Drug cartels have posed a problem for governments around the world for decades, not just in the immediate region. Not only does their influence affect international relations, it also poses a risk to the well-being of many individuals—those who are embroiled in the trade and those who live in areas used to grow the narcotics. In the 1970s, United States law enforcement only just began to realize the extent of the drug trafficking network that had been deeply embedded in the heart of the United States, with cocaine processing labs set up all over the country.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration prepared a report in 1975, outlining Operation Banshee, which was a collaboration between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York City Police Department to investigate and target a cocaine-trafficking organization based in Medellin led by Alverto Bravo and Griselda Blanco. These individuals were distributing approximately 250 kilograms of cocaine per month in the New York City area alone. Operation Banshee also reveled that huge quantities of cocaine were being smuggled into and across the country in shipments hidden in flowers, lumber and concrete fence posts. By the mid-1970s, they stopped relying on ships, cars, trucks and boats but instead started using “mules” (individuals who would personally carry the cocaine back into the United States on their person, in stuffed soft toys, or carefully concealed in shoes and suitcases).
Over the years, these drug mules were being used to smuggle various other drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, into the United States. Heroin use spread through the United States and created a significant amount of public concern. It is estimated that between 1960 to 1970, the number of heroin addicts increased from 50,000 to almost 500,000. By 1973, this number had increased to 800,000. While advancements in law enforcement have tried to control the problem since then, drug cartels remain a problem for South America and the entire region.
In collaboration with Amazon Prime Video and Twitch, Ubisoft debuted the promotional video Ghost Recon Wildlands: War Within the Cartel on the Ubisoft Twitch channel. War Within the Cartel is promotional live-action content that introduces the Santa Blanca cartel and their plans to turn Bolivia into a narco-state. War Within the Cartel is produced by Emmy Award winning studio Legion of Creatives and features Grammy Award winning rapper Tip Harris playing the role of Marcus, one of the members of the Santa Blanca cartel.
War Within the Cartel takes viewers inside the inner workings of the Santa Blanca drug cartel, controlled by the revered yet ruthless leader, El Sueño. In the aftermath of an attack on their compound, the organization’s senior leadership seeks out a traitor within their midst in order to exact deadly retribution. The action-packed story culminates in the events leading up to the beginning of the game as an elite Special Forces unit, the Ghosts, is called in to dismantle the cartel.
I saw it on Amazon Prime Video recently and I have to say that it’s entertaining. War Within the Cartel offers a thrilling story despite some cliche moments. The cast is also incredible and the performances are great. While the video won’t be garnering any Emmy Awards, it still accurately depicts the brutality these cartels rely on to maintain some form of order to continue their “business” in hostile environments. The video also focuses on how the violence affects families and townsfolk. The sense of fear is palpable and I feel that is what creates the mythos surrounding these criminal organizations. That’s one of the reasons why they’re able to proliferate because, while they don’t have the support of the local populace, they do have their fear.
Summary
If you’re planning on purchasing Ghost Recon Wildlands, I would recommend that you watch War Within the Cartel. Its depiction of sheer brutality will give you a great insight into what you’re dealing with in the game and what many people in South America have to endure on a daily basis. There is definitely deeper meaning hidden behind the video’s blockbuster exterior.
Asher is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 1110 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: wrote over 1,100 ICXM pieces on Xbox news, hardware reviews, and platform commentary before joining Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017.