Original subtitles

>> FLYING OVER A BUNCH OF

MARIJUANA PLANTS.

>> THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TRIPLE

FRONT YEAR BETWEEN PARAGUAY,

BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA.

THE SCALE IS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO

WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND.

>> A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT

THINGS ARE BEING SAID BUT NOBODY

IS LISTENING.

I'M GOING TO MAKE IT MORE FUN.

>> TIKTOK HAS GIVEN PEOPLE A

CHANCE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE

COMMUNITY.

BUT THE COMPANY HAS ALSO BEEN

GIVING OFF SOME BIG BROTHER

VIBES.

>> THEY'VE DELIGHTED SO MUCH OF

MY TIKTOK POSTS.

I DON'T THINK THEY ARE GOING TO

LET US KEEP DOING THIS.

>> THESE GUYS ARE LEADING US TO

A GUARD POST RIGHT BY THE RIVER.

THEY ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO

WEAR BUG SPRAY BECAUSE THE

SMUGGLERS WILL SMELL IT AND

DETECT THEM.

THEY STAY HERE QUIETLY WITH

INFERRED CAMERAS.

>> THIS IS THE TRIPLE FRONT

YEAR, THE THREE-WAY BORDER

BETWEEN PARAGUAY, ARGENTINA AND

BRAZIL.

TONS OF CO-CONTAIN AND MARIJUANA

FLOW THROUGH HERE EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S WHY THE ARGENTINA NAVY

PATROLS THIS AREA AROUND THE

CLOCK.

>> YOU CAN SEE A COUPLE OF

PEOPLE THROUGH THE THERMAL

CAMERA BUT THEY ARE NOT MOVING.

IT COULD BE SMUGGLERS, OR

FISHERMEN OUT HERE.

ALL THEY CAN DO IS SIT HERE

HOURS AND HOURS AND HOPE THE

SMUGGLERS USE THIS PARTICULAR

SPOT TO UNLOAD ON THE ARGENTINA

SIDE.

BUT FOR ALL THEY TRY, THEY DON'T

USUALLY CATCH ANY SMUGGLERS.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE AUTHORITIES

HERE ARE AT A SERIOUS

DISADVANTAGE.

UNLIKE CRIMINALS, THEY HAVE TO

RESPECT INTERNATIONAL BORDERS.

>> THIS IS AN ARGENTINA NAVY

PATROL BOAT.

THEY ARE PATROLLING UP AND DOWN

THE RIVER LOOKING OUT FOR PEOPLE

TRYING TO CROSS FROM ONE BANK TO

ANOTHER.

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CROSS

HERE, JUST CROSSING IS ILLEGAL.

IF THEY DO SEE SOMEONE PREPARED

TO CROSS, THEY CAN'T DO

ANYTHING, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO DO

THAT, THEY HAVE TO CROSS INTO

ANOTHER COUNTRY'S TERRITORY.

NO ONE COUNTRY CAN PATROL A

PLACE THREE COUNTRIES MEET.

IT BECOMES A SORT OF LAWLESS NO

MAN'S LAND EASILY EXPLOITED BY

TRAFFICKERS.

>> THE TRIPLE FRONT YEAR WAS

ONCE LITTLE MORE THAN A BACK

WATER BUT NOW ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE WORLD

WHEN IT COMES TO THE DRUG TRADE.

THE REASON, THEY USE PARAGUAY TO

PRODUCE AND TRANSPORT HUGS

AMOUNTS OF DRUGS TO BRAZIL AND

ARGENTINA WHERE THEY GO TO

MARKETS FAR BEYOND.

THESE ROUTES ACCOUNT FOR AN

IMPORTANT SHIFT IN THE MARKET OF

DRUGS.

BRAZIL USED TO BE MERELY A

CONSUMER BUT POWERFUL GANGS HAVE

TURNED IT INTO A MAJOR EXPORT.

AUTHORITIES SEIZE MORE THAN 150

TONS OF COCAINE AND MARIJUANA.

THAT'S A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT

FLOWS THROUGH.

THIS IS A CHECK POINT RUN BY THE

ARGENTINA BORDER POLICE.

ONE OF THE FEW YOU WILL FIND.

EVEN STILL, THE SMUGGLERS FIND

WAYS AROUND.

