Dope (2017) s02e03 Episode Script
I'm Gonna Get Me That White People Money
1 [Dubstep playing.]
[man.]
You take pure Molly, you get the greatest feeling of bliss.
I just gotta get me some of that white people money.
They gonna pay triple what you pay in the hood.
My molly I will get from the dark web.
I make a comfortable $60,000 a year.
MDMA is often cut with something.
It's a business, you know what I'm saying? You don't worry about somebody dying.
[man.]
The most I've ever personally been involved with I've gotten 34 kilos of ecstasy out of a vehicle.
You're playing Russian roulette with MDMA.
[officer.]
It's real dangerous.
[man.]
I grew up on the East Side.
Selling E-pills help me pay my bills, feed me, you feel me, but fucking with drugs is dangerous.
I mean, you can go to jail.
You can get killed, you can get robbed.
But I'm not intimidated.
["Centipede" by Of Verona playing.]
Come over here Let yourself go Don't be afraid It's not a problem [narrator.]
MRX's turf is a notoriously violent stretch of the East Side off 8 Mile Road.
Known to police simply as the 9th Precinct.
He's just picked up 50 E-pills to sell on the street tonight.
Do you think it's there You know how I care Why can't you stay At least not me These the E-pills right here, man.
[MRX.]
The main ingredient is MDMA.
See, with these bitches, you gonna be woke all night, always rolling, you feel me? All night rocking and rolling.
We about to show you how to double up.
Turn one of these into two.
This is half a jar of E-pills.
I wanna show you how to turn half a jar to a whole jar, you feel me? You can grab one of these ecstasy pills, crunch one of these motherfuckers up, break this down to powder.
[MRX.]
Like this.
This is gonna make two, and that's how the science should go.
You feel me? It's just that easy.
I mix the colors up, make them look all crazy and shit, and I got my own little brand of pills, you feel me? I got the colorful ecstasy pills that nobody's got.
The reason for me doing this is because rather you got a small or large pill, they are all five dollars in Detroit.
Pour that shit in there, you gotta even it out, you feel me? You know when you put too much, 'cause it ain't gonna fit.
And this right here is my E-pill.
I paid $70 for half a jar, and what I'm doing, I'm gonna sell me a whole jar for $500.
[MRX.]
This is the way that I survive, you hear me? How I eat.
[narrator.]
But on the East Side, E-pills have a reputation for patchy quality, and customers are often wary.
[MRX.]
If I sell some bad ones then people are gonna tell their friends about it, and we can't have that type of shit.
[MRX.]
What's poppin? I got the smiley faces.
[narrator.]
So MRX tests every new batch on seasoned users.
- [MRX.]
Pick your own.
- Man, that's a mean face.
That's gonna have me on some bullshit.
You know you gotta let everybody know how they rocking man, you feel me? [MRX.]
A lot of niggas out here making fake E-pills that are bullshit, you hear me? You can never really know.
We gonna see how they land in about 30 minutes.
Loud packs and rosé I'm higher than a rainbow Ho's disappear when you broke That's how the game go.
Bro, I feel excellent.
He high, you feel me? We got them rockers.
Strong E-pills are rockin', and we only fuck with rockers.
[narrator.]
Back at his house, MRX and his gang can now prep for the night of street dealing that lies ahead.
They start by getting high.
When I pop my E-pills, I do that shit 'cause I wanna stay up all night.
[MRX.]
And if a situation do come with the police when you about to go rip heads off, you know what I'm saying? It's just a mood boost.
You can get real violent off an ecstasy pill, man.
You know I'm saying? If it's a good pill, You can get real violent off that shit, man.
[narrator.]
The 9th Precinct has one of the highest crime rates in the city of Detroit.
It's also just a short distance inland from the US-Canada border.
And that puts drug dealers like MRX squarely on federal radar.
[Leann Lagushi.]
It's important for me to catch these bad guys.
The more criminals we take off the street, We keep our communities safer for our children, for our family, for our neighbors.
Especially now that, you know, I'm a mom.
Making a difference is very important to me.
It's an immediate public safety issue.
You know, we're out here trying to constantly intercept them, and they're constantly trying to beat us, so it's a cat-and-mouse game day in and day out.
[Hall.]
I think you really have to think like a bad guy in order to catch the bad guys.
[narrator.]
Agents Hall and Lugashi are scouring the East Side looking for people who could be moving drugs.
[Hall.]
We're coming up to an area right here where there's a major freeway.
Freeway's a pretty major smuggling route.
[narrator.]
Up ahead, a car is driving erratically.
[Hall.]
Can you go and run him to see if he's got any kind of warrants or history? [dispatch.]
Yes, he does.
[narrator.]
The owner is wanted for drug offenses.
[Hall.]
He has multiple warrants out for his arrest.
[Hall.]
Okay.
Why don't you go ahead and put the car in park for me? Any guns in the car tonight? No guns, no knives, nothing like that? Any dope in the car tonight? Why don't you go ahead and step out of the car for me, sir? [Hall.]
Go on, step on back here.
I'm just gonna put some handcuffs on you, okay? Till I figure out what's going on here.
[narrator.]
Agent Hall finds cannabis, and a pile of suspicious looking bags.
[Hall.]
Why do you got all the baggies in the car? You're under arrest.
I'm going to take you to jail, okay? Possession of controlled substance and multiple warrants out for you.
[Hall.]
He did six years for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
I highly suspect that he was distributing tonight.
Obviously our primary goal is preventing smuggling across international border.
But, you know, I feel good bringing him back to justice.
[MRX.]
What's poppin, bro? I called your motherfucking phone, but you ain't answer.
Fifty.
Fuck with me, bro.
Them bitches stronger than a motherfucker, bro.
[narrator.]
Back in the 9th Precinct, MRX is still working.
It's been a long night, and he still hasn't sold all his pills.
[MRX.]
That shit strong as hell.
You know that shit hitting.
[narrator.]
Despite his assurances that the pills are pure, demand remains low.
But MRX has a plan.
[MRX.]
Right now, I'm trapped in the hood.
[MRX.]
But I know Detroit have a rave in the downtown area.
I got homeboys who came and bought a jar of E-pills from me, went down there and sold all of them for $15 a piece.
White people, they gonna spend the money.
