Rise of the Cartels: International Drug Trafficking in the Americas

This exhibition explores the history of cocaine smuggling into the United States, highlighting the cartel kingpins and the Drug Enforcement Administration special agents who participating in bringing them down. It also compares the true stories with how they are depicted in two popular Netflix television series: Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. The exhibition includes artifacts on loan from four retired DEA special agents who fought drug traffickers from the 1970s through the 1990s. The artifacts include badges, awards, clothing, a firearm, documents, photos and other objects directly tied to the agents’ historic battles with drug cartels.