FOR ONE THING, THEY ARE NOT

STOPPING

STOPPING TRUCKS WITH ARGENTINA

PLATES LIKE THIS ONE.

WHEN THEY DO SEIZE DRUGS, THEY

RUN OUT OF PLACES TO PUT THEM.

>> ONE RECENT SEIZURE WAS SO

LARGE, THEY HAD TO REPURPOSE

A SEMI TO STORE IT.

FLURK.

>> THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE

LAWLESSNESS OF THE TRIPLE FRONT

YEAR LIES IN PARAGUAY.

EVEN BY LATIN AMERICAN

STANDARDS, PARAGUAY IS A

PROFOUNDLY ILLEGAL COUNTRY GOING

BACK TO THE DICTATORSHIP.

THE TINY RULING CLASS HAS A

HISTORY OF INVOLVEMENT WITH DRUG

TRAFFICKING AND MONEY

LAUNDERING.

GLOBALIZATION OPENED THE BORDERS

TO FREE TRADE IN THE 90s AND THE

UNDERBELLY, TRANSNATIONAL

ORGANIZED CRIME.

POWERFUL GANGS FROM BRAZIL

OPERATE FREELY ACROSS THE

BORDER.

THE BIGGEST OF THEM.

THE FIRST COMMAND OF THE CAPITAL

OR THE PCC PATROLS THE CITY.

VERY FEW PEOPLE THERE ARE

WILLING TO STAND UP TO THE

GANGS.

ONE OF THEM, AN INVESTIGATIVE

REPORTER WHO HAS BEEN ON THE

DRUG BEAT FOR DECADES.

HE LIVES UNDER 24-HOUR

PROTECTION FROM A HEAVILY ARMED

POLICE DETAIL.

>> I LOVE IT.

>> TRAFFICKERS USE THE CITY TO

FUNL CO-CONTAIN FROM COLUMBIA,

PERU AND BOLIVIA.

FROM THERE, IT IS SHIPPED TO

AFRICA AND THEN TRAVELS THROUGH

THE EUROPEAN MARKET.

THIS PLACE THAT SEEMS LIKE A

SLEEPY CITY, HIDES A MORE

SYNISTER REALITY.

THE PCC RULES THE BORDER LANDS

THROUGH A COMBINATION OF

POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND TERROR.

MUCH OF THEIR RECRUITING HAPPENS

IN PRISONS.

IN THE MOST RECENT DISPLAY OF

JUST HOW MUCH POWER THEY HAVE,

THE GANG PULLED OFF A

SPECTACULAR PRISON BREAK

INVOLVING DOZENS OF INMATES.

THIS IS THE PRISON MORE THAN 70

PEOPLE ESCAPED FROM IN JANUARY.

THAT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY

BRAZILIAN GANGS PREFER TO

OPERATE HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO

WEAK AND CORRUPTIBLE THAT THE

PCC WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER AN

ENTIRE WING OF THE JAIL TO DIG

TUNNELS AND WHY 70 OF THEM WERE

ABLE TO JUST WALK OUT.

>> THIS OFFICER WORK IS WORKING

ON VEST BASING THE PRISON BREAK.

>> HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR MORE

THAN 70 PEOPLE TO ESCAPE FROM A

PRISON?

>> HOW DEEP IS THE CORRUPTION

PROBLEM IN THE PRISONS?

>> SINCE PARAGUAY CAN'T CONTROL

WHAT HAPPENS IN ITS PRISONS OR

ACROSS ITS BORDERS, IT SENDS IN

POLICE TO FIND PLANTATIONS TO

CUT DOWN THE PLANTS ONE BY ONE.

MOST OF THE LAND IN PARAGUAY IS

OWNED BY A FEW FAMILIES.

THEY OWN SO MUCH LAND THAT

PEOPLE CAN SNEAK ON AND GROW

ENORMOUS EXPANSES OF WEED.

>> WE ARE ON A MASSIVE PIECE OF

LAND OWNED BY ONE OF THE

RICHEST, MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN

PARAGUAY.

WE ARE ON A SOY FIELD.

THAT IS THE HELICOPTER THAT IS

GOING TO TAKE US TO A MARIJUANA

FIELD GROWING INSIDE A FOREST

INSIDE THIS PERSON'S LAND.

THE LAND OWNERS ALERTED THE

AUTHORITIES IN THIS CASE.

