In this episode of Border Static, former DEA Special Agent Sal Martinez asks you to do something most people won’t: block out your own life for a few minutes and truly imagine what it feels like to have nothing.

No running water. No electricity. No job. No hope. Just a cardboard box or tin shack, constant hunger, and the daily humiliation of begging for work that never comes. Sal walks you through the brutal decision to leave everything behind, the dangers of the journey north, the coyotes, the river crossings, and the constant fear of being caught once you finally make it to the other side.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about people.

Sal shares what he actually saw on the ground in Ciudad Juarez and El Paso — the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking, why walls and more agents alone will never stop determined migrants, and how mass deportations are already affecting American farms, restaurants, and factories. He also opens up about personal moments most agents never talk about, including the time Border Patrol agents stopped him as a teenager in El Paso and accused him of being undocumented.

The episode closes with a challenge: Can we raise our emotional intelligence enough to see the human being before we see the label?

If you’ve only heard one side of the immigration conversation, this one will make you stop and think.

Border Static airs Saturdays at 2:30 PM Central on 930 AM The Answer. New episodes drop on YouTube right after the broadcast.

Sal’s memoir, NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent, is available now on Amazon.

In this episode of Border Static, former DEA Special Agent Sal Martinez asks you to do something most people won&rsquo;t: block out your own life for a few minutes and truly imagine what it feels like to have nothing.
No running water. No electricity. No job. No hope. Just a cardboard box or tin shack, constant hunger, and the daily humiliation of begging for work that never comes. Sal walks you through the brutal decision to leave everything behind, the dangers of the journey north, the coyotes, the river crossings, and the constant fear of being caught once you finally make it to the other side.
This isn&rsquo;t about politics. It&rsquo;s about people.
Sal shares what he actually saw on the ground in Ciudad Juarez and El Paso &mdash; the difference between human smuggling and human trafficking, why walls and more agents alone will never stop determined migrants, and how mass deportations are already affecting American farms, restaurants, and factories. He also opens up about personal moments most agents never talk about, including the time Border Patrol agents stopped him as a teenager in El Paso and accused him of being undocumented.
The episode closes with a challenge: Can we raise our emotional intelligence enough to see the human being before we see the label?
If you&rsquo;ve only heard one side of the immigration conversation, this one will make you stop and think.
Border Static airs Saturdays at 2:30 PM Central on 930 AM The Answer. New episodes drop on YouTube right after the broadcast.
Sal&rsquo;s memoir, NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent, is available now on Amazon.

Sal Martinez - Host of Border Static: NARC Agent Stories

Sal Martinez is a former Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper and DEA Special Agent with 15 years of law enforcement experience on the front lines of America's war on drugs. During his career with the DEA, Sal worked undercover in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico during the height of the Juárez Cartel's reign—one of the most dangerous assignments in modern law enforcement history.

He is the author of "NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent," a gripping memoir that chronicles his experiences infiltrating drug cartels, the moral complexities of undercover work, and his unique perspective on both sides of the criminal justice system.  www.narc-agent.com

On Border Static, Sal shares real stories from his career—the operations, the close calls, the people he met, and the cases that changed him. He also breaks down trending crime stories in the news, offering the kind of insider analysis only a former DEA agent can provide. No Hollywood dramatization. No Wikipedia research. Just raw, authentic truth from someone who lived it.

Sal currently owns and operates Freedom Bail Bonds, serving families in Atascosa, Wilson and Live Oak counties in South Texas.

Sal Martinez - Host of Border Static: NARC Agent Stories
Sal Martinez is a former Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper and DEA Special Agent with 15 years of law enforcement experience on the front lines of America's war on drugs. During his career with the DEA, Sal worked undercover in Ciudad Ju&aacute;rez, Mexico during the height of the Ju&aacute;rez Cartel's reign&mdash;one of the most dangerous assignments in modern law enforcement history.
He is the author of "NARC: Convictions of an Undercover Agent," a gripping memoir that chronicles his experiences infiltrating drug cartels, the moral complexities of undercover work, and his unique perspective on both sides of the criminal justice system.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.narc-agent.com" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">www.narc-agent.com</a>
On Border Static, Sal shares real stories from his career&mdash;the operations, the close calls, the people he met, and the cases that changed him. He also breaks down trending crime stories in the news, offering the kind of insider analysis only a former DEA agent can provide. No Hollywood dramatization. No Wikipedia research. Just raw, authentic truth from someone who lived it.
Sal currently owns and operates Freedom Bail Bonds, serving families in Atascosa, Wilson and Live Oak counties in South Texas.

Border Static: NARC Agent Stories

On Border Static, Sal Martinez shares real stories from his career—the operations, the close calls, the people he met, and the cases that changed him. He also breaks down trending crime stories in the news, offering the kind of insider analysis only a former DEA agent can provide. No Hollywood dramatization. No Wikipedia research. Just raw, authentic truth from someone who lived it.

On Border Static, Sal Martinez shares real stories from his career&mdash;the operations, the close calls, the people he met, and the cases that changed him. He also breaks down trending crime stories in the news, offering the kind of insider analysis only a former DEA agent can provide. No Hollywood dramatization. No Wikipedia research. Just raw, authentic truth from someone who lived it.