WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.160 To talk about something that you know. I'm very open 2 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:06.280 with you guys about stuff where I'm conflicted. Right there 3 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:10.279 are issues that I cannot say I have a firm, 4 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:14.039 you know, opinion, because I feel like maybe I'm missing something. 5 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:16.320 And when I saw it, I'm sure many of you 6 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:17.199 saw the same thing. 7 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:19.280 I saw videos of. 8 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:23.519 A Venezuelan drug boat, a go fast boat, and don't 9 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.920 get me wrong, no doubt in my mind that that 10 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:28.199 boat was full of drugs and drug dealers. But the 11 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.000 United States military just blew it out. 12 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:31.280 Of the sky. 13 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:34.280 And I was like, well, that's new, and it seems 14 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:37.640 a little extra judicial, because the war on drugs has 15 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:41.039 always been a law enforcement effort until now. Then I 16 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:45.039 saw a post on X by a gentleman named Reeve McSwain, 17 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:46.920 and I asked him to come on the show to 18 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:48.920 talk about it because he has a lot more experience 19 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.000 in this field than I do as a former prosecutor. 20 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.119 First of all, Reeve, welcome to the show. 21 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:56.719 Thanks for having me. 22 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:58.799 Well, I got to say first before we even get 23 00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:02.119 into the serious part of our converse station, Reid McSwain 24 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:04.319 may be one of the coolest names that we've had 25 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:06.359 on the show in a really long time, Like you 26 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:08.480 could be a soap opera star, or you could be 27 00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:11.000 the alter ego of a superhero with that name. So 28 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.599 hats off to your parents for giving you that one. 29 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:18.159 If you could give my audience a little bit of 30 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:21.359 your background and why you have a better perspective on 31 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:22.319 the war on drugs. 32 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:25.599 Sure, I don't know if this will make me sound 33 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:27.959 cooler or not that the name is Reed Swainston not 34 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:28.560 mc swayin. 35 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.120 Oh sorry, well no, still cool, still very cool. 36 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:33.560 I should have just read my own writing. 37 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:39.000 Yeah. Well, background is I was a federal prosecutor for 38 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:42.120 a couple of decades in just south of you, mostly 39 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.439 in New Mexico. I spent some time in DC. I 40 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:49.159 was one of the attorneys during the Obama period when 41 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:54.480 he tried to civilianize the GETMO cases. If you don't right, yep, 42 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:58.840 and so they pulled attorneys from the field for those cases. 43 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.079 I was one of them. Gave me a little extra 44 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:06.239 understanding of this issue that we're going to talk about. 45 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:11.879 But mostly the vast majority of my cases were what 46 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:19.560 courts call complex litigation cases, all concerning cartels, mostly Mexican 47 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:24.560 cartel cases, and how they affected our region in New 48 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:29.199 Mexico four Corners region, and a number of my cases 49 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.039 stretched well beyond our region as well as far east 50 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:37.080 as well. You name it almost every state. Since we 51 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:39.240 have the I twenty five and I forty corridors, you 52 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:44.520 can imagine organizations that function here function elsewhere. 53 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.240 Well, we've delt with We've seen here in Denver trendy. 54 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:52.879 Aragua loves Denver right because it's a crossroads and it 55 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:53.719 makes it easy to. 56 00:02:53.639 --> 00:02:54.960 Get stuff to other places. 57 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:58.039 But when I mentioned, as I was bringing you on 58 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:01.599 Reeve that the war on drugs, Yes, we've called it 59 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:04.199 the war on drugs for decades now, but has it 60 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:08.039 really been a war or has it been a law 61 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:11.879 enforcement effort that needed to be a war? 62 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:13.039 Let me ask that question. 63 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:16.919 I'm so glad you put it that way, because the 64 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:21.120 characterization of a war on drugs has never been accurate 65 00:03:21.240 --> 00:03:26.840 until today. It is now a war on cartels, which 66 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:32.599 are obviously the primary and these organizations are criminal organizations 67 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:38.080 far more similar to what we know as foreign terrorist 68 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:40.840 organizations than anything else, and they're in our hemisphere. I 69 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:43.680 think we need to reframe how we think about cartels. 