robert mazur real life

Part of HuffPost Entertainment. The bank, which had locations in the U.S., including Miami, was infiltrated by undercover U.S. Customs agents posing as big-time money launderers. His marriage suffered and his wife was desperate for the case to end so they could try to put their family back together. Yes, the story of the U.S. customs special agent who made his way into Pablo Escobar’s empire actually happened. During the 1980s, U.S. Customs Service special agent Robert Mazur uses his undercover alias "Bob Musella" to become a pivotal player for drug lords cleaning their dirty cash. "The fact of the matter is I dealt with people who killed people every day. ©2021 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The mini coffins are mentioned in Mazur's book, but only as containing threatening notes. Tampa establishes non-profit for destroyed Black cemetery, but community pushes for more T his summer, the life of a Wagner alumnus was depicted on the big screen in The Infiltrator, a riveting crime drama starring Bryan Cranston.It garnered many positive reviews and grossed $5.3 million on its opening weekend. In The Infiltrator book, Robert Mazur states that Kathy Ertz (portrayed by Diane Kruger in the film) "hadn't done any significant undercover work." One such agent was Robert Mazur (pictured in disguise below) -NBC News. -Robert Mazur Facebook Page, No. Just after the movie ends, we are told that Operation C-Chase was Kathy Ertz's one and only undercover assignment. While fact-checking The Infiltrator movie, we learned that Robert Mazur was opening the case to give the last of the Switzerland documents to Rudy Armbrecht, a major organizer for the Medellín Cartel. "Remember, the outcome of Operation C-Chase goes to the credit of the 250+ dedicated law enforcement officers around the world that contributed to the outcome. So, requests to do drugs, requests to do anything that might draw attention to me were off limits. Robert Mazur had worked as a consultant on the 2006 film Miami Vice starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. As I would tell them, "My 'family' (organized crime family) comes before you.". Does Robert Mazur think "The Infiltrator" movie turned out better than his book. During 5 years of his law enforcement career he was a long-term undercover agent operating in deep cover within the underworld as a high-level money launderer for senior members of Colombian drug cartels. Robert Mazur, former federal agent who infiltrated Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel. For “The Infiltrator," Cranston turns to another real life figure, this time Robert Mazur. I had previously done a different undercover operation where I infiltrated a global marijuana smuggling organization. What are the most dangerous situations you were in and how did you handle them? So, if a member of the target group wanted me to sell a kilo of cocaine, I was not allowed to do that, unless it was authorized and, for example, I sold it to another undercover agent posing as a bad guy, so no innocent person was harmed. into a variety of accounts or businesses that appear legitimate. The real Robert Mazur operated undercover for five years, infiltrating money-laundering operations connected to Colombia's drug cartels (RobertMazur.com). She was assigned the role of his girlfriend and fiancée-to-be in order to show Mora's clients that Mazur was vulnerable by way of loved ones who could be taken hostage. Money laundering is the practice of moving traceable tainted cash (drug money, etc.) Sure, he is strongly supported by a bevy of intriguing cast members including Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo and the lovely Diane Kruger; but in portraying real-life undercover agent Robert Mazur shimmying his way up through Pablo Escobar's criminal empire, Cranston's understated but strong everyman presence confidently carries the movie solely. In many instances, after illegal drugs are smuggled into the country and sold, the profits are smuggled back out of the country and deposited into overseas banks, where less suspicions are raised. Roberto Alcaino also formed a company called Antillas Promotions. I needed to talk my way out of that accusation. A worn sliver of Velcro almost undid one of the largest money-laundering stings in U.S. history — and nearly cost Robert Mazur his life. -Robert Mazur Facebook Page, "He told me his motive," says Mazur. Yes, for the most part this is true. THE MORNING SHOW with Patrick Timpone Robert Mazur DEA undercover agent, Author of “The Infiltrator: My Secret Life Inside the Dirty Banks Behind Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel”. But did you know that Robert Mazur is a real person and the film is based on his life? One of them was Robert Musella, an identity built from the birth certificate of a deceased young male. The real Eric Wellman passed away in February 2016, just a few months before the release of The Infiltrator movie. However, the true story behind the movie reveals that numerous other agents not shown or focused on in the film played key roles in Operation C-Chase, as Mazur pointed out in a Facebook post. -RobertMazur.com. -The Infiltrator book, Yes, Eric Wellman, portrayed by Mark Holden in The Infiltrator movie, was based on a real-life banker and businessman