You hear me? 'Cause they got mo.
[MRX.]
They got way more to spend.
Them prices is high over there.
The other side, them prices is high.
[MRX.]
I just gotta get me some of that white people money 'cause they gonna pay triple whatever we pay the hood.
[narrator.]
To hit the raves, MRX needs to up his stock.
And that means tapping into a supply chain that originates not in the United States, but in Canada.
E-pills are manufactured in secret labs like this one filmed by police.
From the labs the pills are taken to one of Canada's main trafficking hubs.
The city of Toronto.
These are called candies.
E-pills.
We have thousands of them all over the place.
We get it from people who make it, and we just do our thing.
It's a chain.
These E-pills contain MDMA in its raw form.
[Sal.]
but you can get different things mixed into it like speed or whatever.
You know? You never know.
You can bite a chunk off, and you have a good trip, bite a chunk off and have a bad trip.
You know what I mean? As far as them overdosing or something happening to them, that's, I think that's up to them.
You know? You don't worry about somebody dying in the house that you sold them, You know what I'm saying? So just like that.
It's a business, you know what I'm saying? [narrator.]
Every week, Tech-9 and Sal export 10,000 pills to Detroit.
[Sal.]
This, in our area, is 30 Canadian cents, when America, you're looking double.
And that's why America is the land of the dreams.
We get it all the way to Detroit because there's three universities there.
There's kids.
There's a party scene.
And there's a water crossing.
[Tech-9.]
We got ways of getting across the border, you know? [narrator.]
From Toronto, it's a four hour drive to the border town of Windsor.
Once here, Tech-9 and Sal's pills are just a half a mile from Detroit.
Across the Ambassador Bridge.
But to get through, they'll have to run a gauntlet.
[officer.]
That's good right here.
[narrator.]
Officer Croley handles the US Customs operations on the bridge.
It's the busiest international border crossing in North America.
[Croley.]
All people see is the small stuff on the street.
You know, they don't see some of the stuff we see, the big loads.
The most I've ever personally been involved with, I've gotten 34 kilos of ecstasy out of a vehicle.
[narrator.]
Croley's team is extensive.
It includes eight specialist K9 units to help them detect illegal drugs.
I've arrested people from 16 years old all the way over to 79 years old, so if you can tell me whatÃÂ a smuggler looks like, please let me know.
[Croley.]
My job would be so much easier.
[narrator.]
At a checkpoint, one of the dogs picks up a scent.
[Croley.]
Is there anything in there? [officer.]
Yes, shavings, residue.
[Croley.]
There's a record on her for drugs.
- [officer.]
Probably marijuana.
- [Croley.]
Yeah.
[Croley.]
Oh! Your car, sir? It's hers? Okay, come here.
Right now you have this roach in your car.
All right, if we write you a ticket, now you have a possession charge, which means you cannot come into the United States.
[Croley.]
What you do in the privacy of your own home is up to you, but when you cross the border, that's when I care, all right? [Croley.]
We can take your car, too.
I'm not going to waste my time with this little roach, but just clean out your car.
- [suspect.]
Thank you very much.
- [Croley.]
Uh-huh.
We're just trying to find the things that are bad for the United States.
You just got to keep looking and looking and looking, you know? Right place, right time, right vehicle.
- [Croley.]
Just straight up that way.
- [suspect.]
Thank you for your time.
[narrator.]
To bypass the constant federal heat on the Ambassador Bridge, smugglers have to get creative.
[man.]
We use a very special method.
With us, it's the jet skis, you know? That's the best route to go.
It's risky, but it's a little better than the bridge and all that.
We go through the waters.
[narrator.]
Chainz is about to make a run across the Detroit River.
Carrying a batch of 10,000 E-pills will net him $1,000.
[Chainz.]
It's a big risk.
A real big risk.
You gotta have power.
We got power.
The jet skis get up to about 65 miles per hour on a good day.
The closer and closer I get, the happier I am.
You've gotta always beat the odds.
Chances make champions.
[narrator.]
But the feds are on the water, too.
[agent.]
You're looking for the one thing that sticks out.
You know, it's your classic shark in a school of fish.
Just kind of creeping through, blending in with the traffic, and then, you know, coming out on the other side and meeting somebody there or dropping it off on shore.
[narrator.]
Agent Hayes and his team are on the lookout for any suspicious vessels crossing the border.
[Hayes.]
In terms of drugs, you know, the more we take off the street, the less there is out there.
Most law enforcement are good people, and want to save lives and help people, So naturally, we absolutely care.
- That's why we do this job.
- [Agent.]
Coming up! - He's going right into my hunting grounds.
- [Hayes.]
All right, go get him.
[narrator.]
Two jet skis are headed for Detroit in a stretch often used by traffickers.
Coming up! [Hayes.]
Come on over, guys.
This guy, it almost seemed like when we started to come near him, he went that way.
- [Hayes.]
Is this your Waverunner? - [suspect.]
Yes.
- [Hayes.]
Okay, it's registered to you? - [suspect.]
Yes.
[Hayes.]
How long have you had it? [suspect.]
About two years.
Not that long.
[Hayes.]
Do you mind if I look in that front compartment? - [suspect.]
Not at all.
- [Hayes.]
Okay.
[Hayes.]
Jet skis are so nimble.
They can go in 18 inches of water.
Whereas, a boat like this, you need four feet of water.
They're high performance machines.
They got super big engines, so they can they can push a lot of weight.
[Hayes.]
And then there's a compartment under that back seat, right? [suspect.]
Yes.
Here you go.
[Hayes.]
Cool.
You can see the amount of storage areas there are in just this little thing, so there's so many places to hide things.
You know, you can put 20, 30, 50 pounds in this thing.
- [agent.]
Can I get that ID? - [suspect.]
Yeah.
[narrator.]
This jet ski is clean.
Its rider is free to go.
[Hayes.]
You need a lot of luck on your side.
It's such a short run.
There's just so many opportunities.
Everytime I get over there, there's always somebody waiting.
[Chainz.]
I give somebody my package real quick and we're back across home.
[narrator.]
From the banks of the Detroit River the 10,000 pills are trafficked into the city's lower east side.
[Snowman.]
You can never have enough firepower, man.
Shit, this just a little personal I keep on me, so I'm quick, I'm gonna get a nigga up off a I'm the Kingpin.
Know what I'm saying? I get these pills wholesale, bust it down, put it to a middleman out here.
He do what he do, people love it.
Eat it up like candy.
[narrator.]
Snowman is one of Detroit's biggest E-pill distributors.
The way you rise to the top is staying focused, staying about your money.
I mean, shit, bullshit come in the gang, you handle that as it come, but try to stay away from all the bullshit, man.
[Snowman.]
Just stick to your paper, man.
Shit, find your good connect.
[narrator.]
Buying in bulk, Snowman pays $0.
50 a pill and charges his street dealers $1.
25.
[Snowman.]
My profit be amazing, man.
I donâÂÂt really wanna talk about that.
I don't wanna talk about that.
Not my profit.
Just know that itâÂÂs good, good amount.
I make sure everybody eat.
[Snowman.]
Detroit is a hustler's paradise.
There's parties always.
White people, black people.
Shit, Asians come over here, man.
The only color I see is green, man.
I love all that money.
[Snowman chuckles.]
I love it.
[phone ringing.]
Yeah, hello? What up, bro? Come see me.
All right.
We trynna eat We trynna eat Hustle with my team You know we bring the heat My man about to come pick that up.
Only time I call him when it's time to eat.
[narrator.]
The E-pills are on the move.
[Turbo.]
My whole life I've seen my family dealing drugs, from my mama to my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, my father.
Everybody.
Detroit is a D-boy city, a dope boy city, you know? So it ain't really like I just got into it.
I was born into it.
That's just how it is.
[narrator.]
Turbo delivers pills to Snowman's network of East Side dealers.
[Turbo.]
Here in our hood, it's super dangerous as a drug dealer, you know what I'm saying? The murder rate is super high here, man.
You can't trust nobody.
[Turbo.]
Like, nobody at all, you know? Somebody can be one of your loyal customers, but they could take a loss or mess their money up, and they could rob me or whatever.
[phone rings.]
[Turbo.]
What up? [narrator.]
It's MRX.
[Turbo.]
IâÂÂm over here on the East Side, I got some new shit.
Some super-good new shit.
I know you gonna want it when you see it.
How many you want me to bring? I'm on my way.
I'm on my way.
In my line of work you gotta worry about the police.
Every second.
I got certain people to drive for me who I trust.
Somebody who I know ain't gonna talk if they pull us over.
You know, somebody who I know ain't gonna act all nervous.
We take them on test runs before we even let them be the real driver for real.
We just make sure the car we riding in good, low key, and we never ride in a red car.
They're the most cars that get pulled over by the police, the red cars.
[narrator.]
Turbo is meeting MRX at a gas station on 7 Mile in the heart of the East Side.
Right in the middle of Agents Hall and Lugashi's hunting ground.
[Hall.]
A lot of illegal drugs coming across the water goes into these neighborhoods.
The East Side, pretty depressed, and, uh pretty high crime rate.
A lot of people don't have the money to leave those areas, so they're kind of almost like economic hostages to the environment.
They just don't have the ability to do to get out, to break free.
A lot of the kids, that's what they know and that's where they're comfortable at, and they just, you know It's kind of depressing.
Yeah, I think that guy took off on us.
Somebody's smoking marijuana.
If you could copy, see if you see a black shiny black Dodge Magnum occupied two times black males.
[Hall.]
He pulled in the BP gas station.
It would be a great place to set up to sell drugs for the evening.
Do you have an eye on him at all? He looks like he's pulling out right now.
Yeah, 10-4.
HeâÂÂs rolling.
[Lugashi.]
And he just turned on the side street.
[narrator.]
The suspect vehicle is moving at speed.
Okay, last I saw him he turned on Lillibridge.
Yeah, we're gonna lose him.
We lost them.
They departed that gas station, went southbound back through the neighborhood, so maybe going north, which makes no sense.
They're just cleaning themselves.
So we played them a little loose and lost the vehicle.
[phone rings.]
[Turbo.]
Yo.
Where you at? I'm here early.
The drop's on.
All right.
You bet.
[narrator.]
Meanwhile, Turbo has made it to another gas station undetected.
And MRX needs to move.
[Turbo.]
Hell yeah, he beat me to his motherfucking spot.
He don't wanna sit there for too long and shit, you feel me? Be right back.
[narrator.]
He makes the pick up fast.
[MRX.]
I've got these, man.
Smiley faces, monkey heads, it don't really matter about the print, but people will tell you which one they want.
[MRX.]
After I got my hands on drugs, I need somewhere to hide my shit.
You know I'm saying? Living in the hood, we have abandoned houses across the street and down the street, abandoned houses everywhere, so that's where I stash my drug.
Nobody ever fuck with an abandoned house.
[narrator.]
MRX has now stockpiled enough E-pills for the rave.
But a rival supplier is it work 30 miles northwest of the 9th Precinct in the suburb of Pontiac.
[dealer.]
Molly is huge, and I think it's gaining popularity across-the-board.
One hit of Molly, and they'll be having a great time.
You're making friends, you're loving everybody you're giving everyone a hug, you take pictures with people, and you're just having an amazing night.
[narrator.]
Ozone prides himself in handling only pure MDMA.
My molly I will get from the dark web.
You have to be very familiar and confident with computers, because if you fuck up, you'll have the DEA knocking on the door, and no one wants that.
[narrator.]
Ozone imports molly from all over the world.
I've had probably five or six different suppliers.
Canada's huge for molly, but I feel like the best stuff comes from places such as the Netherlands or France.
This batch is actually from France, and I believe this is one of the top three batches I've had.
[Ozone.]
This right here is about three grams of molly.
Champagne-colored.
When I buy it, I get it for about $1.
50 a hit.
I have four or five smaller drug dealers that will come and pick up from me, and they will go and sell it for $10 a hit, so it's a pretty decent mark up.
I would estimate that I make a comfortable like $60,000 a year, but I don't aspire to be a Kingpin.
I want to get out as soon as possible.
I'm going to college right now.
I'm actually going into Homeland Security.
I'm going into criminal justice.
I believe it is very hypocritical, but I want to be in a field where I'm doing something I strongly believe in, such as an agent that goes after, you know, people that are, like, murderers or rapists, and I feel like my past will help me with my future.
[narrator.]
To supply his dealers this weekend, Ozone needs a new batch of molly.
[Ozone.]
On here you can see one gram, pure cocaine, five gram pure cocaine, ten gram pure speed, two gram pure crystal meth.
Suppliers have ratings like Ebay.
Five-star rating, and you know that will be some good molly, and here's something that I would be interested in.
Fifty grams of MDMA crystals with the highest rating for 0.
273 Bitcoins.
So I'll go ahead and order that.
The most nerve-wracking will be the day it's destined to deliver.
The easiest way to get caught is from Customs going through the mail.
Obviously, every time I do it, I'm going to be nervous.
I'm gonna have in the back of my mind, I can get caught, I'm not I'm not untouchable.
[narrator.]
Packages from Europe bound for the continental U.
S.
get diverted to one of six mail sorting facilities.
Here, Customs officers check packages that look suspicious using sniffer dogs and X-ray.
When drugs are detected, the feds put together a sting operation known as a controlled delivery.
After the buyer accepts the package, the cops move in.
[officer.]
Police department! Search warrant! In the back of my mind it's always the thought that it could be a controlled delivery, that it could be a setup, that I could sign for it, immediately get arrested.
[narrator.]
Ozone is due to take delivery of his molly today.
Before I sign for it is the most stressful part of my job.
My heart rate goes up.
I'm nervous, even though I've done this dozens and dozens of times.
I'm going to be nervous every time.
It's always going to be a risk.
[heart thumping.]
[doorbell rings.]
[mailman.]
Hey, how are you doing? I got a package.
[Ozone.]
Thank you.
This shipment is of 100 grams of MDMA.
And this is the street value of about $10,000.
I'll take a testing liquid.
This stuff is very corrosive and very dangerous to handle, and this will destroy it, but it's worth it to find I'm getting and selling the correct stuff.
And that's what you're looking for.
As you can see on this sheet, this is the perfect purple color for MDMA.
I'm very happy.
[narrator.]
Ozone's molly is ready for distribution.
[dealer.]
I'm about to call him up right now.
Hello? All right, I'll start heading that way, then.
All right, peace out.
When we do these deals we try to stick to more the outskirts of towns, because it's more secluded it gives us more privacy it allows us to do the deal safer, and then everyone can go home safely.
[narrator.]
Stretch and Hype are driving over to Pontiac to meet Ozone in a parking lot.
[Stretch.]
He said it's over on the right hand side.
Yo, what up, bro? Here's the cash.
All right, thank you.
All right, see you later, bro.
All right.
This stuff right here it's just, like, pure crystals.
Big ones are the ones that'll fuck you up the most.
We got two grams here.
We can go and cap up.
[Hype.]
What I'm doing now is I'm just weighing out one hit at a time, and I'll just toss the crystals right into the cap.
I like to weigh my hits a little bit more than one hit.
I usually will do, like, 0.
12, 0.
13.
Just to give a little extra Extra feeling for it.
I'll sell a cap ten bucks a hit.
It'll cost me about, I'd say, probably eight.
We're not trying to make money off of it.
We're trying to, you know, share the feeling.
[Hype.]
You take pure molly, you get the greatest feeling out there.
[narrator.]
The rave is now just a day away.
Hey! We're the real niggas in this bitch! [narrator.]
9:00 p.
m, Saturday MRX heads downtown like an explorer entering a new world.
[MRX.]
I'ma flatten them out, roll them out real flat, evenly, and I'm going to put them under my feet and I'ma walk to this club on my tippy-toes trying not to smush my product.
You gotta make sure all the air out that bag, you know? It even be good at the bottom of the sock because the bag don't move.
I'm good like that.
I'm not gonna walk on it.
When I get out this car and go in this club, if I don't walk properly then I don't get my pills in, which means I don't get opportunity to do nothing, which means I just fucked up the whole play.
And there we go.
Got a whole jar of pills under my foot.
You go to a black club, it's ghetto, it's wild, you probably got six different gangs in there.
Me and my homeboy usually bring a gun down, and put half of the gun in his shoe, and half the gun in my shoe, because you don't wanna be nowhere with somebody who got a gun, and you ain't got your shit, but in this case tonight, these are hipsters, you know? They party different.
[MRX.]
They dress different.
These motherfuckers definitely got some different money, you know? [narrator.]
But before MRX can cash in, he has to get past the rave security.
Stretch and Hype are already making their play.
[Dubstep playing.]
A team of guards are on the lookout for dealers.
[Stretch.]
It's very very intense.
We've seen people get carried out.
We've seen it happen all over the place.
You get caught with molly, you're going straight to prison.
Your ass is gone.
[narrator.]
Stretch and Hype's molly is selling fast.
[MRX.]
I'm confident that these E-pills are going to be Class A, so I'm going to pop me an E-pill, so I can be high.
[MRX.]
So motherfuckas can see how strong them bitches is.
[narrator.]
As the pill takes effect, MRX goes to work.
[MRX.]
The party rocking, man.
They going wild, you feel me? [MRX.]
They're paying more than just five dollars a pill.
Couple people paying ten dollars a pill.
It's crazy.
[narrator.]
After three hours dodging security, Both Stretch and Hype and MRX have sold out.
Staring at the night sky Trying not to wonder why [Stretch.]
There's always gonna be competition, always gonna be somebody that's gonna want a piece of your pie.
[Stretch.]
But it's a matter of who's got the better stuff? I know what I'm dealing is 100%.
Tell me something not to wonder why Made me $300, you know? That's good for one day, you feel me? Say so You can never be my hero [MRX.]
But what surprised me the most was just the energy, man.
Like, they was in there having fun.
Motherfuckers weren't in there wanting to fight.
They wanted the dance.
That shit changed my perspective on life.
They just let me know it's a world out here.
You know what I'm saying? It woke me up some, man.
I feel like I'm better than just trying to sell drugs my whole life.
You'll never be my hero [MRX.]
The mind is a powerful thing, you know what I'm saying? And I'm real strong-minded.
Poverty made me real strong.
The legit way is the best way for me.
You know I'm saying? And I'm gonna find it.
Staring at the night sky T rying not to wonder why You think I need to save you Think I need to sacrifice You think you need to save me Just tell me something not to I You can never be my hero So I'm just gonna say so You can never be my hero Baby I'm just gonna say so
[man.]
You take pure Molly, you get the greatest feeling of bliss.
I just gotta get me some of that white people money.
They gonna pay triple what you pay in the hood.
My molly I will get from the dark web.
I make a comfortable $60,000 a year.
MDMA is often cut with something.
It's a business, you know what I'm saying? You don't worry about somebody dying.
[man.]
The most I've ever personally been involved with I've gotten 34 kilos of ecstasy out of a vehicle.
You're playing Russian roulette with MDMA.
[officer.]
It's real dangerous.
[man.]
I grew up on the East Side.
Selling E-pills help me pay my bills, feed me, you feel me, but fucking with drugs is dangerous.
I mean, you can go to jail.
You can get killed, you can get robbed.
But I'm not intimidated.
["Centipede" by Of Verona playing.]
Come over here Let yourself go Don't be afraid It's not a problem [narrator.]
MRX's turf is a notoriously violent stretch of the East Side off 8 Mile Road.
Known to police simply as the 9th Precinct.
He's just picked up 50 E-pills to sell on the street tonight.
Do you think it's there You know how I care Why can't you stay At least not me These the E-pills right here, man.
[MRX.]
The main ingredient is MDMA.
See, with these bitches, you gonna be woke all night, always rolling, you feel me? All night rocking and rolling.
We about to show you how to double up.
Turn one of these into two.
This is half a jar of E-pills.
I wanna show you how to turn half a jar to a whole jar, you feel me? You can grab one of these ecstasy pills, crunch one of these motherfuckers up, break this down to powder.
[MRX.]
Like this.
This is gonna make two, and that's how the science should go.
You feel me? It's just that easy.
I mix the colors up, make them look all crazy and shit, and I got my own little brand of pills, you feel me? I got the colorful ecstasy pills that nobody's got.
The reason for me doing this is because rather you got a small or large pill, they are all five dollars in Detroit.
Pour that shit in there, you gotta even it out, you feel me? You know when you put too much, 'cause it ain't gonna fit.
And this right here is my E-pill.
I paid $70 for half a jar, and what I'm doing, I'm gonna sell me a whole jar for $500.
[MRX.]
This is the way that I survive, you hear me? How I eat.
[narrator.]
But on the East Side, E-pills have a reputation for patchy quality, and customers are often wary.
[MRX.]
If I sell some bad ones then people are gonna tell their friends about it, and we can't have that type of shit.
[MRX.]
What's poppin? I got the smiley faces.
[narrator.]
So MRX tests every new batch on seasoned users.
- [MRX.]
Pick your own.
- Man, that's a mean face.
That's gonna have me on some bullshit.
You know you gotta let everybody know how they rocking man, you feel me? [MRX.]
A lot of niggas out here making fake E-pills that are bullshit, you hear me? You can never really know.
We gonna see how they land in about 30 minutes.
Loud packs and rosé I'm higher than a rainbow Ho's disappear when you broke That's how the game go.
Bro, I feel excellent.
He high, you feel me? We got them rockers.
Strong E-pills are rockin', and we only fuck with rockers.
[narrator.]
Back at his house, MRX and his gang can now prep for the night of street dealing that lies ahead.
They start by getting high.
When I pop my E-pills, I do that shit 'cause I wanna stay up all night.
[MRX.]
And if a situation do come with the police when you about to go rip heads off, you know what I'm saying? It's just a mood boost.
You can get real violent off an ecstasy pill, man.
You know I'm saying? If it's a good pill, You can get real violent off that shit, man.
[narrator.]
The 9th Precinct has one of the highest crime rates in the city of Detroit.
It's also just a short distance inland from the US-Canada border.
And that puts drug dealers like MRX squarely on federal radar.
[Leann Lagushi.]
It's important for me to catch these bad guys.
The more criminals we take off the street, We keep our communities safer for our children, for our family, for our neighbors.
Especially now that, you know, I'm a mom.
Making a difference is very important to me.
It's an immediate public safety issue.
You know, we're out here trying to constantly intercept them, and they're constantly trying to beat us, so it's a cat-and-mouse game day in and day out.
[Hall.]
I think you really have to think like a bad guy in order to catch the bad guys.
[narrator.]
Agents Hall and Lugashi are scouring the East Side looking for people who could be moving drugs.
[Hall.]
We're coming up to an area right here where there's a major freeway.
Freeway's a pretty major smuggling route.
[narrator.]
Up ahead, a car is driving erratically.
[Hall.]
Can you go and run him to see if he's got any kind of warrants or history? [dispatch.]
Yes, he does.
[narrator.]
The owner is wanted for drug offenses.
[Hall.]
He has multiple warrants out for his arrest.
[Hall.]
Okay.
Why don't you go ahead and put the car in park for me? Any guns in the car tonight? No guns, no knives, nothing like that? Any dope in the car tonight? Why don't you go ahead and step out of the car for me, sir? [Hall.]
Go on, step on back here.
I'm just gonna put some handcuffs on you, okay? Till I figure out what's going on here.
[narrator.]
Agent Hall finds cannabis, and a pile of suspicious looking bags.
[Hall.]
Why do you got all the baggies in the car? You're under arrest.
I'm going to take you to jail, okay? Possession of controlled substance and multiple warrants out for you.
[Hall.]
He did six years for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
I highly suspect that he was distributing tonight.
Obviously our primary goal is preventing smuggling across international border.
But, you know, I feel good bringing him back to justice.
[MRX.]
What's poppin, bro? I called your motherfucking phone, but you ain't answer.
Fifty.
Fuck with me, bro.
Them bitches stronger than a motherfucker, bro.
[narrator.]
Back in the 9th Precinct, MRX is still working.
It's been a long night, and he still hasn't sold all his pills.
[MRX.]
That shit strong as hell.
You know that shit hitting.
[narrator.]
Despite his assurances that the pills are pure, demand remains low.
But MRX has a plan.
[MRX.]
Right now, I'm trapped in the hood.
[MRX.]
But I know Detroit have a rave in the downtown area.
I got homeboys who came and bought a jar of E-pills from me, went down there and sold all of them for $15 a piece.
White people, they gonna spend the money.
You hear me? 'Cause they got mo.
[MRX.]
They got way more to spend.
Them prices is high over there.
The other side, them prices is high.
[MRX.]
I just gotta get me some of that white people money 'cause they gonna pay triple whatever we pay the hood.
[narrator.]
To hit the raves, MRX needs to up his stock.
And that means tapping into a supply chain that originates not in the United States, but in Canada.
E-pills are manufactured in secret labs like this one filmed by police.
From the labs the pills are taken to one of Canada's main trafficking hubs.
The city of Toronto.
These are called candies.
E-pills.
We have thousands of them all over the place.
We get it from people who make it, and we just do our thing.
It's a chain.
These E-pills contain MDMA in its raw form.
[Sal.]
but you can get different things mixed into it like speed or whatever.
You know? You never know.
You can bite a chunk off, and you have a good trip, bite a chunk off and have a bad trip.
You know what I mean? As far as them overdosing or something happening to them, that's, I think that's up to them.
You know? You don't worry about somebody dying in the house that you sold them, You know what I'm saying? So just like that.
It's a business, you know what I'm saying? [narrator.]
Every week, Tech-9 and Sal export 10,000 pills to Detroit.
[Sal.]
This, in our area, is 30 Canadian cents, when America, you're looking double.
And that's why America is the land of the dreams.
We get it all the way to Detroit because there's three universities there.
There's kids.
There's a party scene.
And there's a water crossing.
[Tech-9.]
We got ways of getting across the border, you know? [narrator.]
From Toronto, it's a four hour drive to the border town of Windsor.
Once here, Tech-9 and Sal's pills are just a half a mile from Detroit.
Across the Ambassador Bridge.
But to get through, they'll have to run a gauntlet.
[officer.]
That's good right here.
[narrator.]
Officer Croley handles the US Customs operations on the bridge.
It's the busiest international border crossing in North America.
[Croley.]
All people see is the small stuff on the street.
You know, they don't see some of the stuff we see, the big loads.
The most I've ever personally been involved with, I've gotten 34 kilos of ecstasy out of a vehicle.
[narrator.]
Croley's team is extensive.
It includes eight specialist K9 units to help them detect illegal drugs.
I've arrested people from 16 years old all the way over to 79 years old, so if you can tell me whatÃÂ a smuggler looks like, please let me know.
[Croley.]
My job would be so much easier.
[narrator.]
At a checkpoint, one of the dogs picks up a scent.
[Croley.]
Is there anything in there? [officer.]
Yes, shavings, residue.
[Croley.]
There's a record on her for drugs.
- [officer.]
Probably marijuana.
- [Croley.]
Yeah.
[Croley.]
Oh! Your car, sir? It's hers? Okay, come here.
Right now you have this roach in your car.
All right, if we write you a ticket, now you have a possession charge, which means you cannot come into the United States.
[Croley.]
What you do in the privacy of your own home is up to you, but when you cross the border, that's when I care, all right? [Croley.]
We can take your car, too.
I'm not going to waste my time with this little roach, but just clean out your car.
- [suspect.]
Thank you very much.
- [Croley.]
Uh-huh.
We're just trying to find the things that are bad for the United States.
You just got to keep looking and looking and looking, you know? Right place, right time, right vehicle.
- [Croley.]
Just straight up that way.
- [suspect.]
Thank you for your time.
[narrator.]
To bypass the constant federal heat on the Ambassador Bridge, smugglers have to get creative.
[man.]
We use a very special method.
With us, it's the jet skis, you know? That's the best route to go.
It's risky, but it's a little better than the bridge and all that.
We go through the waters.
[narrator.]
Chainz is about to make a run across the Detroit River.
Carrying a batch of 10,000 E-pills will net him $1,000.
[Chainz.]
It's a big risk.
A real big risk.
You gotta have power.
We got power.
The jet skis get up to about 65 miles per hour on a good day.
The closer and closer I get, the happier I am.
You've gotta always beat the odds.
Chances make champions.
[narrator.]
But the feds are on the water, too.
[agent.]
You're looking for the one thing that sticks out.
You know, it's your classic shark in a school of fish.
Just kind of creeping through, blending in with the traffic, and then, you know, coming out on the other side and meeting somebody there or dropping it off on shore.
[narrator.]
Agent Hayes and his team are on the lookout for any suspicious vessels crossing the border.
[Hayes.]
In terms of drugs, you know, the more we take off the street, the less there is out there.
Most law enforcement are good people, and want to save lives and help people, So naturally, we absolutely care.
- That's why we do this job.
- [Agent.]
Coming up! - He's going right into my hunting grounds.
- [Hayes.]
All right, go get him.
[narrator.]
Two jet skis are headed for Detroit in a stretch often used by traffickers.
Coming up! [Hayes.]
Come on over, guys.
This guy, it almost seemed like when we started to come near him, he went that way.
- [Hayes.]
Is this your Waverunner? - [suspect.]
Yes.
- [Hayes.]
Okay, it's registered to you? - [suspect.]
Yes.
[Hayes.]
How long have you had it? [suspect.]
About two years.
Not that long.
[Hayes.]
Do you mind if I look in that front compartment? - [suspect.]
Not at all.
- [Hayes.]
Okay.
[Hayes.]
Jet skis are so nimble.
They can go in 18 inches of water.
Whereas, a boat like this, you need four feet of water.
They're high performance machines.
They got super big engines, so they can they can push a lot of weight.
[Hayes.]
And then there's a compartment under that back seat, right? [suspect.]
Yes.
Here you go.
[Hayes.]
Cool.
You can see the amount of storage areas there are in just this little thing, so there's so many places to hide things.
You know, you can put 20, 30, 50 pounds in this thing.
- [agent.]
Can I get that ID? - [suspect.]
Yeah.
[narrator.]
This jet ski is clean.
Its rider is free to go.
[Hayes.]
You need a lot of luck on your side.
It's such a short run.
There's just so many opportunities.
Everytime I get over there, there's always somebody waiting.
[Chainz.]
I give somebody my package real quick and we're back across home.
[narrator.]
From the banks of the Detroit River the 10,000 pills are trafficked into the city's lower east side.
[Snowman.]
You can never have enough firepower, man.
Shit, this just a little personal I keep on me, so I'm quick, I'm gonna get a nigga up off a I'm the Kingpin.
Know what I'm saying? I get these pills wholesale, bust it down, put it to a middleman out here.
He do what he do, people love it.
Eat it up like candy.
[narrator.]
Snowman is one of Detroit's biggest E-pill distributors.
The way you rise to the top is staying focused, staying about your money.
I mean, shit, bullshit come in the gang, you handle that as it come, but try to stay away from all the bullshit, man.
[Snowman.]
Just stick to your paper, man.
Shit, find your good connect.
[narrator.]
Buying in bulk, Snowman pays $0.
50 a pill and charges his street dealers $1.
25.
[Snowman.]
My profit be amazing, man.
I donâÂÂt really wanna talk about that.
I don't wanna talk about that.
Not my profit.
Just know that itâÂÂs good, good amount.
I make sure everybody eat.
[Snowman.]
Detroit is a hustler's paradise.
There's parties always.
White people, black people.
Shit, Asians come over here, man.
The only color I see is green, man.
I love all that money.
[Snowman chuckles.]
I love it.
[phone ringing.]
Yeah, hello? What up, bro? Come see me.
All right.
We trynna eat We trynna eat Hustle with my team You know we bring the heat My man about to come pick that up.
Only time I call him when it's time to eat.
[narrator.]
The E-pills are on the move.
[Turbo.]
My whole life I've seen my family dealing drugs, from my mama to my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, my father.
Everybody.
Detroit is a D-boy city, a dope boy city, you know? So it ain't really like I just got into it.
I was born into it.
That's just how it is.
[narrator.]
Turbo delivers pills to Snowman's network of East Side dealers.
[Turbo.]
Here in our hood, it's super dangerous as a drug dealer, you know what I'm saying? The murder rate is super high here, man.
You can't trust nobody.
[Turbo.]
Like, nobody at all, you know? Somebody can be one of your loyal customers, but they could take a loss or mess their money up, and they could rob me or whatever.
[phone rings.]
[Turbo.]
What up? [narrator.]
It's MRX.
[Turbo.]
IâÂÂm over here on the East Side, I got some new shit.
Some super-good new shit.
I know you gonna want it when you see it.
How many you want me to bring? I'm on my way.
I'm on my way.
In my line of work you gotta worry about the police.
Every second.
I got certain people to drive for me who I trust.
Somebody who I know ain't gonna talk if they pull us over.
You know, somebody who I know ain't gonna act all nervous.
We take them on test runs before we even let them be the real driver for real.
We just make sure the car we riding in good, low key, and we never ride in a red car.
They're the most cars that get pulled over by the police, the red cars.
[narrator.]
Turbo is meeting MRX at a gas station on 7 Mile in the heart of the East Side.
Right in the middle of Agents Hall and Lugashi's hunting ground.
[Hall.]
A lot of illegal drugs coming across the water goes into these neighborhoods.
The East Side, pretty depressed, and, uh pretty high crime rate.
A lot of people don't have the money to leave those areas, so they're kind of almost like economic hostages to the environment.
They just don't have the ability to do to get out, to break free.
A lot of the kids, that's what they know and that's where they're comfortable at, and they just, you know It's kind of depressing.
Yeah, I think that guy took off on us.
Somebody's smoking marijuana.
If you could copy, see if you see a black shiny black Dodge Magnum occupied two times black males.
[Hall.]
He pulled in the BP gas station.
It would be a great place to set up to sell drugs for the evening.
Do you have an eye on him at all? He looks like he's pulling out right now.
Yeah, 10-4.
HeâÂÂs rolling.
[Lugashi.]
And he just turned on the side street.
[narrator.]
The suspect vehicle is moving at speed.
Okay, last I saw him he turned on Lillibridge.
Yeah, we're gonna lose him.
We lost them.
They departed that gas station, went southbound back through the neighborhood, so maybe going north, which makes no sense.
They're just cleaning themselves.
So we played them a little loose and lost the vehicle.
[phone rings.]
[Turbo.]
Yo.
Where you at? I'm here early.
The drop's on.
All right.
You bet.
[narrator.]
Meanwhile, Turbo has made it to another gas station undetected.
And MRX needs to move.
[Turbo.]
Hell yeah, he beat me to his motherfucking spot.
He don't wanna sit there for too long and shit, you feel me? Be right back.
[narrator.]
He makes the pick up fast.
[MRX.]
I've got these, man.
Smiley faces, monkey heads, it don't really matter about the print, but people will tell you which one they want.
[MRX.]
After I got my hands on drugs, I need somewhere to hide my shit.
You know I'm saying? Living in the hood, we have abandoned houses across the street and down the street, abandoned houses everywhere, so that's where I stash my drug.
Nobody ever fuck with an abandoned house.
[narrator.]
MRX has now stockpiled enough E-pills for the rave.
But a rival supplier is it work 30 miles northwest of the 9th Precinct in the suburb of Pontiac.
[dealer.]
Molly is huge, and I think it's gaining popularity across-the-board.
One hit of Molly, and they'll be having a great time.
You're making friends, you're loving everybody you're giving everyone a hug, you take pictures with people, and you're just having an amazing night.
[narrator.]
Ozone prides himself in handling only pure MDMA.
My molly I will get from the dark web.
You have to be very familiar and confident with computers, because if you fuck up, you'll have the DEA knocking on the door, and no one wants that.
[narrator.]
Ozone imports molly from all over the world.
I've had probably five or six different suppliers.
Canada's huge for molly, but I feel like the best stuff comes from places such as the Netherlands or France.
This batch is actually from France, and I believe this is one of the top three batches I've had.
[Ozone.]
This right here is about three grams of molly.
Champagne-colored.
When I buy it, I get it for about $1.
50 a hit.
I have four or five smaller drug dealers that will come and pick up from me, and they will go and sell it for $10 a hit, so it's a pretty decent mark up.
I would estimate that I make a comfortable like $60,000 a year, but I don't aspire to be a Kingpin.
I want to get out as soon as possible.
I'm going to college right now.
I'm actually going into Homeland Security.
I'm going into criminal justice.
I believe it is very hypocritical, but I want to be in a field where I'm doing something I strongly believe in, such as an agent that goes after, you know, people that are, like, murderers or rapists, and I feel like my past will help me with my future.
[narrator.]
To supply his dealers this weekend, Ozone needs a new batch of molly.
