Vice Essentials Season 1 Episode 5 Cocaine & Crude: Mexican Drug Cartels Discover Oil

Cocaine & Crude: Mexican Drug Cartels Discover Oil is the fifth episode of the Vice Essentials season 1 series. This episode talks about the emergence of drug cartels in Mexico and their rise to power through illegal drug trade and eventually to the oil trade. The episode highlights how the drug cartels infiltrated the oil industry in Mexico and gained control of some of the most profitable oil fields, leading to corruption, violence, and immense wealth.

The episode focuses mainly on the state of Veracruz, where the Mexican government claims to have discovered a vast oil reserve. However, it is alleged that the drug cartels had already discovered the oil fields and had been extracting the oil for their own profit. The episode showcases how the drug cartels have become experts in the oil trade and have set up their own pipelines to transport the oil across the border to the United States.

The episode also talks about how the oil industry has become a major source of income for the drug cartels and has allowed them to expand their operations beyond drug trafficking. The episode interviews experts and journalists who explain how the drug cartels have become involved in extortion, kidnapping, and murder in the oil-rich regions of Mexico.

The episode also explores the impact of the drug cartels' involvement in the oil industry on the environment and the communities living in the region. The oil trade has led to environmental degradation, including oil spills, the destruction of wildlife habitats, and the contamination of water resources, leading to health problems for the people living in the area.

The episode also includes interviews with people affected by the drug cartels and the oil trade, including victims of violence and the families of those who have disappeared. The episode shows how the drug cartels have taken control of the region and how the government has failed to protect the people living in the area.

Overall, Cocaine & Crude: Mexican Drug Cartels Discover Oil is a thought-provoking episode that showcases the dark side of the oil industry and the impact of the drug cartels on society and the environment. The episode provides insights into the complex dynamics of power, corruption, and violence in Mexico and raises important questions about the role of the government in protecting its citizens and natural resources.