The Hidden Third

Jan Broberg was kidnapped at 12 by a family friend who convinced her it was an alien mission. Then kidnapped again at 14. Her story — the basis for Netflix's Abducted in Plain Sight — is one of the most shocking grooming cases ever documented. Today she tells it in her own words, and breaks down the predator tactics that are still happening — from family friends to online platforms like Roblox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Hidden Third, Mariana sits down with Coss Marte — a former drug dealer who, at 17, was running what he claims was New York City's first 24/7 drug delivery business, pulling in over $2 million. A betrayal within his own team brought it all crashing down, and he was suddenly facing up to 25 years in prison. Behind bars, a doctor told him he wouldn't survive to 30. What happened next changed everything. Coss lost 70 pounds, built a workout program with fellow inmates, and wrote the business plan for ConBody — a gym empire built on second chances. Then came the ultimate full-circle moment: he's back to selling drugs — this time legally. His cannabis dispensary ConBud now operates multiple locations across NYC, including one on the very corner of the Lower East Side where he once dealt illegally. From drug kingpin to CEO, this is one of the most remarkable reinvention stories you'll ever hear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marta Barreto, survivor turned propulsion technician and prison speaker, rebuilt her life after abuse, addiction, and incarceration. She talks about trauma’s grip, the barriers that trap victims, and the long work of rebuilding identity and career. Her journey touches on therapy, education, aerospace work, and advocating for rehabilitation and second chances.

Britt Elmore, a former undercover narcotics detective with 25 years infiltrating drug networks and handling wiretaps and informants. He reveals how undercover operations build trust, trace drug supply chains from cartels to street dealers, and adapt to synthetic drugs like fentanyl. He also discusses large stings, jail undercover work, and the law-and-policy tensions shaping modern policing.

Sonny Von Cleveland, formerly incarcerated survivor who rebuilt his life in solitary and now mentors at-risk youth. He talks about the childhood abuse that began his criminal path, survival and transformation during solitary through a Muslim mentor and books like Man's Search for Meaning, and his work mentoring juveniles, advocating for justice reform, and leading The Von Cleveland Foundation.

John Nores, a former California game warden who co-created the Marijuana Enforcement Team and a wilderness special operations sniper unit. He recounts confronting cartel-run illegal grows in national forests. Short, tense stories cover shootouts, toxic pesticides like carbofuran, environmental reclamation work, human trafficking linked to grows, and why legalization did not stop the black market.

Amy Nelson, attorney, entrepreneur, and founder of The Riveter, fought back after her family’s bank accounts were seized and federal authorities descended. She recounts FBI raids, civil asset forfeiture, Amazon’s leverage with prosecutors, and going public on social media. Short, tense stories reveal how power, law, and publicity collided and what it costs to stand up to a trillion-dollar company.

Christian Picciolini, a former neo-Nazi skinhead who renounced extremism and now helps people leave hate groups, tells his story. He discusses how loneliness and belonging fuel radicalization. He describes recruitment tactics, using music and strategy to spread hate, and how the internet and politics amplified extremism. He also outlines the personal turns that led him to walk away and to do deradicalization work.

Alex Barker, Financial Times media reporter who co-wrote The Kink Machine, and Patricia Nilsson, FT business reporter who traced the industry’s money. They dig into who really controls online porn. Short scenes cover secret ownership, tube sites that made porn free, industry consolidation, and the consequences for performers and studios.

Go to http://selectquote.com/mariana to save more than 50% on term life insurance. Kari Ferrell became known as “The Hipster Grifter” after her cons went viral. In this episode of The Hidden Third, Kari joins me to talk about how her scams worked — from bad checks to stealing from friends and lying about being a cancer survivor — and how things escalated after she moved from Salt Lake City to New York City, where she landed a job at VICE. We dig into what was driving her at the time, how easy it can be to manipulate trust, and what it’s like to become a public villain on the early internet. Kari walks us through the consequences, the fallout, and what accountability and rebuilding look like when your name becomes synonymous with a grift. Subscribe for more conversations from the underworld. ABOUT THE HIDDEN THIRD: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all. THE HIDDEN THIRD: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF MARIANA: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices