The Dope

The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

By: Benjamin T. Smith

Narrated by: John Curless

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

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

Great History of the Mexican Drug Trade

Great History of the Mexican Drug Trade, I didn't realize how long ago it started.

Great book, but an audiobook about Mexico deserves a narrator that speaks Spanish

Great book, well researched and written. Highly recommend. My only suggestion is regarding the narrator: John Curless does a good job, but for a book littered with Spanish phrases/places/names, someone who speaks Spanish would be a far better fit. Curless does great through the English text, but stumbles through the Spanish words painfully

Understand the Drug War

Necessary context for understanding the drug enforcement and general drug policy problems facing the US and Mexico over the coming decades

great book

A good listen that never stood still for too long and yet is filled with relevant and little known information that I could follow. I can't wait to listen to it again.

Very informative and interesting

This was a great listen and very informative of how the drug trade evolved from before the 1900s to now

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

Great to a point

This is a great book that highlights many lesser known aspects of narcotics history in Mexico. I 100% recommend reading / listening to it.

From the 1800’s to the 1990’s the author does a great job of weaving a story out of what could have easily been boring statistics. There are two minor criticisms. First, once the “story” moves into the 2000’s it becomes very rushed and many facts are glossed over. My hope is that the author will write a follow on volume that focuses specifically on the time period from 1993 to current (2022). My second critique is a tendency to be hypercritical of US policy or those who execute it. While there were certainly mistakes, as with any foreign policy issue that deals with something as grand and complex as counter narcotics, the author seems to blame the US for much of what happened. I could be totally wrong and again that is my perception upon first complete listen. I think it is understood as such a complex environment that really no one person, organization, or nation can be wholly blamed. But, and I think the author would agree to a point, the current narcotics situation has evolved to really the only point it could have given the ingredients that were fed into the mix. Overall great book that I highly recommend.