70 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:47.319 For too long, we've treated them as a criminal justice 71 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.439 issue like you pointed out, when in reality they operate 72 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.840 as a foreign terrorist organizations in every sense that matters. 73 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:58.439 I mean they direct violence, same kind of corruption, mass 74 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:02.919 casualty events against our homeland. And the depth poll far 75 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:07.199 exceeds anything that ISIS or Alcada has ever done to us. 76 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.120 When you look at fence andyl death alone, and I 77 00:04:10.599 --> 00:04:13.360 know we have to do it collectively, not in one 78 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:18.800 mass event like we're so you know, used to terrorism 79 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:21.720 when we think about it, and that's just sent it 80 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:24.279 all alone. I mean it doesn't even come close to 81 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:28.879 including the heroin deaths which I saw down here in 82 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:34.000 numbers that are just unspeakable, that ben fettering deaths and 83 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:40.240 so on. And that's why, when you know I have 84 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:44.920 fought this battle for decades, towards the end of my career, 85 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:51.040 I came to the unfortunate but very realistic realization that 86 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:57.040 we're doing it wrong. They they do everything that part 87 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:01.600 that terrorist organizations do. They're motive is just different. 88 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.160 And let me ask you specifically, because I spend way 89 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.720 too much time I probably should admit this watching shows 90 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:12.279 on drug cartels and organized crime south of the border 91 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:14.519 and things of that nature. Can you give me some 92 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:20.240 kind of idea of what kind of firepower man power 93 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:24.480 that some of these the really highly organized cartels that 94 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.680 are operating in Central and South America, what are we 95 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:30.759 looking at in terms of what their capabilities are. 96 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:37.319 Well, TDA is a very well organized criminal organization and 97 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:43.879 now terrorist organization centrally functions as a as an army 98 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.199 or venezuela, the dark army, if you will, and then 99 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.560 you've got the Mexican cartels. I was heavily into this 100 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:55.800 during the two thousand and six seven eight war between 101 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.600 the Wires cartels and the Wire's Cartel and the Cineloa cartel, 102 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:04.240 when those battles were waging aggressively in Warez, when sine 103 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:07.240 Loo Is trying to take over. I targeted quite a 104 00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:13.439 number of the hit team commanders that were engaged in 105 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:17.319 that war. And that war was heavy guns, all sorts 106 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:22.439 of munitions that you can imagine. They all military like 107 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:31.160 types of activities, targeted assassinations, large battalion level, from company 108 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:39.040 to battalion level armies focused aggressively on taking out the opposition. 109 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:44.240 So they fight each other just like they target us, 110 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:47.879 not in the same way. But these are just very, 111 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:54.360 very dangerous criminal organizations that behave exactly like terrorist organizations. 112 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:57.399 I just watched a show on the drug war that 113 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:00.319 you were just talking about between the two cartels, and 114 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.720 they had a couple of guys there were part of 115 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:06.680 that part of the organizations, and they said it got 116 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:09.519 to the point where we were not only trying to 117 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:12.839 take out other guys in the other cartel, but we 118 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:16.680 were trying to out savage them, right Like. It wasn't 119 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.120 just enough to kill a guy, it was, Oh, we're 120 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:20.720 going to kill this guy. We're going to cut his 121 00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:22.959 head off, and we're going to shove his testicles in 122 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:25.600 his mouth. I mean, And they were describing this level 123 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:30.480 of depravity that we would associate with a terrorist organization. Absolutely, 124 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.279 and I think that people in the United States when 125 00:07:34.319 --> 00:07:38.560 you hear cartel, we sort of had this antiquated notion like, oh, 126 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:41.120 they're like the mafia was back in the twenties, but 127 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:45.120 they're well beyond in sheer violence what we had back then. 128 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:47.279 Wouldn't you say the. 129 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:50.360 Level of depravity is identical to the violence that you 130 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:55.879 see executed by a moss and ISIS and al Qaeda. 