The Dope

The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

By: Benjamin T. Smith

Narrated by: John Curless

The Mexican drug trade has inspired prejudiced narratives of a war between north and south, White and Brown; between noble cops and vicious kingpins, corrupt politicians and powerful cartels. In this first comprehensive history of the trade, historian Benjamin T. Smith tells the real story of how and why this one-peaceful industry turned violent. He uncovers its origins and explains how this illicit business essentially built modern Mexico, affecting everything from agriculture to medicine to economics - and the country’s all-important relationship with the United States.

Drawing on unprecedented archival research; leaked DEA, Mexican law enforcement, and cartel documents; and dozens of harrowing interviews, Smith tells a thrilling story brimming with vivid characters - from Ignacia “La Nacha” Jasso, “queen pin” of Ciudad Juárez, to Dr. Leopoldo Salazar Viniegra, the crusading physician who argued that marijuana was harmless and tried to decriminalize morphine, to Harry Anslinger, the Machiavellian founder of the American Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who drummed up racist drug panics to increase his budget. Smith also profiles everyday agricultural workers, whose stories reveal both the economic benefits and the human cost of the trade.

The Dope contains many surprising conclusions about drug use and the failure of drug enforcement, all backed by new research and data. Smith explains the complicated dynamics that drive the current drug war violence, probes the US-backed policies that have inflamed the carnage, and explores corruption on both sides of the border. A dark morality tale about the American hunger for intoxication and the necessities of human survival, The Dope is essential for understanding the violence in the drug war and how decades-old myths shape Mexico in the American imagination today.

©2021 Benjamin Smith (P)2021 Recorded Books, Inc.

The gradual development of the drug trade organization and how the demand is all from the US.

The depth and detail of the drug trade evolution from the early 1800s to 2020. Great performance as well.

one of my favorites

deep look in to the trouble down south glad I had the time need to finish couldn't put it down

Only complaint is that narrator doesn’t know Spanish

The narrator is great with one fault: he says the names and words in Spanish incorrectly, beyond having an accent. While it is no flaw for any person to not know a particular language, in this context it seems necessary.

From El Paso

I live on the US Mexico border. This excellent history lays out the growth of the narco industry over time, and how it is intertwined with the growth of the Mexican state and its political and law enforcement systems. The anarchic and deadly social space in Mexico and the US’ role in creating it is frightening. It’s happening here as well, with a huge footprint in the US. The book is terrifying. Excellent read.

Good listen

A lot of drug history in Mexico and the corruption in detail that I did not know