IN OTHER CASES, THEY WORK HAND

IN HAND WITH THE GROWERS.

WEED IS STILL ILLEGAL HERE AND A

HUGE BUSINESS.

PARAGUAY IS THE NUMBER ONE

GROWER ON THE CONTINENT.

MOSTLY FOR EXPORT.

>> WE ARE OVERT TONS OF MARIJUAA

PLANTS.

>> THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN HERE

EIGHT DAYS AND HAVEN'T EVEN CUT

DOWN HALF OF WHAT THEY FOUND.

WHAT THEY FOUND HERE IS A TINY

FRACTION OF THE 20 TO 30,000

HECTARS THEY FOUND.

THIS IS BASICALLY A FUTILE

EXERCISE.

PARAGUAY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST

MARIJUANA PRODUCERS IN THE

WORLD.

THE SCALE IS DIFFICULT TO WRAP

YOUR HEAD AROUND.

EACH ONE OF THESE ROUGHLY

SOCCER-SIZED PARCELS OF

MARIJUANA PLANTS GROWS ROUGHLY

$1.5 MILLION

$1.5 MILLION IN BRAZIL WHERE

MOST OF THIS IS GOING.

IT IS BRAZILIAN GANGS USING

PARAGUAY TERRITORY AS A GIANT

GROW HOUSE.

>> THOSE CRIMINAL GROUPS ARE

LOCATED IN BRAZIL'S BIGGEST

CITIES.

IT IS HERE THAT THEY'VE EVOLVED

FROM LOCAL PRISON GANGS INTO SOW

SIFT INDICATED TRANSNATIONAL

BUSINESSES CAPABLE OF HANDLING

BUSINESSES ACROSS BORDERS.

>> A COMMON REFRAIN FOR

CRIMINALS EVERYWHERE.

A REALITY THAT GOVERNMENTS HAVE

COME TO BASICALLY ACCEPT.

NO MATTER WHICH SIDE OF THE

THREE BORDERS YOU ARE ON, THE

DRUG WAR LOOKS THE SAME.

THE STATE WOULD RATHER COEXIST

WITH ORGANIZED CRIME THAN

ADDRESS THE ROOT CONDITIONS, THE

INEQUALITY AND CORRUPTION THAT

ALLOW IT TO THRIVE.

>> SINCE THE PANDEMIC HIT, A LOT

OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCRAMBLING

TO ADJUST TO ONLINE LIFE.

MOST PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT

SPACE, THEIR VIRTUAL LIVES AND

IRL LIVES WERE ALREADY PRETTY

WELL INTEGRATED.

>> ALMOST GOT IT.

YOU GOT TO COMMIT.

>> A MESSAGE FOR ALL THE

ENVIRONMENTALISTS OUT THERE, SO

THEY ARE MAKING A TIKTOK.

>> YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THAT ONE?

>> EVERYTHING I WANTED TO SAY.

>> CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVEISM OR

ARE YOU JUST A FASCIST.

>> TIKTOK LAUNCHED IN 2018 BUT

BLUE UP THE NEXT YEAR.

IT IS ESTIMATED THERE ARE AT

LEAST 800 MILLION ACTIVE MONTHLY

USERS.

MOST IN INDIA BUT ALSO GETTING

TRACTION IN THE U.S.

NOT JUST KIDS.

YOU ARE LIABLE TO SEE SOCCER

MOMS, COPS.

PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE USING IT.

STILL MOSTLY KNOWN FOR DANCE

TRENDS AND FAMILY FRIENDLY

MEMES.

BUT SOME USE IT A LITTLE

DIFFERENTLY.

THEIR VIDEOS FOCUS ON BREAKING

DOWN THE POLITICS ON THINGS LIKE

RACE AND GENDER WITH SOME IN

YOUR FACE HUMOR.

>> A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS ARE

BEING SAID BUT NO ONE IS

LISTENING BECAUSE YOU ARE

TALKING IN 20-POINT TWITTER

THREADS.

I'M GOING DO IT AND MAKE IT MORE

FUN AND EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.

>> I CAN SEE PART OF YOUR AIM IS

EDUCATION.

YOU ARE DOING IT ON AN APP WHERE

CRINGY PRETOOENS MAKE CRINGY

VIDEOS.

>> YEP.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT APP IS FOR

I'M AWARE.

