, IT'S PERMEATED THE CULTURE AND THE SUBSTANCE IS SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS A TERRIBLE RISK AND THERE IS ENOUGH GRIEF TO GO AROUND WITH THESE DEATHS.

>>MICHAEL: YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, LORENE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, THOSE DRUGS ARE NO LONGER IN THE URBAN AREAS BUT NOW THEY HAVE STARTED TO PERMEATE THROUGHOUT THE RURAL AREAS IN AMERICA.

>>LORENE: WELL, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, WE HAVE TO BE ON ALERT, WE HAVE TO ALSO EDUCATE.

WE REALLY NEED DRUG EDUCATION, IT IS TIME TO GO, BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THE RISKS ARE AND WHAT FENTANYL LOOKS LIKE AND BE ON GUARD TO PROTECT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES.

YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR US TODAY.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS MICHAEL S. VIGIL, FORMER DEA CHIEF INTERNATIONAL, CHIEF OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING AND OPENING OUR EYES AND LETTING US KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THANKS.

>>MICHAEL: THANK YOU, LORENE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO, HOPEFULLY, DO A LITTLE BIT OF EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL EVILS OF ILLEGAL DRUG ABUSE.

>>LORENE: YOU BET, THANK YOU.

AND I AM LORENE MILLS, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU OUR AUDIENCE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM