Drug Warrior: Inside the Hunt for El Chapo and the Rise of America's Opioid Crisis

The former acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Riley, with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Weiss, recounts his dogged 32-year pursuit of the man most responsible for America's drug epidemic: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. As one might expect from an officer more comfortable in the street than behind a desk, Riley effectively and straightforwardly describes how Guzmán stoked demand to increase profit from his supply and used violence, bribery, and planning to control and defend his operations, all while staying one step ahead of his would-be captors. Riley also comments (repeatedly but justifiably) on the frustration felt by the DEA owing to the ignorance of lawmakers and politicians who didn't grasp the scale of harm Guzmán and his cartel were causing. The assertion that continuous interagency communication is critical to the success of law enforcement seems patently obvious, and readers will sympathize with Riley's efforts to drive this point home to those in power.