Watch Inside Cocaine Wars

Inside the Cocaine Wars is a gripping and intense documentary series produced by National Geographic that delves deep into the drug trade across various countries in South America. Over six episodes, viewers are taken on a journey through the dark and dangerous underbelly of the cocaine trade and learn about the various forces at play that make it one of the most lucrative and deadly businesses in the world.

The series starts off by exploring the cocaine production process and introduces the audiences to the vast and mountainous regions where coca leaf farming takes place in countries like Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Viewers are taken inside the labs where the leaf is converted into the white powder that is known the world over.

From there, the series moves onto the transportation of this illicit drug and the various routes that are taken to smuggle it into countries around the globe. The audience is shown the critical role played by those who use boats, planes and even submarines to move the cocaine across borders and into hands of those who are willing to pay top dollar for it.

As the episode progresses, the series takes viewers inside the complex and powerful criminal networks that control the drug trade in South America. These networks are often formed by the different cartels that operate in the region, such as the infamous Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, and are responsible for everything from the production to the pricing and distribution of the drug. The documentary highlights the harsh reality of these organizations and the lengths they are willing to go to protect their multi-billion dollar empires.

Away from the criminal enterprise, the series documents the human impact of the cocaine trade, showing the devastation caused by addiction to users, families and communities. The program explores the drug's destructive effects, from the poverty that drives people to the industry to the violence that plagues all aspects of the trade. The documentary sheds light on the drug's deep-rooted influence on the region's communities and how it has shaped the region's economic, social and political landscape.

One striking aspect of the series is the way it is shot, with impressive drone and aerial footage capturing the beauty of the landscape alongside the ugly trade that dominates it. It highlights the interplay and the tension between the natural beauty and the violence that is woven into the fabric of society.

Overall, Inside the Cocaine Wars is an absorbing and educational series on one of the most significant and damaging issues facing the world today. It paints a vivid picture of the cocaine trade and the enormous mechanisms that drive it. The documentary offers unique insights into the industry, from the people who operate it to the communities that are destroyed by it. The program is a graphic and explicit reminder of the real human cost of the drug trade on societies and nations around the globe. National Geographic has delivered a compelling and informative series that is sure to leave a lasting impact on the viewers.

Inside Cocaine Wars is a series that ran for 1 seasons (4 episodes) between April 7, 2013 and on National Geographic