How a Mormon Kid From Texas Became a Mexican Cartel Sicario

From a strict Mormon upbringing in Texas to the violent world of cartel-connected crime, Tyler’s story is one of the wildest we’ve heard. In this episode, Tyler explains how he went from being a high school kid making money transporting drugs to working around human-smuggling networks along the Texas–Mexico border. He describes witnessing extreme cartel violence at a young age, moving migrants through border towns, becoming involved in violent contract work in Mexico, and later building a large drug business back home. Tyler also opens up about the side of that lifestyle people rarely talk about—the paranoia, emotional numbness, PTSD, memory problems, prison, and the difficulty of returning to a normal life after years surrounded by violence. We discuss: • Growing up in a strict Mormon household • Getting recruited into drug transportation as a teenager • Witnessing cartel violence for the first time • How human-smuggling networks operate along the border • Coyotes, safe houses, spotters, burner phones, and cartel organization • His descent into increasingly violent criminal work • Building a drug business through Snapchat • His 2019 arrest and prison sentence • The lasting psychological effects of the lifestyle • Therapy, family, faith, and trying to rebuild his life This conversation contains descriptions of violence, drug trafficking, and other criminal activity. It is presented for documentary, educational, and entertainment purposes and is not intended to promote or encourage illegal behavior. This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: BetterHelp! See the reviews, see what stands out, and see if BetterHelp is right for you. Visit https://betterhelp.com/connect Mood! Head to https://mood.com, browse their amazing selection of functional gummies, and find the perfect gummy for whatever you're dealing with. Use promo code CONNECT at checkout to save 20% on your first order. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: Mormon Kid to Cartel Hitman 01:27 Growing Up in a Strict Mormon Household 03:13 Rebelling Against Church Rules 04:16 First Adventure: Driving Heroin 06:40 Close Call: Witnessing a Chainsaw Murder 09:07 The Psychological Aftermath 12:32 Understanding the Cartel's Organization 15:10 Mental Health Struggles and Trauma 20:35 This Episode Is Sponsored By BetterHelp 21:55 Getting Back into Smuggling 23:23 Human Smuggling Operations and Safe Houses 27:18 Evolution into a Hitman 29:04 Cartel's Control and Police Corruption 31:52 The Job: Contract, Payment, and Preparation 36:27 The First Hit and Moral Numbing 40:33 This Episode Is Sponsored By Mood 42:33 Avoiding Addiction and the Double Life 45:08 The Worst Thing Seen: Four Days of Torture 52:00 The Drug Business and Burner Phones 01:10:11 Getting Busted and Going to Prison 01:17:00 Building the Snapchat Drug Empire 01:22:26 Why Keep Doing Hits? 01:24:07 The Last Job and Quitting 01:27:01 Arrest and Prison Sentence 01:30:09 Life After Prison and Redemption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices