"Oh, yeah?" "What happened, man?" "I'm lying down in my bed." "Then I get up... and there's my mother, may she rest in peace... seated in a chair with a plastic bag over her head... and she can't breathe." "And I can't help her." "Fuck." "What do we do?" "We'll give them a half hour." "Who are they?" "Don't worry." "It's just the police." "This is a private road." "You have to have a permit." " Do you have a permit?" " I don't have a permit." "Do you have a permit?" "Well, then, we have a problem." "Can we buy a permit?" "Yeah, but it's gonna cost you." " How much?" " Four hundred pesos." "You too-- 400 pesos." "What's underneath the tarp?" " Boxes of food." " Show me." "Lay down on the ground, sweetie." "You're under arrest." "Yeah, you guys are screwed!" "What's your name?" "Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez." "Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez." "You've done an excellent job." "But we'll take over from here." "Put the prisoners in the Suburban and impound the truck." "How did you find out about this?" "A little bird told me." "What's the name ofyour little bird?" "It doesn't have a name." "Those fucking anonymous ones!" "For an officer of the state police... you're very well-informed." " Hey, was that General Salazar?" " The Big Boss himself." "What is he doing around here?" "Up to something." "I don't know." "They took our handcuffs, Manolo." "This informant, paid by police, using taxpayers' dollars... to continue his felony drug habit, was the link... that allowed the police to raid a private farm, a working farm where honest Americans make their living." "The government, in its haste, has hired an army of criminals..." " whose allegiance to the truth is at best questionable." " Mr. Rodman... it's a shame that your client didn't use as much sense... in choosing what he planted... as he did in choosing his attorney, but, lately, the only variation..." "I'm hearing in your argument is the name of your client." "You can stand here all day and argue the ins and outs of Illinois v. Gates, but you're not gonna convince me... that our government has not sanctioned the use of anonymous informants." "Furthermore, there is no sacred protection of property rights in our country." "You grow marijuana on your farm, be it an ounce or an acre, that farm can be seized... and that farm can be sold." "What the hell is that ?" "You can tell a lot about somebody from this stuff." " It's from your friends at Warren, Putnam and Hudson." " A fishing rod." " What do you think they want ?" " Depends what state they're from." "Uh..." "Arizona." "Arizona." "Medicinal marijuana initiative." "Or am I being cynical ?" "Mark..." "I'm gonna miss you." "Thank you for all your hard work." "Hi." "How are you today ?" "You've got a daughter." "Why is it important to get a handle on this drug problem ?" "Because it's an issue that affects all families." " But I'm planning on being back here as much as I can." " How do you feel about" "Okay, Gordon, no telltales:" "no scratching your nose, no clearing your throat, no crossing your legs." " I got it." " You got it, babe." "I'm cool, man." "You just don't tell any jokes." " " Don't tell any jokes" ?" " Don't tell jokes." "It's a giveaway, Ray." " It's not a giveaway." " Every time you tell a joke, it's a giveaway." " Don't tell any jokes." " You know what the problem is ?" "You are too uptight, man." "Why don't you loosen up, take a deep breath ?" "Breathe in slowly." "A little stretching maybe." " Come on, man." "They're looking at us." " Come on, man." "We're gonna get these motherfuckers." "We know our shit." "Can I get it ?" "Can I get it ?" " Oh, baby, can I say it ?" " Say it." "It's show time." "We're looking for Mr. Eduardo Ruiz." "We have a 2:00 appointment." "He's right down the hallway in the back room." "Thank you." "Come in." "Hey, fellas." "Come on, you guys." "Get him talking." " Get him outside." " How you doing ?" " I'm well." "How are you ?" " I'm good." "Look, what's up, Ed ?" "We gonna move some white or what ?" "You guys ever bought a quarter ton before ?" " No ?" " I don't think so." "It's a big fucking deal, all right ?" "It's not like you can stick it in a condom up some mule's asshole." "How many peasants is that gonna take ?" "You'd have a line from here to Mexico City." "You say show up at a time, we show up at the time and we're fucking sitting here." " Sure I can't offer you something to drink ?" " I can offer you ajoke." "You want to hear a joke ?" "I got a joke, I got a joke." "Come on, bro." "It's just a joke." "Let me tell one joke." "I'm gonna tell you a joke." "All right, why are hurricane named after women ?" " I don't know." " Because when they arrive, they're wet and wild." "When they leave, they take your house and your car." " It's true." " You didn't find that funny ?" "I chuckled." "Damn." " Fellas... that's