The Last Kilo

Willy Falcon and the Cocaine Empire That Seduced America

De: T. J. English

Narrado por: Christian Barillas

From true-crime legend T. J. English, the epic, behind-the-scenes saga of “Los Muchachos,” one of the most successful cocaine trafficking organizations in American history—a story of glitz, glamour, and organized crime set against 1980’s Miami.

Despite what Scarface might lead one to believe, violence was not the dominant characteristic of the cocaine business. It was corruption: the dirty cops, agents, lawyers, judges, and politicians who made the drug world go round. And no one managed that carousel of dangerous players better than Willy Falcon.

A Cuban exile whose family escaped Fidel Castro’s Cuba when he was eleven years old, Falcon, as a teenager, became active in the anti-Castro movement. He began smuggling cocaine into the U.S. as a way to raise money to buy arms for the Contras in Central America. This counter-revolutionary activity led directly to Willy’s genesis as a narco. He and his partners built an extraordinary international organization from the ground up. Los Muchachos, the syndicate founded by Falcon, thrived as a major cocaine distribution network in the U.S. from the late 1970’s into the early 1990’s. At their height, Los Muchachos made more than a hundred million dollars a year. At the same time, Willy, his brother Tavy Falcon, and partner Sal Magluta became famous as championship powerboat racers.

Cocaine, used by everyone from A-list celebrities to lawyers and people in law enforcement, came to define an era, and for a time, Willy Falcon and those like him—major suppliers, of whom there were only a few—became stars in their own right. They were the deliverers of good times, at least until the downside of persistent cocaine use became apparent: delusions of grandeur, psychological addiction, financial ruin. Thus, the War on Drugs was born, and federal authorities came after Falcon and his crew with a vengeance. Willy found himself on the run, his marriage and family life in shambles, the halcyon days of boat races and lavish trips to Vegas and parties at the Mutiny night club seemingly a distant memory.

T. J. English has been granted unprecedented access to the inner workings of Los Muchachos, sitting down with Willy Falcon and his associates for many lengthy interviews, and revealing never-before-understood details about drug trafficking. A classic of true-crime writing from a master of the genre, The Last Kilo traces the rise and fall of a true cocaine empire—and the lives left in its wake.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Excellent from start to finish.

If you are interested in a real depiction of what was going on in Miami and the Narco world in the 80’s. This book is exactly what you are looking for. Excellent narration with an engaging story. Perfect.

Excessive ‘80’s time capsule

I liked everything about this book, As a lover of powerboats and muscle cars, I was born in 1979 and I remember childhood feeling like I was born too late because of the things I was seeing in American pop culture during the Reagan/Bush years. Los Muchachos lived the dream my generation was sold

TJ English at his finest!

This book was a pleasure to read. TJ English never disappoints. I was particularly fascinated by the ties to the CIA early in the careers of Los Muchachos. A long-awaited masterpiece, one in a long line of stories about human beings caught up in something much bigger than themselves.

The real story of the Cocaine Cowboys

Great story. They led a wild life. I thought I knew this story from the documentary, but the book delved into what really happened. Quite a read.

Epic Story - Hard to Put Down

TJ is arguably the best true crime author currently out there and his access to Falcon set this book apart from others. It is an enthralling tale that does a good job of not lionizing its drug kingpin lead too much. Don’t skip this one