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How A USC Football Star Became A Cocaine Kingpin With The Sinaloa Cartel: The Legend Of Owen Hanson
Season 1 Episode 180
In this explosive episode, former USC football standout Owen Hanson—once living the dream on the field—reveals how he plunged into the dark underworld of the Sinaloa Cartel, moving hundreds of millions in cocaine across continents. Known as “O-Dog”, Hanson opens up about his journey from campus celebrity and sports bookmaker to international drug trafficker working directly with El Chapo’s network.
Host Johnny Mitchell dives deep into Hanson’s transformation—from selling steroids to teammates at USC, to orchestrating high-level cartel deals spanning Peru, Mexico, Australia, and the U.S. Hanson recounts the lavish highs, the paranoia of living double lives, and the eventual FBI sting that brought it all crashing down.
Now a free man and entrepreneur, Hanson shares how he rebuilt himself after prison, founding California Ice Protein and using his story to warn others about ego, greed, and the illusion of power.
This episode blends crime, redemption, and raw honesty—a gripping story of how a promising athlete became a global kingpin, and how he’s now rewriting his legacy.
Go Support Owen!
Movie: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Cocaine-Quarterback-Signal-Caller-for-the-Cartel/0ITIO5AR39FDEY5RIG7APVMWF9
Book: https://www.thecaliforniakid.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/theofficialcakid/
YouTube: @theofficialcakid
This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following:
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Join The Patreon For Bonus Content!
https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow
00:00 Intro: The Rise and Fall of Owen Hansen
01:00 College Football Glory & Wild USC Parties
04:41 Owen Hansen's Documentary & Rebuilding Trust
07:00 From Prison to Entrepreneur: Life After Release
11:00 Logistics of the International Drug Trade
17:00 Creative Smuggling: Wine, Chocolate & Global Routes
18:22 Get A Great Deal From GLD!
20:58 Bookmaking Millions: The Sports Betting Business
35:00 The Art of Collecting Debts & Avoiding Trouble
44:00 Law Enforcement Evasion and Daily Operations
46:58 Today's Sponsors
49:33 Cartel Connections & The Power of Payouts
01:00:00 Scaling Up: Canada, Australia & Moving Big Loads
01:11:00 Money Laundering and Gold: Schemes & Shell Companies
01:19:00 The Fall: Informants, Raids, and Indictments
01:31:00 Warehouse Operations, Canada, and High Volume Moves
01:40:00 High Life Burnout and Personal Toll
01:54:00 Sentencing, Cooperation, and Prison Life
02:03:00 Extradition, Testimony, and Sentence Reduction
02:08:00 Prison Reflections and Survival
02:12:00 Reinvented: Ice Cream Kingpin & The Road Ahead
02:13:00 Final Thoughts: Redemption and New Beginnings
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Published on 4 weeks ago