us." " Yo." "Okay, that's the van." "Don't make your move until they get Ruiz outside." "I told you there was nothing to worry about." "I got another joke." " Come on." "Please." "Just one more." "Relax." "A guy goes, gets a tattoo put on his penis." "One side says yes, the other side says no." " On his penis ?" " Yeah." "The words "yes" and "no."" "So, his wife says, "Hold it." "You tell me how to cook, how to clean the house--"" " Who the fuck is that ?" " That's local." "What the fuck is going" "Shit!" "Agent down !" "Get in there now !" "Go !" " D.E.A. !" "The vest caught it." "Go ahead." "Go." "Shit." "Shit !" " I think we lost him, Ray." " Yeah, I think so too." " Don't fucking move !" "Get your hands" " Move !" "Get out, you son of a bitch !" "Get out !" "Is this what they wear to go to sleep... or do they hang out like this the whole time ?" "That would be sleep attire." " It's like a smoking jacket." "He's gonna be smoking in a minute." "Okay, who's the father of Greek tragedy ?" "Anyone ?" "Anyone ?" "Okay, Aeschylus it is." "His trilogy ?" "The Oresteia." "This is fucking beautiful." "Can anyone-- Can anyone stop the Seth machine ?" " No." " That's correct." "Score." "And "tragedy" is closed out." " But wait." " Is he her husband ?" " Yes." "Oh, hey, so, uh..." "you want to try something ?" "Yeah." " What are you doing ?" "Just watch." "What you're going to do is inhale the smoke and hold it." "What is this, like freebase ?" "Not "like." It is." "Okay, go." "Go, go, go, go, go, go." "Hold it." "Hold it." "See ?" "Now you see." "Oh, how" " Oh, they're doing great." "Look at how cute they are." " Helena, he's doing so good." " Little Tiger." "Little Tiger, I hope." "We'll be very happy if he becomes the next Tiger Woods." "So will his bank balance." " My God." "Duck ?" " Duck." "Thank you very much." " Helena, you never order duck." " I know, I know." "It's not me who ordered it." "It's somebody else." "Well, he or she has very good taste." " I love duck, don't you ?" " It's delicious." "Do you want some, Nan ?" " Oh, yes." "Thank you." " It's such a fatty bird." "There's good cholesterol, and there's bad cholesterol, which is confusing to me." " Mmm, that's so good." " You know what they say about red wine." "It's good for you." "There's cholesterol in my wine." " You're allowed to have your red wine." " The French do, don't they ?" "I'm European." "I say that to my doctor." ""I'm European." "I'm allowed to drink red wine."" "Oh, my doctor said it was fine when I was pregnant." " A glass a week." " After my amnio, he said, "Okay, now you can go and have a glass ofred wine."" " I had two." " Did you have fun ?" " Yeah." " Thanks a lot." " Can I bring the bag in the backwith me ?" " No, sweetheart." " How about just my putter ?" " Give me the putter." " All right." "In you get." "Come on." "We've got to go." "Put this down here, okay ?" "That's where Tiger Woods keeps it." "Thank you." " You're welcome." " Okay." "David, you're gonna have to promise me, no swinging the club in the car." "Okay." "Until you officially take over the Office of National Drug Control Policy, under no circumstances will you speak to the press unprotected... without going through this office... or having someone in the room." "There are a lot of interests in this town." "Right now, they're scared of you." "The reason they're scared of you:" "Technically, you have veto powers over their budgets." "You'll also be meeting senators and congressmen, each with a specially prepared question." "They're questions designed for one thing-- to make them look smart." "If you lecture them, they won't think you respect them." "If you treat them with utter humility, they will." "This is about your respect for them and the president's respect for them." "Speaking of which, when he gets back from Russia and China, we'll get you two together for some face time, let you two catch up." "Also, one month from today, you will give your first official press conference." "In it, you will outline the president's strategy for winning the war on drugs." "Judge, I just want to be clear about one thing:" "I am not a partisan person, I am an issue person." "Over the course of the next few weeks, if you allow me," "I will bring you up to speed on an incredible array of issues, the most important ofwhich, in my opinion, Mexico." "I know everyone you're going to meet." "I know what they want and why." "It is important that they like you." "It is not important that they like me." "That is why I can help protect you." "Like you protected Landry ?" "I see where you're going with that." "If I could say one thing:" "Basically, a guy like Landry is so autocratic, he doesn't even know how to let himself be helped." "There's a political component to this job that the general didn't have any patience for." "General, Bob Wakefield." "General, Bob Wakefield." "Judge, nice to meet you." "Thank you." " A pleasure to meet you, sir." "Jeff, you want to excuse us ?" "Yes, sir." "I'll be right outside." " Have a seat." " Thank you." "You've done a fine job, General." "The Office of National Drug Control Policy... is in better shape than when you found it." "I'm not sure I made the slightest difference." "I tried." "I really did." "I think there are some positive signs." "The work's just started." "I plan on seeing it through." "You can count on that." "You're here for two years, three maximum." "What'd they offer you, a court appointment ?" "District ?" "Appeals ?" "Not Supreme." "This is a tough enough job." "I plan on focusing on this." "You know, when Khrushchev was forced out, he sat down, he wrote two letters and gave them to his successor." "He said, "When you get yourself into a situation you can't get out of," ""open the first letter, and you'll be saved." ""And when you get yourself into another situation you can't get out of, open the second letter."" "Well, soon enough, this guy found himself in a tight place, so he opened the first letter, which said, " Blame everything on me."" "So, he blamed the old man." "It worked like a charm." "He got himself into a second situation he couldn't get out of, and he opened the second letter." "It said, "Sit down and write two letters."" "Yeah." "Don't you want to know what kind of car it is ?" " It's a brown Ford Explorer." " It was here." "It's been stolen." "I want to file a report." "A report will not help you find your car." " The police won't find your car." " You are the police." " You call this man..." "and he'll find your car." " I don't get it." "How is this guy gonna know who has our car ?" "The police will tell him." "Why will they tell him, and they won't tell us ?" "Because we pay him, stupid." "Right ?" "And he pays the police, and suddenly our car appears." "Es correct." "Es correct." "Just give him the money." "Give him the money." " Let's start moving to the sidewalk." " Here, take it." " No." "No, no." " No, please, take it." "Let's start moving to the sidewalk." "Let's go to the sidewalk." "Call the man." "Have a nice day." "Javier Rodriguez." " Si." "We want you to come with us." " Where?" " It's just a short trip." "Follow me." "Bien." "I would say one thing to you,Judge, and that's you're never gonna solve this problem on the supply side." "As long as that demand is out there in our cities," "Mexico bashing is not gonna do a damn thing for you." "We in the legal drug business-- Merck and Pfizer and the rest of my very important clients-- realize that we're not fighting a war here with a traditional winner and loser." "I don't know that you can win this war." "Everybody says we want to declare war on drugs, but if 25% of high school seniors are using drugs" "If you reduce that to 10, that's a great improvement." " Right." "I'll congratulate you." "That would be a phenomenal achievement, but you'd still have 10% habitually using drugs." "Can I get a scotch and soda, please ?" "The price of coke and heroin has dropped, but purity has increased." "All this law enforcement has really achieved is that kids get better stuff cheaper." "Education, rehabilitation, prevention-- that's not significant to these reporters." " Mm-hmm." " They want to see people in prison." "They want to see the gory aspect of the drug problem." "Thank you so much for sharing your point of view." " I look forward to working with you in the future." " Well, call me." "I have a good bill on treatment-on-demand." "I could use your help." " Wonderful." "Look forward to it." "Thanks, Senator." " Okay." "Great." "If a judge or a politician is willing to put a reefer in their mouth," " I'll do a story on it." " Right." " Stand up and be independent." " Right." "I don't care who's president." "I don't care who the members of congress are." "I don't care who you have to deal with." "If you're independent and you use that bully pulpit right, that's where your power is." "It's the stick of law enforcement that creates... the carrot of huge profit that is economic truth." "Addicts don't vote." "What the hell are you doing here ?" "You like your view ?" " TV screen big enough ?" " How's the food ?" "Hope it's all good because this is as good as it's gonna get... for a long time, Eduardo." "I'm a legitimate businessman." "I've got tuna boats." "I'm a fisherman." " Check it out!" " Shut the fuck up !" " Fucking can it, bitch !" " You can't come in here like that!" " I want to see my lawyer." " Okay." "It's cool, man." " Eddie... you're in a lot of trouble." " It's cool." "You know what ?" "The amount of coke we found on this creep-  that's capital punishment in some states, right ?" " Yeah, down in Texas." " They'll fry him." " Definitely." "We've got him making the deal on tape." "We got him bragging about the quality, about his business." " We got this motherfucker." " You're fucked." "No, no, he's fucked." "I only see one way out of this predicament." "You make us believe you got a boss, Eddie." "Look, no boss, it's all on you." "No." "No, that's a death sentence." "I'd never make it to the trial." " Look, we're gonna protect you." " Who you working for ?" " This is coercion." "That's a big word for a fisherman." "Big-ass word." "Who you working for ?" "I know another big word." "Immunity." "Take it easy, will you ?" "What's going on in here ?" " We have a warrant to search your premises." " What ?" "Carl !" "My husband !" " Relax." "Ma'am." " Carl !" "Ma'am, right here." "You can't go any further." " David, come here !" " Ma'am, I have a search warrant." "He'll be back." "Where are they taking Daddy ?" "He'll be all right." "He's all right." "They're just gonna take him to the office and talk." "Just relax." "They're not going to hurt him." " I don't understand what's going on." " He'll be all right." " What are they doing to Daddy ?" " Daddy's gonna be okay." "It's okay, sweetheart." "It's okay, baby." "Not you." "You." "I'll wait here." "Five years with the Tijuana police." "Three years in the state police." "Your parents died when their house flooded in the rains of '93." "How unfortunate." "You make $316 a month." "That's what they pay." "Well, look." "This could be your past." "We can talk about your future... if you can do me a favor." "If I can." "I want to wipe out the Tijuana cartel." "What can I do to help?" "His name is Francisco Flores." "He's an assassin." "He runs guns for the Tijuana cartel." "I have to talk to him." "I need you to find him and bring him here." " This is crazy!" " Don't freak out, Manolo." "Don't you know who "Frankie Flowers" is?" "A hired assassin!" "A psychopath!" "Fucking crazy!" " Who knows how many he's killed!" " Then I'll go by myself." "And we can't ask for help... because he lives in San Diego." "Ah." "Well... is this a surprise or what ?" "An honor." "Thank you." " Hi, sweetie." " Good trip ?" " How are you ?" " Good trip." "I'm good." "I just can't believe this." " What's Washington like ?" " It's like, uh" "It's like Calcutta;" "surrounded by beggars." "Only these beggars are wearing $1,500 suits... and they don't say "please" and "thank you."" "So, we put the case before the arbitration panel, none of whom have any expertise." ""Superfund" is just one of those words." "People stop paying attention." " It's frustrating." " It's so frustrating." "Did you meet the president ?" "Honey, your father knows the president." "It just so happens... that the president of the United States, my new boss, the leader of the free world, has penciled me in for a little face time." "None of my friends can fucking believe my dad's actually the drug czar." " Caroline." " I'm sorry, but, I mean, come on." "It's great." "It's great, Daddy." "It's just amazing, that's all." "Arnie, thank God." "Helena, I am so" "Please tell me what's going on here." "What is going on ?" "They came into the house." "They just took him away." "They searched my home." "Let me tell you what's happening." "All right ?" "First of all, Carl is not here." "The D.E.A. has got him." "They're gonna hang onto him until his arraignment, which will probably be tomorrow." "So here you are wasting your time." "All right ?" "Are you with me ?" " Yeah." " Okay." "Now, do not discuss anything... over the telephone." "Don't talk to your neighbors." "Stay out of your yard." " What is he charged with, Arnie ?" " I don't know, but under no circumstances am I going to talk about it here." "Now, you go home and be with your son." "All right ?" "Miss ?" "Can I have a Budweiser ?" " Excuse me." " Yes ?" "Can you give me a cigarette ?" "It would be interesting to know how you did it so quickly." "We all have our weak side." "The path of the Lord is very subtle." "Amen." "What a badass." "All I'm saying-- What I'm" " What I'm saying is... it never seems like anyone ever says anything that matters to them." "We all look at each other and nod with these-- these responses that we've been trained to make." "Responses-- Not real responses." "Social conventions, like phony, fake smiles;" "surface bullshit." "Do I ever just say:" "" Hey..." "I'm uncomfortable in this crowd."" ""I don't know what the fuck I'm doing either."" ""l know you're afraid, and that's okay, you know, because--"" "Hello ?" "Fucking... exactly." "We act like we have all the answers and we're totally invincible... like our parents seem and their parents before them." "I'm sorry I have to be the one to say this, but it's fucking bullshit." " For instance ?" " I know you jack off to Caroline every night, instead of Vanessa, who you're supposed to be in love with." "Don't even get me started on that convention." "Because what is that convention ?" "We're this random collection of self interests, and all of a sudden we decide... that we're gonna walk two-by-two down the fucking aisle to Noah's Ark ?" "Actually, for your information, when I jerk off," "I'm not just thinking about Caroline, I'm thinking about you with Caroline." " So, how about that ?" " Baby" "That is what I'm talking about-- sarcasm." "Always fucking sarcasm." "You're afraid, and you think that if you admit that, people will think that you are weak... or they won't like you... or whatever it is you think will happen, but" "Can you shut up for one second and listen to yourself?" "Wh-What ?" "Because you are so fucking right." " I'm so fucking high." " Yeah ?" " Yeah." " Okay, wait." "Why don't we... change this thing, this social pattern ?" "Why don't we be different ?" " Yeah." " But then why are you even talking about it ?" "But we're making it, like, from now on." "You're like, "Why don't we do something ?"" " Why don't you do something ?" " That's what I'm saying, Seth." " You do it yourself" " I'm saying if you knew it, you wouldn't even say it." "Vanessa, I'm serious, I feel fucked up." "It's a social pattern, you know?" "Spence, baby, are you all right ?" "He's fucking blue." "He isn't breathing." "Oh, my God, Fucked-up Bowman's fucked up." " Wait" " What the fuck do we do ?" " Uh" " Oh, God" " Fuck !" " Somebody call a doctor !" " Wait, your dad's a doctor." "Call him." "No, he's a research-- Call your dad." "He's a doctor." " What kind of research ?" " Mapping the fucking pig genome." "Call your dad!" "He's a neurosurgeon!" "I can't call my dad !" "It's 3:00 in the morning !" "He's gonna fucking die right here on the floor if you don't do something !" "No, he can't die on the floor!" "His parents are in Barbados !" "Move !" "Move !" "Okay, nobody has anything on them, right ?" "Fuck !" "We know that you killed our chief of intelligence." "We also know that you... killed police chiefs in Tijuana and Mexico City." "A question." "Why do you resist?" "My father has money." "That is not the correct answer." "We also found out... that you hunted down a neighbor of General Salazar." "A poor peasant." "Your people killed his granddaughter." "That was a stupid thing to do." " You fucked up." "I'm on the board of my son's school." "I have fund-raisers for adult literacy at my own home." "I think I have a right to know if my husband is a legitimate businessman." "Of course he is." "I've known Carl for 20 years." "He doesn't even jaywalk." "Carl is a very important member of this community, and when we get through... suing the police and the district attorney and the D.E.A., they're gonna be renaming the public parks after your husband." "Carl is very, very good at his business." "Which is smuggling illegal drugs into this country." " They're whispering." "They're whispering." " I know." " Can't hear it." " I know." "The fucking bug's too far away from the room." "It's halfway to the kitchen." "We're not gonna get shit." "They're saying something." "Sounds like they're conspiring to conspire." "I can feel the lies vibrating from their home." "I don't think she's in on it, man." "Come on, I dream about this." "I have actual dreams about this." "About busting the top people, the rich people." " White people." "Hey." " White people." "I know, I know." "I don't think she's in on it, man." "She knows Arnie Metzger." "So does half of San Diego." " You want to bet ?" " Get in your pocket." " I got" " I love it." "I love it when you do this." " How much you want to bet ?" "How much ?" " I got" " I got 12 bucks." " Okay, give me ten." "We'll make it even." " Okay." " Beautiful." " Wait a minute." "What ?" " How old are you ?" " Sixteen." "Live with your parents ?" "Yes." "Parents still together ?" "Yes." " Do you work ?" " I volunteer." "I read to blind people, one day a week for two hours." "In school ?" "Yes." "Private ?" "Yeah." "How are your grades ?" " I'm third in my class." " What does that mean ?" " I get A's, all A's." " You do ?" "What else do you do ?" "I'm a National Merit Finalist." "I'm on the Hi-Q Team and the Math Team." "I'm in the Spanish Club." "I'm a thespian." "I'm vice president of my class." "I'm on the volleyball team." "You want to tell me what you're doing here, Caroline ?" "Carol." "Oh, sweetie." "You okay ?" "It's okay." "Caroline, how well did you know this boy that overdosed?" "He didn't hang around us." "He was like one of those hippie kids." "I'm not part of that group." "How well did you know this boy Seth, the one that was driving ?" "He's a friend." "He's also the only one that was doing anything about the situation." "He definitely had a few beers, but... it's not like he wanted to drive." "We just didn't know what else to do." "It wasn't my pot." "Okay, we understand, honey." "We've got to talk." "Alone." " I think she's lying." " Me too." "So let's ground her, clip her wings:" "school, scheduled activities till further notice." "Robert, honey, Caroline clearly used very bad judgment, but don't you think spending a night in jail is punishment enough ?" "I mean, we've all had our moments." " Lord knows, I tried every drug there was" " I don't want to hear about that." "You experimented when you were in college." "Shall we take the quotes off experiment and call it what it was ?" " This is different." " Why ?" " She's 16 years old !" " I think she needs to find out for herself, on her own." " We have to allow her room to figure out" " You want to give her room ?" "So she can O.D. like that other kid ?" "I am not sending out the message that our family will accept this behavior... because we do not." " Correct ?" " Of course, but we don't want to push her away." "She has to know that we understand what she's exposed to." "How long have you known about this ?" "How long have you known ?" "Six months." "My technique is more profound than yours, Javier." "Much more profound." "When he loves me like a father, he will never tell anyone he was here." "He will give me the names of his superiors." "Then we get them and they too will give us names." "And eventually somebody will get us to Juan Obregón." "And on that day, the Tijuana cartel will fall." "What a disgrace." "What a disgrace, Francisco Flores." "It's all right." "Salazar is here." "You're among friends now." "This shameful treatment will stop immediately." "Guard!" "Yes, General." "Are you responsible for this?" " We are not savages!" " Yes, General." " Has he eaten?" " I don't know, sir." " Go get him some clothes." " Yes, General." "Your Honor, this is a man who heads a large criminal organization... with international contacts we can only begin to understand." "Our case against him is very strong." "He is not a flight risk." "His flight is assured." "The people ask that Your Honor deny bail." "Thank you." "My client is no more a flight risk... than Your Honor or the able prosecutor." "He's a pillar of his community;" "a family man with a wife and child living in La Jolla, the communitywhere he has made his home for the past 20 years." "As our defense will quickly show, my client is guilty of nothing more... than being the handy target of an admitted criminal." "Therefore, we ask that you release Carl Ayala on his own recognizance." "I'm going to deny bail." "I appreciate you coming in so early this morning." "Judge Wakefield, it's an honor to handle it." "She's a minor." "It probably would have expunged on her 18th birthday anyway." "Nevertheless, this is asensitive issue for me." "I'm sure you can understand." "Like I said, open container, P.I., misdemeanor possession." "It's easy to make it go away." "One thing bothers me:" "The kid they dropped off had coke and heroin in him." "Serious amounts." "He's lucky he's alive." "So I've got to ask:" "What's your daughter on ?" "I don't know what you mean." "I mean... have you asked her what kind of drugs she's tried ?" "No." "I don't know." " Is she in any kind of therapy, professional help ?" " No, no, no." "No way." "My daughter is one of the leading students in her school." "Well, I hope it stays that way." "Yeah, hi, it's Robert." "I want you to clean out my schedule for the next three days." "Because I'm tired of talking to experts who've never left the beltway." "It's time to see the front lines." "Carlos Ayala started out in the family connection business-- real estate in Tijuana, fishing boats out of Ensenada, hydroponic strawberries." "Then he met up with the Obregon brothers ofthe Tijuana cartel." "Using regression analysis, we made a study... of the custom lines at the border and calculated the odds of a search." "The odds are not high, and we found variables to reduce those odds." "So, you pay off customs officials ?" "Well, you know, in Mexico... law enforcement is an entrepreneurial activity." "Not so much in the States." "Anyway, we, uh" "We hire drivers with nothing to lose and throw a lot of product at the problem." "Some get stopped." "Enough get through." "It's not difficult." "Look, boys, this has worked for years." "It's gonna continue to work for years." "NAFTA makes things even more difficult for you because the border's disappearing." "Do you realize in the next year or two at the outside Mexican trucking companies... are gonna be able to go from the States to Mexico and back again... with the same freedom as U.P.S., D.H.L., FedEx ?" " It's gonna be a free-for-all." " What, are we on Larry King or something ?" "Shit." "Tell us something we don't know, Eddie." "You guys remind me of those Japanese soldiers left on deserted islands... who think World War II is still going on." "Let me be the first to tell you, your government surrendered this war a long time ago." "I don't think all this attitude is gonna help in front of a jury." " It's really a bad attitude." " Very bad." "Very bad." "Look, Ed, there's only one problem with all this math." "You're in here." "Well, I got