BUTS THAT WHY THIS IS THE

PERFECT PLACE TO DO IT.

NOBODY IS EXPECTING THIS.

>> ON FACEBOOK ON TWITTER, GOING

VIRAL MEANS GETTING YOUR

FOLLOWERS TO SHARE YOUR POST WHO

WILL SHARE WITH THEIR FOLLOWERS

AND ON.

TIKTOK IS DIFFERENT, THE KEY TO

GOING VIRAL HERE IS TO DO

WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET ON THE

FOR YOU PAGE WHICH THE COMPANY

SAYS IS AUTOMATICALLY OCCURATED.

IT FUNLS AN ENDLESS STREAM OF

VIDEOS.

BUT CREATORS AREN'T TRYING TO

GET IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, THEY

ARE TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF A

TARGET AUDIENCE.

>> THEY'VE BEEN RESEARCHING

ONLINE CULTURE THE LAST DECADE.

>> ON TIKTOK, WE SEE YOUNG

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT POLITICS

THROUGH A PERSONAL LENS.

IT IS A PLATFORM THAT FEELS

REALLY COMFORTABLE FOR YOUNG

PEOPLE.

>> WHAT IS YOUR RESEARCH

FINDING?

>> ON THE FACE OF IT, VIDEOS

MIGHT SEEM LIKE SILLY FUN BUT

THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT.

SOMEONE MIGHT LIP SYNC TRUMP'S

WE NEED TO BUILD A WALL SPEECH

BUT IN THE COMMENT, THEY MIGHT

HAVE SOME REALLY INTERESTING

COMMENTS TALKING ABOUT THE

IMPLICATION OF IMMIGRATION.

HEAVY STUFF THAT CAN LEAD TO

SOLIDARITY, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR

MINORITIES FEELING VULNERABLE IN

THIS POLITICAL MOMENT.

>> YOU ARE ARABIC?

I LOVE HUMUS.

>> DE-ANNA HAS OVER 16 OF 2,000

FOLLOWERS AND OVER 5 MILLION

LIKES.

SHE MAKES TIKTOKS ABOUT WHAT IT

IS LIKE TO BE ARAB AND FIRST

GENERATION IMMIGRANT IN AMERICA.

>> SO I USUALLY REST IT ON THIS

THING.

OKAY.

>> I'M GOOD.

>> I JUST ATE.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

>> SORRY.

SORRY.

>> HAVING A HUGE FOLLOWING COMES

WITH A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY.

>> I HAVE THIS PLATFORM AND I'M

GOING TO USE IT TO REPRESENT

THAT OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN

PEOPLE.

IN THE U.S., IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN

HUSH ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN

AND WHAT YOUR COUNTRY IS GOING

THROUGH.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING ARE

NOT ARAB.

YOU MAY BE THE ONLY ARAB PERSON

THEY SEE ON ANY SCREEN THIS YEAR

AND THEY ARE WATCHING AND

LAUGHING.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

>> IT SUCKS BECAUSE YOU KNOW SO

OFTEN, IT IS LIKE ARAB,

TERRORISTS.

THAT'S THE JOKE.

ARE YOU ASKING IF PEOPLE ARE

LAUGHING AT MY CULTURE?

>> DO YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT THAT?

>> NO.

IF YOU ARE LAUGHING AT SOMEBODY

ELSE'S CULTURE, THAT'S IGNORANT.

YOU'VE GOT TO WORK ON THAT.

IF I WORRY ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE, I

WOULDN'T MAKE THE VIDEOS THAT

WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER YOUNGER

KIDS TO STAY GROUNDED IN THEIR

ROOTS.

>> TIKTOK IS GIVING CREATORS A

PLACE TO CONNECT AND SHARE

CULTURES BUT THE APP IS ALSO

MAKING A LOT OF PEOPLE NERVOUS.

TIKTOK AND ITS PARENT COMPANY

BYTE DANCE ARE UNDER

INVESTIGATION BY MULTIPLE U.S.

AGENCIES OVER USER SURVEILLANCE.

A FELLOW AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL

FOCUSING ON CYBER SECURITY AND

GOVERNMENT POLICY.

>> FROM A CYBER SECURITY

STANDPOINT, WHAT ARE THE

CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?

>> THE FIRST IS DATA SECURITY.

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED

THAT TIKTOK IS LOCATED IN CHINA.

