Ciudad Juárez in the 1990s was one of the most dangerous places on earth, and former DEA Special Agent Sal Martinez was sent across the border when few others would go. In this episode of Border Static: NARC Agent Stories, Sal opens up about working alongside Mexican federal police, facing cartel intimidation, witnessing corruption up close, and surviving life-or-death moments while trying to disrupt the Juárez Cartel.

From illegal wiretaps and brutal interrogations to cartel-controlled streets, political corruption, and close calls with AK-47s, Sal shares the raw truth about what it meant to operate in dangerous territory with limited backup and no guarantees. He also reflects on the complicated cost of fighting the drug war, the betrayal he later experienced, and how his journey eventually led him to help people as a bail bondsman.

Sal’s memoir **“NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent”** is available now on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/NARC-Convictions-Undercover-Agent-Martinez/dp/1703630645

Border Static — Real stories from the most dangerous border in the world.

#BorderStatic #DEA #UndercoverAgent #Juarez #ElPaso #TrueCrime #NarcStories #LawEnforcement #BorderWar

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Sal Martinez became a DEA Special Agent, he spent years on the streets as a Texas DPS trooper, where some shifts went from routine to life-or-death in seconds.

In this episode of Border Static: NARC Agent Stories, Sal takes us inside two encounters he never forgot.

First, a quiet cup of coffee turns into a high-speed pursuit of a stolen beige pickup truck. At speeds reaching roughly 120 MPH, Sal rides shotgun with a department-issued 12-gauge, eventually firing at the truck’s tires as officers race to stop the driver before someone is killed. The chase ends after a dangerous maneuver sends both vehicles spinning off the highway.

Then, years later on a dark Friday night in El Paso, a suspected DWI stop becomes a physical fight on the side of the road. Sal is alone, exhausted, unable to call for backup, and unsure whether he will be able to overpower the driver.

These are not Hollywood stories. They are firsthand accounts of fear, adrenaline, judgment, survival, and the emotional reality behind the badge.

Border Static: NARC Agent Stories features real accounts from former DEA Special Agent Sal Martinez, author of NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent.

Subscribe for new episodes featuring undercover operations, major drug seizures, cartel investigations, border crime stories, and the cases that shaped Sal’s career.

Listen Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Central on 930 AM The Answer in San Antonio.

Sal’s memoir **“NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent”** is available now on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/NARC-Convictions-Undercover-Agent-Martinez/dp/1703630645

Border Static — Real stories from the most dangerous border in the world.

#BorderStatic #DEA #UndercoverAgent #Juarez #ElPaso #TrueCrime #NarcStories #LawEnforcement #BorderWar

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Border Static: NARC Agent Stories, former DEA Special Agent and bail bondsman Sal Martinez looks at the harsh legal consequences young adults can face over vape pens, THC products, and confusing drug laws in Texas.

Sal shares the story of a vape shop raid where police confiscated merchandise, but the part-time employee working that day was arrested and given a $60,000 bond. From bond fees and vehicle towing to job loss, attorney costs, court delays, and the emotional weight of a felony arrest, Sal explains how one nonviolent charge can follow someone for years.

The episode also turns personal as Sal welcomes his son Vincent to discuss why young people vape, peer pressure, music, growing up, and the lessons Sal hopes the next generation remembers before one bad decision becomes a lifelong burden.

Border Static: NARC Agent Stories features real accounts from former DEA Special Agent Sal Martinez, author of NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent.

Subscribe for new episodes featuring undercover operations, major drug seizures, cartel investigations, border crime stories, and the cases that shaped Sal’s career.

Listen Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Central on 930 AM The Answer in San Antonio.

Sal’s memoir **“NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent”** is available now on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/NARC-Convictions-Undercover-Agent-Martinez/dp/1703630645

Border Static — Real stories from the most dangerous border in the world.

#BorderStatic #DEA #UndercoverAgent #Juarez #ElPaso #TrueCrime #NarcStories #LawEnforcement #BorderWar

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.