Episode
412: What if you were an international drug smuggler?
- Podcast
- This Is Actually Happening
- Published
- Jun 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2968
- Processing state
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Summary
After being sent out of Cuba alone as a child, a man survives exile, smuggling, prison, and devastating loss, but in the aftermath, he must face the armor that protected him from the world and separated him from the people he loves. Today’s episode featured Carlos “JC” Perez. Carlos has authored two books, a novel entitled Heisting The Beard, & a biography, Pedro Pan: The Product of a Revolution Gone Bad. Both available where books are sold. If you’d like to reach out to Carlos, you can email him at [email protected]. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Content/Trigger Warnings: childhood separation, immigration trauma, political violence, drug smuggling, incarceration, gun violence, suicidal behavior, family estrangement, cancer, death of a spouse, grief, substance use, explicit language Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappening Twitter/X: @TIAHPodcast Facebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com. Read more about Whit’s insights into each episode on Beyond The Story Substack: whitmissildine.substack.com. On the Substack, Whit will be sharing personal reflections on the deeper themes that emerge from each episode and from across the conversations he’s been immersed in for years, including the psychology of radical transformation, the power of storytelling, the lessons of trauma and healing, and how we die to an old Self and are reborn. He’ll share behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the show and his own pers…