ALL IT TAKE IS BE JIJING SENDINA

CAR DOWN THE STREET KNOCKING ON

TIKTOK'S DOOR AND DEMANDING THE

INFORMATION.

THE SECOND CONCERN IS AROUND

CENSORSHIP.

>> IT IS NOT JUST CHINESE BASED.

>> YOU THINK ABOUT FACEBOOK AND

CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA, THAT WAS

EXPLOSIVE.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO POINT THE

FINGER AT CHINA, A LOT OF P

EMWILL POINT AT THE U.S. AND SAY

LOOK AT HOW THE NSA HAS TAPPED

IN TO SPY ON PEOPLE.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE

AFRGS

AVERAGE TIKTOK USER?

>> THIS IS A CHANCE FOR THE

BROADER USE OF APPS WE USE.

THERE IS USE OF TIKTOK, THERE

HAVE BEEN CONCERNS RAISED WITH

OTHER PLATFORMS.

THIS IS A CHANCE TO EDUCATE

YOURSELF AND HAVE THAT

CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR

NOT WE AS SOCIETY SHOULD BE

USING APPS THAT DON'T HAVE ANY

PRIVACY OR SAFE GUARDS IN PLACE.

>> TIKTOK DID NOT IMMEDIATELY

RESPOND THOUGH THE COMPANY HAS

SAID ITS TOP BRIE ORITY IS,

QUOTE, EARNING THE TRUST OF

USERS AND THAT IT DOESN'T SHA

INFORMATION WITH CHINA.

THEY DID ADMIT THEY HAVE BEEN

HIDING VIDEOS MADE BY DISABLED,

QUEER AND FAT PEOPLE.

THEY SAID THEY WERE TRYING TO

PROTECT JULY

PROTECT VULNERABLE PEOPLE.

THEY WON'T TAKE DOWN VIDEOS

CLASSIFIED AS, QUOTE, COUNTER

SPEECH.

THAT IS STILL VAGUE.

FOR MOST YOUNG PEOPLE, THE IDEA

OF A COMPANY OR GOVERNMENT

KEEPING TABS ON YOU ISN'T

PARTICULARLY NEW.

WHAT DOES FEEL NEW ARE THE WAYS

PEOPLE ARE FINDING TO SHARE

THEIR PERSPECTIVES.

>> A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WHO

LIVES ON A NAVAJO RESERVATION

JUST OUTSIDE THE UTAH STATE

LINE.

>> I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE

MEETING.

I'M THROWING IN MY CHIPS ♪

I TEND TO PUSH MY LUCK.

>> MY DAD WAS SLEEPING.

IT WAS ABOUT MIDNIGHT.

I DID MY NIGHT ROUTINE.

IT WAS LIKE 2,000 LIKES AND 20

COMMENTS.

I WAS LIKE WHAT?

I FORGOT I MADE A TIKTOK.

THAT RACKED UP 100,000 LIKES AND

SHE PICKED UP A TON OF FOLLOWERS

LIKE WHY SHE WANTED TO LIVE IN A

PLACE WITH NO ELECTRICITY OR

RUNNING WATER.

>> THAT SURPRISED ME THE MOST.

THIS IS OUR LAND.

OUR ANCESTORS FOUGHT FOR IT.

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL HOME.

>> WHO DO YOU MAKE TIKTOKS FOR?

>> FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO SEE HOW

NATIVE NAVAJO LIVE.

>> SEEING LIVE FROM SOMEONE WHO

LIVES THERE IS RARE AND ITS

GOTTEN HER A FAN BASE BUT THAT'S

NOT HER GOAL.

HOLIDAY IS JUST FOCUSING ON

THAT.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MAKE

SOMETHING AND IT DOES WELL, THEY

JUST WANT TO CHASE THAT AND GET

WHATEVER I CAN DO TO GET MORE

LIKES AND MORE SHARES OR

COMMENTS.

>> I'M NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL.

I'M HAPPY WHERE MY TIKTOK IS.

>> I THINK YOU ARE THE FIRST

TEENAGER I'VE TALKED TO WHO IS

NOT CHASING CLOUT.

>> HAPPY WHERE I'M AT.

MY GENERATION HAS A BRIGHT

FUTURE.

I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE

PERSPECTIVE OF THAT.

I JUST WANT TO CHANGE THE