greedy, didn't I ?" " Yes, you did." " Yeah." "Decided to bring a little in on my own and somebody tipped you off." "Carl never would have been so stupid." "Well, Carl hired you." "That was a mistake." "Carl and I have been friends since we were little kids." "He was loyal." "Javi." "A group of us are going to a party." "Who?" "Esteban, Guzmán, Tomás, all of them." "Your new buddies." "Yes." " Let's go." " No." " It'll be fun." " Another day." "At my house I have some BW speakers." "A while ago I bought a CD burner." "I make CDs with the music I want." "Just like I bought them in a store." "You and I have a lot in common." "Not everything, but a lot." "We both studied on the other side with the gringos." "Your father is an engineer, right?" "My father-- may he rest in peace-- was also an engineer." "I've been into stereos since I was very young." "Most people don't care... but for me it's very important." "They say in Latin:" "In vino veritas." "Wine brings out the truth." "Use this to write down... the addresses of those bastards who killed my captains." "And not where they were last week, but where they are now." "Where they are this minute." "And better yet, where they are going to be tomorrow." "You know where they are going to be tomorrow, right?" "Reported by the government news agency, Notimex (NTX) :" ""Yesterday, forces of the Mexican Army, acting on an anonymmous tip... joined with police to arrest members of the Obregón brothers drug cartel." "Head of the Federal Drug Forces, Gen. Arturo Salazar, said in Mexico City... that the sweep was a crippling blow to the Obregón brothers... who reportedly dominate the narcotics trade... in the city of Tijuana and the rest of Baja California state." "General Salazar wen t on to say that the au thorities were working overtime... to confirm that Porfirio Madrigal, head of the rival Juárez cartel... died last week during a plastic surgery procedure."" "Here it is, here it is." "Get out, asshole." " Are you going to kill me?" " No." "No, the Obregóns will do that for us." "The port of San Ysidro, California:" "45,000 vehicles on average, 25,000 pedestrians per day." " In the last six months, a threefold increase ?" " Increase in narcotics seizures." "Would that mean, pro rata, three times as much drugs is getting in ?" "That's a scary way to figure it, but I believe that's true." "In my heart, I'd love to say that we were getting 60 or 70%." "In the reality, we're more like 40 or 50% of the total that's approaching us." "And it's all big-dollar issues now." "That's the reason you're seeing a lot of these murders taking place." "It's one organization fighting another organization." "When things are good, people don't kill each other." "When things are bad, when they're losing dope, when they're losing drivers and guys are going to jail, people start killing each other." " How's David ?" " "How's David ?"" " Oh, he's terrific, Carl." "Terrific." " Oh, Helena" "He watched his father being dragged away by federal agents." " He's just doing fine." " Okay." "I can't even begin to tell him where you are... and when you're coming home, if you're ever coming home." "Helena... we're gonna get through this." "I promise." " I'll make it up to you." " Do you have any idea what's going on out here ?" "Huh ?" "Our credit cards are maxed." "The people in the bank-- you should see the way they look at me when I walk in." "I have a letter from the government telling me... anything I sell from the house will be taken against an income tax lien." "Our fucking friends" "Nobody will help us." "Nobody will take us in." "Nobody wants anything to do with us, Carl." "So, you just tell me how you're gonna make it up to me." "Helena" "Just tell me what to do." "I'm not bringing a child into the life that I was brought up into." "I won't do it, Carl." "I want our life back." "Yeah, we're smarter." "We know the difference." "Hello." "Ding, ding, ding." "We have a winner." " Hi, folks." " Hello." " Hi." "Room 310, please." " Okay, I need to see some I.D.s, please, and $28." " Okay." "Man, I love this place." "I wish we could just stay here." "Just be here forever and ever and... make a little home here." "I want to, uh..." "I want to have sex and then do a hit right as we're both coming." "Okay." "The first time I got laid was on a beach just like that." " You got a what on a beach ?" " Got laid, man." "Lost my virginity, was a sophomore in high school." " That's cool." " Yeah, it was sweet." "Did he treat you good ?" " Who's this guy ?" " I don't know." " I never seen him before." " He's going right for the kid." "David !" "David, come back here !" " Mom, Mom." " Please, put down my son." "Shouldn't let your kid wander off with strangers." "Karen, if he tries to move with that kid, you break cover." "Mrs. Ayala, your husband owes a lot of money." "Snapping this kid's neck wouldn't cover it." "You better