who helped Robert Mazur create a more convincing undercover identity by installing him as an officer in companies that he owned. Like in the movie, it was a heart-pounding moment for Mazur. "Unfortunately, we didn't take the cartel down through my work. Yes. And the fact that real-life Mazur wrote the real-life book also presumably accounts for the ultra-pure, good-guy undergirding of Cranston's protagonist in the film. Answers by Robert Mazur, Former undercover Federal Agent, Author of The Infiltrator, on Quora. Reteaming with director Brad Furman, Bryan Cranston plays a real-life federal agent who goes undercover to target drug lords and bankers. In an attempt to take down one of the world’s biggest drug lords, Pablo Escobar, Robert takes on the alias of Bob Musella. However, Agent Kathy Ertz was not assigned the part of Mazur's girlfriend immediately after this. No. What is the point and meaning of the episode "Fly" in Breaking Bad? "I see the caption references. Alcaino worked with Bob Musella (Robert Mazur's undercover identity) to reroute drug money through seemingly reputable businesses. Mazur himself never received a mini coffin from members of the Medellín Cartel. The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) that was targeted by Robert Mazur and his fellow customs agents was one such bank, willingly participating in money laundering for the cartels. "[He] believed in the importance of Operation C-Chase, and he risked his life to support the undercover operation." Robert Mazur spent years undercover infiltrating the … Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. A: On one instance I met alone, at about 1 AM, with a representative of the cartel, for a few reasons, including the fact that the cartel had picked up on surveillances and thought that, since there were surveillances being conducted, that I was an undercover agent. engages in a chat with a Pablo Escobar lieutenant (Benjamin Bratt) in the fact-based … He was gunned down on February 19, 1986 after he parked his car at a Baton Rouge halfway house where a judge had ordered him to stay. A: When agents are trained in undercover work, they are forewarned about the dangers they may face, one of which is the challenge by members of the "target group" (subjects of the undercover operation) that may urge the undercover agent to commit illegal or unethical acts that are not authorized. After I got that birth certificate, I got a social security number close to my real one that I identified with the help of the IRS. The invited guests included the crooked bankers and some of their drug boss customers who flew in from around the world. Based in the 1980s, The Infiltrator follows Robert Mazur (Cranston), a US Customs agent, as he meanders his way through life, one undercover operation at a time. Robert Mazur was a federal agent for 27 years. Robert Mazur, who was undercover as Bob Musella, worked with fellow agents to stage his own fake wedding. Answers by Robert Mazur, Former undercover Federal Agent, Author of The Infiltrator, on Quora. The Infiltrator is based on the story of the real-life Robert Mazur, who published a memoir in 2009 by the same name. This incident is not mentioned in Mazur's book. I mean I was in meetings when people spoke of killing the person who just walked out of the room ten minutes before." During his first outing with low-level money managers, Mazur keeps his wits, claiming to have a fiance to whom he is faithful when actually he’s remaining loyal to real-life wife, Evelyn. After a successful case under his belt, he was offered a job with U.S. Customs meaning a pay cut, a million miles less of red tape, and his dream job. This included a Los Angeles construction company that was erecting a $750,000 apartment complex. Director Michael Mann told Mazur that his life story had tremendous potential to be a film. A heart-stopping account of an ordinary man doing extraordinary things, set amidst the lavish excesses of the 1980s. High-up cartel member Jorge Ochoa sent one to Noriega as a threat in case any of The Ochoa Family's money was lost. -OrlandoSentinel.com. As part of Operation C-Chase, Mazur worked undercover over a period of two years and helped to launder $34 million connected to Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel. No, the motorcycle drive-by in the movie never seems to have happened in real life, and especially not with Mazur riding in the passenger's seat. Yes. ", Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, this video offers a glimpse of the venue and the wedding tent, Watch video of the criminals being led away in handcuffs. "Eric never asked for a dime for his help," says Mazur. The electrifying true story of Robert Mazur's life as an undercover agent who infiltrated one of the world's largest drug cartels by posing as a high-level money launderer -- the inspiration for the major motion picture The Infiltrator. Moving to the other side of the war on drugs, Cranston is riveting as Robert Mazur, a US Customs agent who masqueraded as a flashy, mob-connected money launderer in … He gave Mazur, who was using the alias Bob Musella, an office and assigned him a staff. He told Gonzalo Mora he had a girlfriend who he intended to marry. In Tampa he learned how to work an undercover identity. How does an undercover agent deal with performing illegal or unethical acts on the job? Want to know more about the Robert Mazur true story that inspired the The Infiltrator movie? Yes. They helped me to open up bank accounts, get credit cards, get loans in the Musella name that were timely paid so my credit built, etc. In his book, Mazur says that Abreu had an acute skill at reading people. I explained that I handled millions for my people and that, if they thought I was doing anything that either drew attention or demonstrated I was not in control of myself, they would kill me. The true story behind Robert Mazur's undercover work leading to one of the biggest drug busts of all-time, and a blow against Pablo Escobar. In my case, I was only authorized to commit money laundering offenses. The price his wife and children paid was very real. NPR's Audie Cornish interviews Robert Mazur, a former U.S. drug agent who investigated the money laundering practices of drug lords, about how … Cranston was interviewed for a behind … Robert Mazur Interview - The Real-Life Infiltrator Tells Us About Going Undercover. He only saw the top of the lid. He starts yelling at the waiter for bringing the wrong cake and then smashes the waiter's face down into it. The actual incident happened in a hotel room, not at an outdoor table, and only Armbrecht was present. Mazur was given undercover training and spent more than a year constructing a sophisticated front with real businesses to clean money for the cartel. The real Robert Mazur operated undercover for five years, infiltrating money-laundering operations connected to Colombia's drug cartels (RobertMazur.com). He built the guise of a business executive in a financial consulting firm and had to look the part too. These agents included Kathy Ertz, who was playing the part of his fiancée (under the name Kathleen Erickson). Yes. -Mazur Daytime Interview. The gripping real life account of how undercover agent Robert Mazur brought down drug lords and dirty banks in one of the most successful money laundering investigations of all time. In researching The Infiltrator true story, we learned that Operation C-Chase was an operation carried out by U.S. authorities in the mid-1980s to infiltrate a substantial money-laundering enterprise utilized by the drug cartels, including those run by Pablo Escobar and Manuel Noriega. While fact-checking The Infiltrator movie, we learned that as a result of his undercover work to infiltrate the money-laundering arm of the drug cartels, Robert Mazur has received death threats from the cartels, forcing him to keep his appearance concealed (CNN). While most of us would have responded to that assignment by going deep undercover as a guy who just quit the CBP, Mazur adopted the persona of a money launderer and caught a flight to Colombia. Q: How did you establish your cover as Bob Musella? We certainly gave them a big bump in the road," says Mazur. The enterprise cleaned and moved hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Filled with dangerous lies, near misses and harrowing escapes, The Infiltrator is as bracing and explosive as the greatest fiction thrillers – only it’s all true. His wife is shocked, as she has never seen this side of his life before. Let us serve as your Robert Mazur wiki and so that you can learn more about the man who helped take … Interviews are either conducted by phone or with Mazur's face shaded out. The Infiltrator true story reveals that John Leguizamo's character, Emir Abreu is based on Mazur's real-life partner. Mazur is … This encouraged Mazur to write The Infiltrator book as the basis for a potential movie. He sees a new drug associate and worries that his undercover identity is about to be blown. What he lacked in formal education, he made up for it in street smarts. I kept building parts of this cover. He quickly pushed the lid back into place, engaging the Velcro seals again before Rudy Armbrecht stood up. The company promoted a boxing match, a venue where large sums of cash could easily be commingled with drug money. When we did search warrants on that criminal group, we found files concerning about 200+ false identities they were building. Unlike the movie, Roberto Baez-Alcaino was arrested in New York in September of 1988 while he supervised the unloading of 17 pounds of cocaine hidden in anchovy cans. Much like in the movie, Emir Abreu was a practical-joking seasoned Customs agent from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The lavish affair was to be held in a large tent at the Innisbrook Golf Resort north of Tampa (this video offers a glimpse of the venue and the wedding tent). Mazur made approximately 1,200 recordings of corrupt senior bank officials and high-level drug traffickers, eventually bringing them to justice (Anderson Cooper 360). He never suspected a thing. Meet Robert Mazur, the Real-Life Infiltrator 07/15/2016 09:05 am ET Updated Jul 16, 2017 These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. It truly was a team effort," says Mazur, "and my brother Emir Abreu was a critical member of that team" (Robert Mazur Facebook Page). No. "The boys were all buying automatics, but they were too big for me," she told. During that meeting, my briefcase recorder malfunctioned and the hidden compartment concealing the recorder popped open, exposing it. Yes. From there I got the help of lifelong friends who were bankers. The incident is not mentioned in Mazur's book and appears to have been created for the movie to bring Evelyn (Juliet Aubrey) face-to-face with her husband's alter ego, Bob Musella. He did not escape and later show up at the wedding. In the 1980s, Robert Mazur was a U.S. Customs agent tasked with infiltrating the Medellin Cartel, aka Pablo Escobar's Cartel, aka Jesus Christ, That Sounds Like A Really Bad Idea. Other lifelong contacts of mine helped me establish a prior employment and business history, as well as getting me embedded in real businesses (a finance company, mortgage business, air charter service, jewelry chain and brokerage firm with a seat on the NY Stock Exchange). The Robert Mazur photo below is from his Twitter profile and the photo at the top of the page of Mazur undercover as Bob Musella are two of the few photos of Robert Mazur. Later, he infiltrates the world's largest cartel, and helps expose the money-laundering organization of drug lord Pablo Escobar and take down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, which had secretly taken illegal … As part of Operation C-Chase, Mazur worked undercover over a period of two years and helped to launder $34 million connected to … In The Infiltrator movie, Robert Mazur is out to dinner with his real wife, Evelyn, to celebrate their anniversary. Though it's not stated in the movie, the real Bonni Tischler (portrayed by Amy Ryan in the film) earned the nickname because of the gold-plated Smith & Wesson .38 she carried. No. A: It took about eighteen months to put my cover together. How did you establish your cover as Bob Musella? This week sees the release of The Infiltrator, a film based on the true story of customs agent Robert Mazur who went undercover and took down a money-laundering network closely associated with the notorious criminal Pablo Escobar. As Mazur pulled the case onto his lap, the false lid flopped open inside, revealing the recorder and a nest of wires. ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: In the 1980s, U.S. federal agent Robert Mazur went undercover as a high-level money launderer to infiltrate Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. The Infiltrator is the thrilling true-life story of Special Agent Robert ‘Bob’ Mazur, responsible for bringing down the drug cartels and their bankers alike, in one of history’s most audacious stings. Robert Mazur: The man behind the downfall of a Pakistani's greatest commercial achievement. Barry Seal was indeed a former drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel, who was eventually arrested and became an undercover informant. The illegal cash becomes so heavily mixed with lawful tender that tracing its origins becomes difficult, if not impossible. He had expressed to Robert Mazur his excitement for the movie. Like in the movie, the Medellín Cartel was behind his murder. Today is National Voter Registration Day! Former US customs agent, Robert Mazur, reflects on the past; says it wasn't personal . "'Bob, I want to do whatever I can to make this world a better place for my kids.'" We seized 3,200 pounds of cocaine, about $100 million in cash and assets, about $500 million in fines, but most importantly, we got to identify an international bank, which was then the seventh largest privately held bank in the world with offices in 72 countries, and we were able to indict about a third of the senior management of that bank, arrested them, imprisoned them, put the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) out of business around the globe. On occasion, Wellman even met with drug dealers and money launderers when they visited Musella at his company's headquarters. Cranston Said Mazur Was a ‘Phenomenal’ Character to Play. The work of Mazur and his colleagues led to … No detail was spared. Like in the movie, he had direct ties to the cartel's leader, Pablo Escobar. Starring Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Amy Ryan |, Copyright © 2021 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, To a large degree, yes. Mazur assumed the name Robert … The story is based on real-life Mazur's equally real-life book, and frankly isn't terribly interesting (as, to be fair, I suspect many other true bust tales probably are not). Opening in the theaters today: The Infiltrator is based on the true story of Robert ‘Bob’ Mazur, a federal agent who goes deep undercover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar’s drug trafficking scene. These were identities that had not been used by that group. Further investigate The Infiltrator true story by watching the interviews and the Operation C-Chase news report below. Q: How does an undercover agent deal with performing illegal or unethical acts on the job? Yes, Roberto Baez-Alcaino, portrayed by Benjamin Bratt in The Infiltrator movie, was a wealthy Chilean-born jeweler who was one of the main collectors of cash for the Medellín Cartel in the United States. The real-life location is the Arley Railway Station in Worcestershire. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! It was a close call. It was likely created for the film to show that Mazur was making a conscious decision to work undercover, despite the toll it was taking on his family.

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