Books & Books and Miami Book Fair present…

Pure Narco: One Man's True Story of 25 Years in the Cartels

(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, $29.95)

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Pure Narco tells the tale of arguably America’s biggest cocaine trafficker and his capture in Venezuela during one of the biggest antinarcotics takedowns of all time. But it is more than that; Pure Narco is unique in that it is a story of a family caught up in a life on the run and Luis Navia’s adjustment to civilian life after prison. 

For a quarter century, Luis Antonio Navia worked as a high-level cocaine transporter for all of the major Colombian and Mexican drug cartels, including Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel, and flooded the United States and Europe with cocaine before his dramatic arrest in Venezuela in 2000 during the 12-nation Operation Journey. The story of Navia’s rise, fall, takedown, imprisonment, and redemption is expertly researched and told by acclaimed biographer Jesse Fink, who has gathered interviews with Navia, Navia’s family, and a dozen law-enforcement agents in the United States and Great Britain from agencies such as the DEA, ICE and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise (now Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs). Told in vivid detail, this true crime story will captivate the reader from start to finish.

About the Author: 

Luis Navia: Luis Navia, born in Havana in 1955, worked for nearly 25 years as a cocaine trafficker for the deadliest Colombian and Mexican cartels until he was arrested in the multinational takedown Operation Journey in 2000. He was released in 2005 and began a new career in construction. Today he also runs his own consulting business for private clients and liaises with the United States government in matters related to antinarcotics law enforcement. He lives in Miami, Florida.

About the Moderator: 

Steve Murphy: As a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Stephen Murphy and his partner, Javier Pena, targeted the world’s first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar, and the Medellin Cartel. Living and working alongside their Colombian National Police counterparts in Medellin, Colombia, as well as with elite U.S. military units, their efforts resulted in the dismantlement of the largest and most violent international drug trafficking organization of its time. This was a first in the field of international narcotics investigations. U.S. and international law enforcement agencies continue to utilize many of the strategies and innovative ideas that were created and implemented by Steve and Javier. 

Steve began his law enforcement career in 1975 as a Police Officer in the City of Bluefield, WV. In 1987, Steve became a Special Agent with the DEA. 

Following retirement in 2013, Steve founded a private company that provides specialized training and solutions associated with drug related issues, law enforcement, intelligence, and investigations. Focusing on their overseas experiences, Steve and Javier provide keynote addresses worldwide that discuss their experiences, leadership principles, conflict management, and how to survive and succeed when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds. Steve and Javier served as Technical Consultants for the hit Netflix series, Narcos, which is based on their activities in Colombia. In 2019, their book, Manhunters – How We Took Down Pablo Escobar, was released by St. Martin’s Press.

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Pure Narco: A Lunch with Luis Navia and Steve Murphy