Cyber Monday Sale! 50% Off All Access

How Identical Twin Brothers Brought Down Drug Lord El Chapo's $2 Billion Empire The incredible story of Jay and Pete Flores, who went from El Chapo's right-hand men to the informants who helped bring him down.

By Dan Bova

RONALDO SCHEMIDT | Getty Images

Joaquín Guzmán, better known as El Chapo (which translates to "Shorty"), was head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. He lorded over a violent empire that was estimated to be worth $2 billion until he was captured in 2016 and eventually sentenced to life in prison.

On this episode of Dirty Money, we speak with Charlie Webster, an investigative journalist, and co-host (with none other than 50 Cent) of the podcast Surviving El Chapo. Their show revolves around identical twins Jay and Pete Flores, who were instrumental in putting El Chapo behind bars.

From Want to Wealth

The brothers, who were raised in the projects of Chicago, ran a multi-million-dollar drug empire. Their connections with Mexican cartels put them in direct contact with the most famous drug lord, the aforementioned El Chapo. But when the Feds arrested the brothers, they went from selling drugs on the streets to dealing priceless information to the government.

Webster explains the brothers' rise to power and the aftermath of their decision to cooperate to land El Chapo in the clink — what it was like to come face-to-face with the powerful drug lord in court and what their lives have been like ever since.

Related: Why Do We Let Ourselves Get Scammed?

Thanks for listening, and remember: just say no to dealing drugs on behalf of psychotic drug lords who kill people for fun.

Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

About Dirty Money

Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia ZoneRoad & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Elon Musk Still Isn't Getting His Historically High Pay as CEO of Tesla — Here's Why

A second shareholder vote wasn't enough to convince Delaware judge Kathaleen McCormick.

Leadership

Leadership vs. Management: How to Understand the Difference and 6 Ways to Bridge the Gap

Here are the key differences between leadership and management, highlighting their complementary roles and providing six strategies to develop managers into future leaders.

Growing a Business

Her Restaurant Business Is Worth $100 Million — Here's Her Unconventional Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, talks about going from TV producer to restaurant owner, leaning into failure and the value of good PR.

Legal

How Do You Stop Porch Pirates From Stealing Christmas? These Top Tips Will Help Secure Your Deliveries.

Over 100 million packages were stolen last year. Here are top tips to make sure your stuff doesn't get swiped.

Business News

'Something Previously Impossible': New AI Makes 3D Worlds Out of a Single Image

The new technology allows viewers to explore two-dimensional images in 3D.

Business News

'I Stand By My Decisions': A CEO Is Going Viral For Firing Almost All of the Company's Employees — Here's Why

The Musicians Club CEO Baldvin Oddsson fired 99 workers at once over Slack for missing a morning meeting. But there's a catch.