131 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:58.199 I mean, specifically going back to that, one of my 132 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:02.319 targets he's in custom. You know. His nickname was El 133 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:06.040 Jaguar because he liked to feed people to wild animals, 134 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:08.879 specifically large cats. 135 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:12.079 I mean, as one does. 136 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:17.040 Jose Antonio Marufo, Jose Antonio Torres Marufo, you could look 137 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.040 him up. He was one of our main targets. He 138 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.160 was the hit teen commander for the Cinelo a cartel 139 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.120 and they had, you know, companies that just using my 140 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.560 analogy and the Marines. I was a heavy machine gunner, 141 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:31.759 so I drove around on a turtleshell hum v with 142 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.720 a fifty caliber on top. They do the same thing, 143 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:38.600 just with different vehicles. You know, they mount these fifty 144 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:42.679 caliber machine guns to trucks and SUV's and things like that. 145 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:47.080 And yeah, I mean I had I had so many 146 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:49.840 stories of that kind of violence that could talk forever. 147 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:51.879 I know it's a radio show and you can't talk forever. 148 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.720 But one of my witnesses, one of the cases that 149 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.240 really affected me the most was I had a witness 150 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:00.960 who flipped and he thought that it would be okay 151 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.440 to return to Mexico to you know, for a day, 152 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:07.840 to meet his family, thinking he was safe enough to 153 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:13.399 do so, and he was murdered within less than an 154 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.960 hour in the Walmart parking lot down in war as 155 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:20.200 you're shot hundreds of times, spending a very clear message 156 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:24.559 that you don't cooperate with the Feds, whether it's in 157 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:26.759 Mexico or in the United States. 158 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:30.840 So this is what do we need to change? And 159 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:33.639 here's my issue. And I told you this in an 160 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:36.960 email that I sent you, Reeve, like I have concerns 161 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:40.279 when our government makes these sort of utilateral decisions that 162 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:44.200 don't seem to have a lot of sort of what's 163 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:46.639 the sort I'm looking for? They don't go through the 164 00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:49.440 processes that are necessary. I'm one of those people that 165 00:09:49.480 --> 00:09:52.360 thinks we should have a declaration of war right before 166 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:55.480 we actually go to war with people, something that has 167 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:58.840 now become an antiquated notion. But in your view, what 168 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:02.639 needs to change the policies so people like me begin 169 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.879 to understand better what we're actually doing here. 170 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.440 Well, you the way that that singular event, there are 171 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:14.559 many many more tools in the in the toolbox for 172 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:19.320 these cartels now that they're designated as terrorists. If you'd 173 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:21.240 like me to do so, I can. 174 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.759 Fire off a few, please go right ahead. 175 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:28.840 You know, for example, we have a far greater access 176 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:34.000 to their money laundering activities through the Patriot Act authorities. 177 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:36.799 And I know that's controversial, but when used properly, it's 178 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:41.000 very effective. We can literally shut down foreign banks. If 179 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.519 they have any interest in working with us, they better 180 00:10:43.559 --> 00:10:47.399 turn over all assets and information that they have on 181 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:55.080 our targets, even from foreign sources and banking institutions. You can. 182 00:10:55.240 --> 00:10:58.000 We can do a tremendous amount under seven oh two 183 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:05.759 with targeting foreign communications is a really big, big, big 184 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:10.799 issue that's critical for law enforcement and now the combination 185 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:14.279 of law enforcement in the military, and even more important. 