Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun

A September Shout to Subscribers

The day after Mayo Zambada was arrested near El Paso, we got the first whiff from a jail cell that the U.S. version of him being tricked onto a plane and flown over the border was bull. The full explanation that came in from the inmate source was explosive and problematic, involving a kidnapping by the son of El Chapo, corrupt Mexican politicians and dubious actions by U.S. agents. Veteran reporter Juan Alberto Cedillo and I discussed how much we could trust the source - and our reputations with it. Cedillo is an old friend who has saved my neck twice in the field and I put my faith in his call.

The story blew up to be the biggest so far on CrashOut with over 100,000 views and it was cited in dozens of outlets and TV stations. Our phones were ringing so hard with media requests, I had to turn mine off. It came amid furious debate about how Mayo had been captured and whether he had really turned himself in.

Eventually, the version we ran of the ruse of a meeting with politicians to set up the kidnapping was supported by Mexican federal prosecutors, U.S. agents and Mayo himself via his lawyer. There is still much to learn about the case and I keep my mind open, but this is now the dominant story.

Substack is the perfect medium to take risks on running such testimony and I can see why a mainstream outlet would have trouble doing it. But it’s an adrenaline ride when you hit the publish button and see what the response is going to be. As Pink Floyd once sung, “Set the controls for the heart of the sun.”

We couldn’t do this valuable journalism without you, the CrashOut Community. There are now over 8,000 of you subscribing and keeping this alive. However, the hardcore of paid subscribers who really make this happen are only a small fraction. If you are on the edge of wanting to support then why not take the plunge brother or sister and make those cuppla clicks to zap five bucks into the kitty - less than the price of a caffè latte at Starsucks. Thanks and I love you all.

I have written a few political stories this quarter with elections and cries of fraud in Venezuela and a new president-elect and judicial reform in Mexico. When I write about gangsters, I can find people who enjoy the coverage from across the spectrum. But when I write about politics, I invariably connect with some people and piss off others.

I’m pleased there are are CrashOut subscribers with a broad range of political opinions and stand points. And I make the commitment here to honestly describe what I’m seeing and finding out covering these momentous events at the dawn of the twenty-first century. I’m not a member of any political party and I aim to cover important stories honestly, not worrying about which side it might favor. Whether I write about guns, gangs or ganja, I want to find the truth, not just feed a narrative. You get that from enough places already.

I want to search for better knowledge about these issues. Comments from the CrashOut Community give insightful pointers and I encourage more of you to get in on the discussion. As you can read there, it’s a place for longer thoughts and debate away from the toxicity of Twatter.

Either way, I’m happy you are with me on this journey. Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Subscribers Work

Nathan P. Jones along with John P. Sullivan and Daniel Weisz Argomedo have edited a new volume on Urban Operations: War, Crime, and Conflict. As the description says: “The world's leading experts in urban warfare, urban security, and urban operations generously share their experiences and insights with readers in this unique anthology.” For more go to www.urbanoperationsbook.com

If you have something coming out, please shoot me a mail and I’ll include it in one of these quarterly “shouts.” There are many fantastic writers, film makers, and academics in the CrashOut Community. And even some of you doing real work like building houses.

Finally, the graphic at the top (and below) is the new CrashOut logo. If you hate it or love it, give me a yell.

Happy September and if you are in Mexico City, beware of earthquakes; this month has an uncanny habit of unleashing them but I don’t want to tempt fate. Outro boom.

Copyright Ioan Grillo and CrashOut Media, 2024.