National Geographic’s To Catch a Smuggler: Tropical Takedown continues its exploration into the cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and drug traffickers. This week’s episode, “Fast Pursuit of Powder,” takes us to the sun-drenched, yet treacherous, waters of the Caribbean. While most tourists are sipping cocktails with little umbrellas, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents are engaged in a high-stakes pursuit of a speedboat suspected of carrying a hefty 1,800 kilos of cocaine in the British Virgin Islands. Forget your average Saturday night car chase; this is international intrigue with a side of saltwater spray.
“Fast Pursuit of Powder” also shifts its focus to Puerto Rico, where a capsized migrant vessel presents a new set of concerns. The discovery of suspicious floating packages in the vicinity adds another wrinkle to the investigation. Is it a coincidence, or is there a connection between the capsized boat and potential smuggling activities? The episode will undoubtedly raise more questions than it answers, a common occurrence in the murky world of international crime.
The Caribbean, with its intricate network of islands and waterways, serves as a major transit point for the global cocaine trade, funneling drugs towards both the U.S. and Europe. To Catch a Smuggler consistently illustrates the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies like AMO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in their attempts to disrupt this flow. The series excels at highlighting the sheer volume of narcotics moving through the region and the constant adaptation required by those trying to intercept them.
To Catch a Smuggler: Tropical Takedown airs Saturdays at 10:00 PM on National Geographic.