186 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:17.080 Seven o two still requires a FISK warrant. You know 187 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:18.679 what that is, right, You've got to get the Foreign 188 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:22.360 into Surveillance Court to authorize it. It's different than a 189 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.120 wire tap, which I did. I did. All I did 190 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:27.480 was wiretaps. I had a couple of FISK cases, but 191 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:32.480 they were terrorism cases, not cartel cases. Now I'd be 192 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:35.240 able to use the FISK for cartel cases, which is huge. 193 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:37.720 Instead of having to report to the court every thirty days, 194 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:39.960 you get to do it every ninety days. It's just 195 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:43.720 you know, it's a manpower relief, if you will. And 196 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:48.759 in addition to that, now that These are terrorist organizations 197 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:52.799 for truly foreign to foreign signals intelligence, meaning people talking 198 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:56.000 to each other or communicating to each other, regardless of 199 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.320 how it is. We don't need a court order at all. 200 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:02.519 Oh wow, it's because of the designation. That's because of 201 00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:06.399 the designation of it being a terrorist organization. So how 202 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:08.960 does this you're right, how does this in the grand 203 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.879 scheme of things? What does this mean for our ability 204 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:18.600 to go aggressively after terrorist organizations in foreign countries like 205 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:22.519 in Mexico or in Venezuela or in you know, the 206 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:25.360 various different places where they have their home base. 207 00:12:26.759 --> 00:12:30.200 The only thing you need to understand to understand how 208 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.759 significant this change is is to look what we did 209 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:37.960 to Isis and Alcaeda around the world. We could do 210 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:43.440 precisely that in Mexico, Venezuela and elsewhere. Now any place 211 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:46.639 that they operate, we can do exactly that. We could 212 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:50.159 do what we did to bend Latin in Pakistan. These 213 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:55.559 are terrorist organizations now. But the tools that you never 214 00:12:55.639 --> 00:12:59.960 really hear about that are critically important are what are 215 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:03.000 I'm focusing on or what I would focus on if 216 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.200 I were running these cases, if I were to be 217 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:08.159 back at DOJ and running these cases. And that's a 218 00:13:08.200 --> 00:13:12.279 lot of the money side, and especially with cartels. You know, 219 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:16.559 like I said, they're motivated through different lens. They don't 220 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:21.080 really care as much about ideology, although there is some 221 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:25.000 of that. They want to get. They want to be billionaires. 222 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:27.639 The leaders want to be billionaires, and they want to run. 223 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:30.519 They want power, and they want money. Right Well, now, 224 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:33.600 you know, through a variety of tools that are available 225 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:37.440 to both the military side, but I'd say primarily the 226 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:42.200 DOJ side, we can reach right into their assets and 227 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:45.799 take it off. And I think that that's part a 228 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:51.440 big part of this why this designation happens, because when 229 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:55.559 you start taking billions of dollars away from these organizations 230 00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:59.360 and you use that money to increase law enforcement tools, 231 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:02.360 because that money doesn't just sit there. In other words, 232 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:05.279 they have no right. Nobody has a right to what's 233 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:09.279 called well ill gotten gain is what you're sure audience 234 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:11.759 would understand. So if we reach in and we take 235 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:14.720 billions of dollars from them, they had no complaint to 236 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:20.000 come at us through any legal mechanism because they had 237 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.120 no right to that drug proceeds or any other proceeds 238 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:28.480 from unlawful activity. They just don't have any leverage at all. 239 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:31.120 We have all the leverage now. I like that it 240 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.440 is being able to reach deep into foreign countries and 241 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:38.519 take it. I like that I foreign countries for help. 242 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:40.519 That part I really like, By the way, I mean, 243 00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:45.279 I am and again, I am certainly not pro cartel, 244 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:47.480 but I am very much a rule of law person. 245 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:49.360 So I'm glad you're coming on to help clarify this. 246 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:55.720 What is the reality about how the Mexican cartels specifically 247 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.000 because it sounds like that was kind of your area 248 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:03.240 of expertise while you were us here. How pervasive is 249 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:08.000 the issue of corruption within the legal structure of Mexico. 250 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:14.879 In your view, it's so unimaginably corrupt, but in an 251 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:20.159 understandable way, right because you know, it's either silver or 252 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:25.440 bullet kind of scenario for every judge, every my equivalent 253 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:30.960 down there, federal prosecutors, they often have to make that 254 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:35.679 decision do I take the cash that's being offered to me, 255 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:38.320 or do I take a bullet to my head and 256 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:42.000 I'm no longer able to provide for my family. That's 257 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:46.600 the level of corruption in Mexico, and it is extremely pervasive. 258 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:50.360 It's everywhere. I mean I sent you an article on 259 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:53.720 one of the cases I prosecute. They try their best 260 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:58.960 to infiltrate our law enforcement here, and occasionally they do 261 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:03.960 have some sexcess as I've prosecuted. You know, law enforcement 262 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:07.840 in this country who we're working for the cartels and 263 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:12.320 and you know that's why they're successful. They're just really 264 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.919 really good at their business. And when you don't have 265 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.759 to follow SEC regulations, you don't care about it. You 266 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:22.639 can do whatever you want because you're you're willing to 267 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.960 put somebody sixteen under to take that next step. 268 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.000 Right, somebody on my text line just asks who gets 269 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.120 to keep the cartel money? 270 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.919 We do, meaning the United States, and then it's divvied out. 271 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:40.159 However it's divvied out oftentimes through asset forfeiture. You'll see 272 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:47.519 the proceeds go back into law enforcement. But we've never 273 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:52.600 seen this level of wealth before. It's the potential for 274 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:59.080 us to seize assets now is so massive. I mean, 275 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:03.000 I could decision to maybe pay down, you know, a 276 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:05.920 little bit of our debt or something. But bottom line is, 277 00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:09.240 we do and people in Washington decide where it goes. 278 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:11.200 So we're almost out of time. I got time for 279 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:12.799 one more question. Right now. And that is this. 280 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:16.119 So are they do they have their assets in banks? 281 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:18.720 Because I mean, I'm from Florida. I grew up in 282 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:20.920 Florida during the cocaine cowboy days and you would hear 283 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.079 these stories about them having houses in a suburb that 284 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:26.680 were just literally full of money because they couldn't get 285 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.720 into a bank. So are the cartels in banks? How 286 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:32.240 is where are their assets that we can seize? 287 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.519 Yeah, they absolutely are in banks. They're in foreign banks 288 00:17:37.640 --> 00:17:40.759 and so but they're not just in banks. I mean, 289 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.759 you can't put a billion dollars underneath your mattress, you know, 290 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:49.319 right they have they have gotten really skilled at cleaning 291 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:52.000 their money, or at least attempting to clean their money. 292 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:55.480 They might give one hundred million dollars to the you know, 293 00:17:55.680 --> 00:18:04.680 the daughter to purchase real estate in whatever, Manhattan or Barcelona, 294 00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.839 it doesn't matter. Through these tools, now we follow those 295 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:12.519 assets and we take it. And we may take real property, 296 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:16.279 or we may take the assets that remain in cash 297 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:22.400 in bank accounts and even you know, real property in 298 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:28.039 foreign countries that have value. You know, we can go 299 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.799 after those things. There's almost no limit now to what 300 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.960 we can go after. And that's that's where I saw 301 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.279 the greatest potential for this designation is on the money side, 302 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:41.160 because this is where they're really really going to be hurt. 303 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:42.079 Amen to that. 304 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:44.519 From your lips to God's ears, Reeve Swainston, I really 305 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.119 appreciate you making time for me today, giving me that 306 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.000 perspective because, as I said, you know, it's like I 307 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:52.359 see stuff like that, and though I'm not opposed to 308 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:56.200 blowing up drug dealers just on principle, I am always 309 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:00.480 nervous when governments decide to kill people without sort of 310 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:03.400 laying out the process on how they got there. So 311 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:06.880 this conversation has been really illuminating on how they got there. 312 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:10.519 I appreciate your time today, Reeve, and I Reeve Swainston 313 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:13.279 is still an amazing name. Like you're practically a soapapa 314 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.640 star without even leaving your house. 315 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:17.519 That's funny. Thanks so much. 316 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:19.519 Happy to be here, hey man, Have a great day.