come up with it in a hurry or your kid is gonna disappear, and he won't turn up until the evening news." "You get only one warning." "First payment is $3 million." "Javier." " Yes?" "What's up, Ana?" "Manolo never came home last night." "Come in, come in." "Sit down." "I don't know where he is." "He wasn't with you last night?" "No." "I'm worried." "Don't worry too much." "It makes you ugly." "Do you want a coffee?" "Coffee with sugar?" " No." " No?" "Look, Javier." "I was going through his clothes the other day." "Look what I found." "What is it?" " What were you doing?" " I was with friends from work." "Was Salazar there?" "No." "The general is going to Mexico City next week... and I'm not going to get left behind." "Javier Rodriguez." "The word is you're not that happy in your work." "Maybe we can help." "John, how are you ?" "Bob Wakefield, pleasure." "Judge, welcome." " Good to see you." "How are you ?" " Long time, no see." "EPIC is very unique." "It's a facility that has over 15 different agencies--state and local-- that participate in gathering intelligence... and making sure that information gets out... to people in the field that need it to stop drug trafficking." "From here, we have the ability to track vessels, airplanes, boats, anything that carries drugs." "When the information comes in, we're able to check with different databases... to see if it's in the system or not." "And would most of that energy be focused on the two cartels ?" "The Juarez, the Obregon brothers-- Are those the two that would be most important ?" "Those are the two clearest threats right now." "They are the dominant force in trafficking, both on the Mexican side and in the U.S." "How are the cartels achieving... the level of intelligence and sophistication that they're showing ?" " Craig, why don't you answer that ?" " An unlimited budget." "So, you're saying, actually, that even a country of our size... and the budget that we throw towards this issue," " they can compete at the same level?" " No, they're way beyond us." " "Way beyond"?" " Our budgetary process makes us pale in comparison." "That house you're looking at over there used to belong to Porfirio Madrigal." "His nickname was Scorpion." "I'll let you figure out what that means." "Wasn't that the guy who died during plastic surgery ?" "Best of our information, yes." "Who do you interact with on that side ?" "Nobody." "Well, who has my job in Mexico ?" "Your position doesn't exist over there yet." "I want everyone thinking out of the box... for the next few minutes." "What are we doing about Mexico ?" " Come on, guys, out of the box." " Unlimited funds ?" "Unlimited." "From a D.E.A. standpoint, we need a vetted task force and matching funds." "And cut the red tape on getting them equipment and training." "Come on, guys, I want to hear from everyone:" "F.B.I., customs, treatment." " Is there anybody from treatment on this plane ?" " No, Judge." "Then, I want to know why there isn't anybody from treatment on this plane." "Yes, sir." "We need to take down one of these cartels--Juarez or Tijuana-- not because they're a symbol, but" "Hell, they are a symbol." "But because we need to send a message." "When Carlos Ayala hires Michael Adler as his legal defense," "I send Ben Williams down to San Diego as a prosecutor." "Why ?" "Because it's a symbol." "It's a symbol that we are sending the best." "It's a message that we're going after their top guys." "So... right now... on this flight only... the dam is open... for new ideas." "On a clear day, you can see Mexico City." "I have this place swept twice a day, so just feel free to talk." "I learned that back in Miami in '85." "U.S. shut down the entire Caribbean." " It's a big game of whack-a-mole." "You knock it down in Miami" " Arnie, I need money." "Somebody" " I think it was the Obregons-- threatened David." "They want a first payment of $3 million." "Oh, Helena." "I'd give it to you myself, but I-I-I just don't have that kind of money." "Please." "Does anyone owe us money ?" "Yes, there are people that do owe you money, but nobody's gonna pay." "Carl's got too much heat on him." "What about our other businesses, our legitimate businesses ?" " Don't we own a construction" " Laundromats wash the money." "Just tell me something positive, Arnie." "Give me some good news, for Christ's sake." "I'm sorry." "I just keep wondering what's gonna happen if he doesn't get out." "Just never been on my own before." "Always had someone." "Always." "I remember the first time that I saw you-- little Helen Watts from the wrong side of somewhere." "Somehow I knew even then that your survival skills were pretty well honed." "Glad you think so, Arnie." "I just keep picturing a debt-ridden, 30-year-old mother of two... whose ex-husband is being compared to Pablo Escobar." "I don't know anyone who wants to be with someone like that." "Do you ?" "Do you ?"