The Fort Bragg Cartel

Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces

De: Seth Harp

Narrado por: Dan John Miller

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“Propulsive.”—The Washington Post

“The Fort Bragg Cartel opens like a nonfiction thriller and never lets up. A page-turning investigation into the dark side of our forever wars.”—Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars and Directorate S

A groundbreaking investigation into a string of unsolved murders at America’s premier special operations base, and what the crimes reveal about drug trafficking and impunity among elite soldiers in today’s military

In December 2020, a deer hunter discovered two dead bodies that had been riddled with bullets and dumped in a forested corner of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One of the dead men, Master Sergeant William “Billy” Lavigne, was a member of Delta Force, the most secretive “black ops” unit in the military. A deeply traumatized veteran of America’s classified assassination program, Lavigne had done more than a dozen deployments in his lengthy career, was addicted to crack cocaine, dealt drugs on base, and had committed a series of violent crimes before he was mysteriously killed. The other victim, Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas, was a quartermaster attached to the Special Forces who used his proximity to clandestine missions to steal guns and traffic drugs into the United States from abroad, and had written a blackmail letter threatening to expose criminality in the special operations task force in Afghanistan.

As soon as Seth Harp, an Iraq war veteran and investigative reporter, begins looking into the double murder, he learns that there have been many more unexplained deaths at Fort Bragg recently, other murders connected to drug trafficking in elite units, and dozens of fatal overdoses. Drawing on declassified documents, trial transcripts, police records, and hundreds of interviews, Harp tells a scathing story of narco-trafficking in the Special Forces, drug conspiracies abetted by corrupt police, blatant military cover-ups, American complicity in the Afghan heroin trade, and the pernicious consequences of continuous war.

©2025 Seth Harp (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A propulsive and deeply troubling account of military involvement in the drug trade, both domestically and abroad.”—The Washington Post

“The Fort Bragg Cartel focuses on the sleazy world of a couple of U.S. Army special operators who got heavily into dealing drugs and using them in vast quantities. . . . It seems that we all are doomed to continue finding new ways to pay the bills—physical, emotional, financial, moral—of wars that never seem to end.”—Thomas E. Ricks, The New York Times Book Review

“[An] explosive investigation into drug dealing, murder, and suicide within America’s special operations forces groups, notably superelite Delta Force. . . . A book to be taken seriously by the country’s political class and military establishment.”—Jeff Calder, The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Incredible, insane

Seth really paints a picture of the intertwining stories, rarely embellishing the inherent rot at their center.

Interesting but bias

Interesting read. But the author definitely has a bias outlook. Almost seems like he was wronged by the SOF community when he was in the service.

You should write a disclaimer.

No other department of the military has ever needed the amount of press, glam and fawning attention as special operations! This book will open many eyes to a shadow realm; at no small danger to the author

*** It may be necessary for you to write a disclaimer stating that you are not suicidal. Write one, record one, etc, and leave copies with several people.

Great investigative reporting!

Detailed reporting, this book was written well and the narrator did a great job. The story itself is extremely saddening for me as a former Spec Ops soldier. I was at Bragg for a few years prior to all this happening, but serving within the community I can unfortunately see how these horrible and tragic events happened . Great work I was happy with it and recommend anyone who wants to listen to a story you can’t stop listening to, this is it.

the transparency

big story about real people lives in today's military and there is no place for eithics in war

Jaw dropping

I have to leave a fifteen word reply because audible won’t just accept a simple review,

Rot at the Tip of the Spear

Brave and vital reporting about the rampant criminality and corruption in the elite ranks of the armed forces. An examination of depravity and murders behind the scenes of the GWOT.

Non-fiction Steven King Novel

This book is amazing it could be adapted into either an increíble successor to The Wire or a modern day Blazing Saddles which is not something I’ve ever thought before. Tell everyone you know to read this book

Captivating story, but weighed down by the authors obsession with race.

Really captivating subject matter with excellent narration. However, the author unnecessarily takes every opportunity to point out race as being a key problem for no reason. I only have the audible so can’t search for terms to compile a list, but I’m certain he uses “white man” in a derogatory manner at least 100 times. Really wish I could listen to the subject matter without the constant assertions of race.

shocking, informative, and all around well done

this books is incredible, I heard the author on a live show of trueanon and the short parts of the book he shared and they talked about had me needing to know more and it did not disappoint. I look forward to more from Seth.