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Former DEA Agent Reacts to Movies | Science vs Fiction

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In this episode of Science vs Fiction, former DEA agent Brian Townsend breaks down and fact-checks iconic scenes involving drug trafficking, cartels, meth labs, and DEA operations in movies and TV shows.

Breaking Bad, Narcos, Dope Thief, Dopesick, The Mule: how realistic are these portrayals of the drug world? How does the DEA actually conduct raids? What are meth labs really like? And how accurate are Hollywood’s depictions of cartels and drug trafficking?

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Brian Townsend breaks down what Hollywood gets right, what it gets completely wrong, and shares the reality behind some of the most famous drug-related scenes on screen.

A huge thank you to Brian Townsend for sharing his experience with us. He is now President of Only 2mg, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and preventing overdose deaths.

Learn more about Only 2mg: https://only2mg.com/

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0:00 Introduction
0:34 Breaking Bad
2:37 Dope Thief
5:08 Narcos
7:15 The Mule
9:04 Con Air
11:26 Dopesick
14:58 Narcos: Mexico
17:19 Breaking Bad
19:07 GTA V

20 Comments

@flare_doc Creator 3 weeks ago Pinned

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@Jakob6920 3 weeks ago

The first scene shows me that they showed him only parts of the scene. Jessie left a differnt house across from the lab house.

@FadedOxide 22 hours ago

From a DEA perspective you ABSOLUTELY are familiar with being a criminal robbing other criminals. It's exactly your job.

@jasongershman1018 1 day ago

I love how he says that the DEA Agent in "Con Air" was "a little over-the-top". That could describe the entire movie. There was absolutely nothing subtle in "Con Air". That is what made it a masterpiece.

@dzapper7 2 weeks ago

Con Air was pre 9/11. You used to be able to do a lot of things at an airport then that you can't do now.

@insainbassist 3 weeks ago

He goes to get the axe instead of shooting Hank because he thinks Hank is unarmed and Hank killed his family member (cousin I think) so he didn't want him to have a quick death. He literally says "no, too easy" when he puts the gun down.

@adrianwebster6923 3 weeks ago (edited)

Yeah, cops dont all pull guns from opposite sides in an arrest or traffic stop all barking loud confusing orders, sure. Meanwhile Midwest Safety channel is full of body cam videos of cops being exactly that dumb (and even dumber suspects).

@THEandrewMillet 3 weeks ago

To be fair, Con Air is probably 95% utter silliness... Fun watch even if not at all factual..

@HumminBjuurd 3 weeks ago

">> No.
We fuzzy."

Sent chills down my spine

@MarvinT0606 2 weeks ago

The thing that bothered me after Hank got hit by the cousins is that should have put the DEA on high alert like once an officer gets targeted for assassination like that there should have been a large crackdown on ABQ.

@K12127 3 weeks ago

the mule is one of the funniest movies. Not cuz an old man trafficking but cuz as soon as he does he’s just having wild 3 some and stuff lol.

@somnvm37 1 hour ago

07:29 so does it fly like 15 km away? I lived in a warzone, and if you see a tiny helicopter hundreds of meters away from you it is still increadibly loud.

@chourtout 1 hour ago

no the wire scene?

@512TheWolf512 4 days ago

I think it's shown pretty clearly that the Albuquerque dea department of breaking bad is completely incompetent. and hank in particular is entirely unqualified.

@Delta9Actual 3 weeks ago (edited)

15:25 When Agent Townsend saw the scene where Agent Kiki Camarena is found, he's visibly uncomfortable. This is a straight cat you're seeing. I'll stack up with him anytime.

@macecordoba 3 weeks ago

Do you really think that the U.S. government honored Kiki? I noticed how we didn’t get to into what really happened to him.

@garyclarkcomedy 1 day ago

Pablo escobar was hunted down by switchboard operators out of Brag. That's why he was running for his life, not DEA agents

@FlyingTigersKMT 3 weeks ago

Undercover work sometimes will require you to go in unarmed and if the criminal found your gun you'd be dead or at least have a lot of explaining to do. 21 jump street is one where you don't carry a gun.

@Novastar.SaberCombat 3 weeks ago

As someone who spent 36+ years of work in production, to this day I am ALWAYS shocked as to how many people are magically convinced that what they see in movies IS actually, truly "pretty accurate" and they're adamant "that's the way it works", LOL. The reality of filmmaking is the illusion of reality, not actual reality. Things can appear "believable" to the laymen, but in the end, almost everything has a hefty dramatic twist applied. THIS IS PERFECTLY NORMAL FOR STORYTELLING, BTW. The opposing side is when people actually CHASTISE things for not being realistic, LOL. If so... my gggoooddd it'd be boring. Laborious. Detailed. Careful. Agonizingly lengthy and drawn out. Films do not have bloody TIME for that.

@MicahCantrell 2 days ago

I mean there is tons of video evidence that says this guys does not know how these operations actually work, because cops ALWAYS give conflicting commands...ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS....