Truth Nation Podcast

Should the U.S. Designate Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations? Join Bill Bodner, retired Special agent in charge DEA and retired CHP Chief Mark Garrett, as they dive into the pressing issue of designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. They discuss the rise of fentanyl deaths, corruption within the Mexican government, and the potential implications of such a designation on U.S. national security and diplomacy. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on a topic that's making headlines.

In August, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents in their posh, Beverly Hills home. Their first trial ended in a hopelessly deadlocked jury, unable to reach a unanimous decision. The second trial resulted in two murder-one convictions and sentences of life without parole. Thirty-five years later, it appears they may be released from prison. Did they commit murder to get their hands on a 14-million-dollar estate or was it self-defense to prevent continued physical and sexual abuse and their own murders? New evidence has come to light which may back up the claims of abuse. Should they be released? Listen to this episode and find out.

With the recent arrest of Sean “P-Diddy” Combs and his eye-witness role in an unsolved, high-profile, Los Angeles homicide, retired California highway Patrol Chief Mark Garret, retired DEA Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner and current Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney sit down to discuss one of the greatest scandals in modern policing, the LAPD Rampart Scandal. One police officer killing another in self-defense, stolen drug evidence, planted guns, unjustified beatings and shootings and perhaps the murder of Notorious BIG. What really happened in the late 1990s when a specialized LAPD anti-crime unit called CRASH went bad and what was the connection to Suge Knight and Death Row Records?

Did a single Los Angeles Police Department Officer actually fire over 900 rounds in an officer involved shooting? Yes, it really happened! On May 17th, 1974, Ofc Al Preciado and eight other members of LAPD SWAT had their new tactics and equipment put to the test when they encountered the Symbionese Liberation Army hiding out in a house in South Central Los Angeles. Ofc Preciado was awarded the LAPD Medal Of Valor for his role in the gun battle that lasted over two hours. Al gives his first hand account of events. It's an incredible story.

On April 2, 1990, Dr. Humberto Alvarez-Machain was abducted by agents of the U.S. Government, from his medical office in Mexico and flown against his will to El Paso, Texas. He eventually appeared in Los Angeles federal court to answer charges he participated in the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Rafeedie deemed the kidnapping illegal, dismissed the indictment against Alvarez-Machain and ordered him returned to Mexico. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirmed Rafeedie’s decision. The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court, where the decision was reversed, and remanded back to the District Court for Alvarez-Machain to stand trial. After the government presented its’ case in chief, Judge Rafeedie granted a defense motion for summary judgment and entered a directed verdict of not guilty. Alvarez-Machain went free.On July 25, 2024, drug kingpin Ismael Zambada-Garcia, aka El Mayo, was kidnapped from a residence in Sinaloa, Mexico, by armed gunman working for Joaquin Guzman-Lopez. Guzman-Lopez, also a wanted drug trafficking kingpin, had been negotiating his surrender with the United States for some time. Guzman-Lopez voluntarily arrived in Santa Teresa, New Mexico of his own free will, but brought Zambada-Garcia restrained, with a bag over his head, apparently attempting to sweeten his cooperation deal with the U.S. Government.On this episode of the Truth Nation Podcast, we speak with career prosecutor Sean Carney about both cases and what will likely happen with the Zambada-Garcia case as it winds its’ way through the justice system. Carney worked on a portion of the Alvarez-Machain case in the 1990’s and is well versed on the extradition treaty issues and supreme court decision that are in play here. Did Joaquin Guzman-Lopez have a cooperation agreement in place? Was he acting as an “agent” of the United States when he conducted the kidnapping and caused multiple murders in Mexico? Did the Government of Mexico file an official protest to this act? Did the U.S. Government make the affirmative decision to circumvent an extradition treaty they had agreed to? Will any of these factors matter in the Zambada-Garcia case? All these questions are answered in this interesting legal analysis.

In 2011, the Vancouver Canucks faced off against the Boston Bruins in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. About 155,000 people were in downtown Vancouver to watch the game and celebrate what all thought would be an epic victory. As the game progressed and it became clear the Canucks would not be victorious, the mood of the crowd turned dark and a massive riot broke out. In the end over 300 people were charged with crimes and 140 people, including nine police officers, were injured. A fascinating incident as it was perhaps the first example of the public using social media to play armchair detective and identify and publicly shame the rioters.What was the flashpoint? Was law enforcement sufficiently prepared for the crowd? Did the media invite violence by constantly discussing other sprots related riots in the lead up to game seven? Join retired DEA Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner and Retired California Highway Patrol Chief Mark Garrett as they discuss the game, the riot and the accountability on this episode of the Truth Nation Podcast.

On March 8, 2014, MH 370 departed Kuala Lumpur on a routine flight to Beijing, China, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on-board. The flight never arrived. There was no May-Day call, no cell phone calls, text messages or emails from distressed passengers to loved ones, no black box recovered….. and to this day, there is at least some degree of uncertainty if any verifiable wreckage has ever been found. On this episode of the Truth Nation Podcast, Bill Bodner and the Chief breakdown the evidence, assess the credibility of the involved parties and discuss three popular theories that attempt to explain what is without question, the greatest aviation mystery of our time. Was it terrorism, a missile strike, catastrophic mechanical failure or a suicide mission? What caused MH 370 to divert and where did the flight ultimately end? Watch this episode to hear our opinion. As always, we invite you to share yours!

Netflix dropped a three part documentary last week with some spicy allegations. In a scenario only fathomable in Los Angeles, it’s the story of 7M Talent Management, the Shekinah Church, and several TikTok dance content creators who collectively have millions of followers. Are the young performers being swindled out of most of their earnings? Is the promise of divine salvation being used to coerce sexual contact? When does coercion cross the line to criminal behavior, and finally, as parents, what do you do when you don’t approve of the decisions your adult children make? Check out this, “truth is stranger than fiction,” story while it’s in the headlines…… on this week’s episode of the Truth Nation Podcast.