[Ozone.]
On here you can see one gram, pure cocaine, five gram pure cocaine, ten gram pure speed, two gram pure crystal meth.
Suppliers have ratings like Ebay.
Five-star rating, and you know that will be some good molly, and here's something that I would be interested in.
Fifty grams of MDMA crystals with the highest rating for 0.
273 Bitcoins.
So I'll go ahead and order that.
The most nerve-wracking will be the day it's destined to deliver.
The easiest way to get caught is from Customs going through the mail.
Obviously, every time I do it, I'm going to be nervous.
I'm gonna have in the back of my mind, I can get caught, I'm not I'm not untouchable.
[narrator.]
Packages from Europe bound for the continental U.
S.
get diverted to one of six mail sorting facilities.
Here, Customs officers check packages that look suspicious using sniffer dogs and X-ray.
When drugs are detected, the feds put together a sting operation known as a controlled delivery.
After the buyer accepts the package, the cops move in.
[officer.]
Police department! Search warrant! In the back of my mind it's always the thought that it could be a controlled delivery, that it could be a setup, that I could sign for it, immediately get arrested.
[narrator.]
Ozone is due to take delivery of his molly today.
Before I sign for it is the most stressful part of my job.
My heart rate goes up.
I'm nervous, even though I've done this dozens and dozens of times.
I'm going to be nervous every time.
It's always going to be a risk.
[heart thumping.]
[doorbell rings.]
[mailman.]
Hey, how are you doing? I got a package.
[Ozone.]
Thank you.
This shipment is of 100 grams of MDMA.
And this is the street value of about $10,000.
I'll take a testing liquid.
This stuff is very corrosive and very dangerous to handle, and this will destroy it, but it's worth it to find I'm getting and selling the correct stuff.
And that's what you're looking for.
As you can see on this sheet, this is the perfect purple color for MDMA.
I'm very happy.
[narrator.]
Ozone's molly is ready for distribution.
[dealer.]
I'm about to call him up right now.
Hello? All right, I'll start heading that way, then.
All right, peace out.
When we do these deals we try to stick to more the outskirts of towns, because it's more secluded it gives us more privacy it allows us to do the deal safer, and then everyone can go home safely.
[narrator.]
Stretch and Hype are driving over to Pontiac to meet Ozone in a parking lot.
[Stretch.]
He said it's over on the right hand side.
Yo, what up, bro? Here's the cash.
All right, thank you.
All right, see you later, bro.
All right.
This stuff right here it's just, like, pure crystals.
Big ones are the ones that'll fuck you up the most.
We got two grams here.
We can go and cap up.
[Hype.]
What I'm doing now is I'm just weighing out one hit at a time, and I'll just toss the crystals right into the cap.
I like to weigh my hits a little bit more than one hit.
I usually will do, like, 0.
12, 0.
13.
Just to give a little extra Extra feeling for it.
I'll sell a cap ten bucks a hit.
It'll cost me about, I'd say, probably eight.
We're not trying to make money off of it.
We're trying to, you know, share the feeling.
[Hype.]
You take pure molly, you get the greatest feeling out there.
[narrator.]
The rave is now just a day away.
Hey! We're the real niggas in this bitch! [narrator.]
9:00 p.
m, Saturday MRX heads downtown like an explorer entering a new world.
[MRX.]
I'ma flatten them out, roll them out real flat, evenly, and I'm going to put them under my feet and I'ma walk to this club on my tippy-toes trying not to smush my product.
You gotta make sure all the air out that bag, you know? It even be good at the bottom of the sock because the bag don't move.
I'm good like that.
I'm not gonna walk on it.
When I get out this car and go in this club, if I don't walk properly then I don't get my pills in, which means I don't get opportunity to do nothing, which means I just fucked up the whole play.
And there we go.
Got a whole jar of pills under my foot.
You go to a black club, it's ghetto, it's wild, you probably got six different gangs in there.
Me and my homeboy usually bring a gun down, and put half of the gun in his shoe, and half the gun in my shoe, because you don't wanna be nowhere with somebody who got a gun, and you ain't got your shit, but in this case tonight, these are hipsters, you know? They party different.
[MRX.]
They dress different.
These motherfuckers definitely got some different money, you know? [narrator.]
But before MRX can cash in, he has to get past the rave security.
Stretch and Hype are already making their play.
[Dubstep playing.]
A team of guards are on the lookout for dealers.
[Stretch.]
It's very very intense.
We've seen people get carried out.
We've seen it happen all over the place.
You get caught with molly, you're going straight to prison.
Your ass is gone.
[narrator.]
Stretch and Hype's molly is selling fast.
[MRX.]
I'm confident that these E-pills are going to be Class A, so I'm going to pop me an E-pill, so I can be high.
[MRX.]
So motherfuckas can see how strong them bitches is.
[narrator.]
As the pill takes effect, MRX goes to work.
[MRX.]
The party rocking, man.
They going wild, you feel me? [MRX.]
They're paying more than just five dollars a pill.
Couple people paying ten dollars a pill.
It's crazy.
[narrator.]
After three hours dodging security, Both Stretch and Hype and MRX have sold out.
Staring at the night sky Trying not to wonder why [Stretch.]
There's always gonna be competition, always gonna be somebody that's gonna want a piece of your pie.
[Stretch.]
But it's a matter of who's got the better stuff? I know what I'm dealing is 100%.
Tell me something not to wonder why Made me $300, you know? That's good for one day, you feel me? Say so You can never be my hero [MRX.]
But what surprised me the most was just the energy, man.
Like, they was in there having fun.
Motherfuckers weren't in there wanting to fight.
They wanted the dance.
That shit changed my perspective on life.
They just let me know it's a world out here.
You know what I'm saying? It woke me up some, man.
I feel like I'm better than just trying to sell drugs my whole life.
You'll never be my hero [MRX.]
The mind is a powerful thing, you know what I'm saying? And I'm real strong-minded.
Poverty made me real strong.
The legit way is the best way for me.
You know I'm saying? And I'm gonna find it.
Staring at the night sky T rying not to wonder why You think I need to save you Think I need to sacrifice You think you need to save me Just tell me something not to I You can never be my hero So I'm just gonna say so You can never be my hero Baby I'm just gonna say so