Mercado Negro

This show is just like drugs inc but not limited to drugs. It shows the ins and outs of smuggling people across the border to sex workers to counterfeit jewelry making. This is an amazing addition to the drugs inc.series and is definitely one of my favorite shows of all time. This show is amazing because you can see the lengths the camera crew goes to, to get this footage. They risk getting arrested, and sometimes risk their lives for this. This show gives you more of a real look into crime than any other show does. You don't often get to see crime from all perspectives but in this show you do. It is simply amazing and definitely worth your time.

I was very interested in some of the stories and ideas presented in this show. i have always found realist details to organized crime fascinating as many people do. the start of this show seemed prity realistic and reasonable. however as time went on and i watch episodes like "Fracking Hell" and couldn't help but to feel like i was watching actors dressed up as criminals putting on there best criminal face. living and growing up in California around the San Bernardo area Where the Hells Angels first appears in history as a bicker gang. having met and had the opportunity to hang out with people like Sonny Berger as a child and latter many others. i know that first a bicker always represents his club and would not appear claiming ownership over a crime organization in a area claimed by a gang unless he was appearing with out proper permission from the gang and witch would cause him problems latter down the line. This show is very unreal and not very authentic. national geographic has a reputation that should not include FAKE-UMENTRIEDS.

i would also like to respond to the other review that has been written. the review about the prostitution and how the trade varies from Holland and the USA. As someone who has spent much time in the Netherlands and expectantly in Amsterdam i have to tell you that you are correct about the pimping and the organized sex trade as far as unions and the likes go. however prostitution is not pity in any way no matter how organized it may be. my first experience in Amsterdam in the red light district was seeing a woman with bruises up her lag that resembled track marks. this was a woman in a window who was legally working. the statements you are making is like saying just because there are drugs tolerated in Amsterdam then there is no illegal drugs sold in Amsterdam and that is a very ignorant and uninformed statement to make. illegal drugs are just as popular in Amsterdam as they are anywhere else.

The war on drugs is a failure... many of the arrests these cops have made mean nothing. They need to focus on helping people instead of putting small time people in jail and giving out felonies. We can't keep drugs out of jails yet we still try prohibitions... such a waste and shame.

Some of the episodes are really good and I really hope there will be more, but I'd say about 3-4 of the episodes have footage from earlier episodes making it pretty annoying. I really hope national geographic continues with this series, But it looks like they've just been using it as rerun filler on their cable network for the last year/year and a half.

I enjoyed the first two episodes but got a bit frustrated watching the one that covers the prostitutes and pimps.

Holland is light years ahead of the USA and has no such problem, because their prostitutes belong to Unions, have retirement funds, get regular medical checkups and pay taxes. It is an acknowledged fact that there have always been prostitutes since it's known as (The oldest profession in the world) So the more I watched this episode, the more frustrated I got.

My heart goes out to the poor women in this film and the police that have to do something that doesn't need to be done. Holland handles the situation like adults. Whereas the attitude of the US, handles it from a fools approach.

The film touches on how we shame the prostitutes and the people, known as 'Johns' who seek them out. We make it illegal and fine them and put them in jail. Doing all this puts our children at risk. The bullies out there, namely the pimps have plenty of young kids to choose from to either intimidate physically or get them hooked on drugs to make money off of them.

I wish the film had gone more into how the Pimp has been eliminated in Holland because of the acceptance of the reality of the profession. Pimps in the USA bring violence, drugs and death to the women who work for them.

We can see in the film how tons of tax dollars are spent on overworked police departments to go out and handle the prostitution arrests, jailing of the 'Johns'. Then we turn around and use more tax dollars on court proceedings. The film should have shown how enlightened nations like Holland are free of all this madness.

I think the film should have also touched upon the religious attitudes in the US and how they play a role in creating the problem. They could have mentioned how Christians somehow forget that Christ once told a group of self-righteous temple goers... "Even the prostitutes and tax collectors are going into Heaven ahead of you." I think his enlightened outlook could help people whether they have religious beliefs or not.

I like films that also offer answers instead of just showing the problems and people trying to slop their way toward solutions using methods that have proved over and over to be useless.