America's War on Drugs
"America's War on Drugs" is an immersive trip through the last five decades, uncovering how the CIA, obsessed with keeping America safe in the fight against communism, allied itself with the mafia and foreign drug traffickers. In exchange for support against foreign enemies, the groups were allowed to grow their drug trade in the United States. The series explores the unintended consequences of when gangsters, war lords, spies, outlaw entrepreneurs, street gangs and politicians vie for power and control of the global black market for narcotics - all told through the firsthand accounts of former CIA and DEA officers, major drug traffickers, gang members, noted experts and insiders. Night one of "America's War on Drugs" divulges covert Cold War operations that empowered a generation of drug traffickers and reveals the peculiar details of secret CIA LSD experiments which helped fuel the counter-culture movement, leading to President Nixon's crackdown and declaration of a war on drugs. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island "cocaine base," the CIA's connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of "Just Say No," the negative effect of NAFTA, and the unlikely career of an almost famous Midwest meth queen. The final chapter of the series examines how the attacks on September 11th intertwined the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, transforming Afghanistan into a narco-state teeming with corruption. It also explores how American intervention in Mexico helped give rise to El Chapo and the Super Cartels, bringing unprecedented levels of violence and sending even more drugs across America's borders. Five decades into the War on Drugs, a move to legalize marijuana gains momentum, mega-corporations have become richer and more powerful than any nation's drug cartel, and continuing to rise is the demand for heroin and other illegal drugs.
- 2017-2017
- 1 season
- History Channel
- Documentary
- TV-14
"America's War on Drugs" is an immersive trip through the last five decades, uncovering how the CIA, obsessed with keeping America safe in the fight against communism, allied itself with the mafia and foreign drug traffickers. In exchange for support against foreign enemies, the groups were allowed to grow their drug trade in the United States. The series explores the unintended consequences of when gangsters, war lords, spies, outlaw entrepreneurs, street gangs and politicians vie for power and control of the global black market for narcotics - all told through the firsthand accounts of former CIA and DEA officers, major drug traffickers, gang members, noted experts and insiders. Night one of "America's War on Drugs" divulges covert Cold War operations that empowered a generation of drug traffickers and reveals the peculiar details of secret CIA LSD experiments which helped fuel the counter-culture movement, leading to President Nixon's crackdown and declaration of a war on drugs. The documentary series then delves into the rise of the cocaine cowboys, a secret island "cocaine base," the CIA's connection to the crack epidemic, the history of the cartels and their murderous tactics, the era of "Just Say No," the negative effect of NAFTA, and the unlikely career of an almost famous Midwest meth queen. The final chapter of the series examines how the attacks on September 11th intertwined the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, transforming Afghanistan into a narco-state teeming with corruption. It also explores how American intervention in Mexico helped give rise to El Chapo and the Super Cartels, bringing unprecedented levels of violence and sending even more drugs across America's borders. Five decades into the War on Drugs, a move to legalize marijuana gains momentum, mega-corporations have become richer and more powerful than any nation's drug cartel, and continuing to rise is the demand for heroin and other illegal drugs.
Season 1 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 2017
Episode 1
Acid, Spies & Secret Experiments
Sun, Jun 18, 2017 84 mins
The roots of America's War on Drugs is uncovered. Secret assassination attempts, the CIA's bizarre experiments with LSD, and covert support of heroin traffickers are factors leading up to President Nixons' declaration of war on drugs in America. It's a story of lies and unintended consequences - a gonzo story of gangsters and gurus, war lords and spies, street gangs and politicians - all vying for power and control of a growing new black market for narcotics.
Episode 2
Cocaine, Cartels & Crackdowns
Mon, Jun 19, 2017 85 mins
Cocaine lands in America via secret airports, giving rise to violent cartel bosses like Pablo Escobar. The CIA's shadow wars and an Ex-Nazi who was a former US intelligence asset contribute to the world's first Narco state. President Ronald Reagan cracks down with "Just Say No," even as crack floods into the United States partly as an unintended consequence of the fight against communism. A former DEA agent alleges an outrageous US government culpability in the cocaine trade.
Episode 3
Gangs, Prisons & Meth Queens
Tue, Jun 20, 2017 85 mins
America's War on Drugs rages on. The Clinton Administration's support of NAFTA inadvertently opens the door to Mexican cartels, and its response to a wave of violence leads to mass incarceration. A celebrity's sister becomes a successful meth lord in the Midwest, as a powerful group of cartels begin a bloody war for dominance. America's streets are flooded with drugs with no end of the war on drugs in sight.
Episode 4
Heroin, Terrorists & Kings of Pain
Wed, Jun 21, 2017 85 mins
After 9/11, the war on terror and the war on drugs collide. In Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai's brother is allegedly a major heroin trafficker and the country becomes the premiere heroin supplier. Terrorists line their coffers with drug money, as the first Mexican super cartel forms and El Chapo goes on the run. Big Pharma becomes a major supplier of addictive substances as Americans ponder whether the war on drugs is worth it.
