Running Smoke

In 2016, a rookie NASCAR driver was arrested in one of the biggest police raids in Canadian history. Overnight, Derek White went from an unknown driver to a front page headline. 

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The police operation that ensnared Derek White was years in the making. We sit down with one of the investigators on the case and get a rare peek into the inner workings of an international criminal organization. 

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After 18 months of surveillance, the cops are ready to make their move. More than 600 officers simultaneously arrest 70 criminals in three different countries. But for folks in Kahnawake, it’s just another day in paradise.

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Derek gets some surprising news from NASCAR, Rajiv almost throws up at a race track, and we learn about the moonshining roots of racing. 

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Motorsports journalist Bones Bourcier shares the story of Gary Balough, the legendary short track racer who was arrested in 1982 for his role in a Caribbean pot smuggling ring. 

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Derek goes to trial and it’s a wild ride from Day 1.  Also, what this jury has to say may SHOCK you! Prosecutors HATE this!

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Turns out, Derek’s not the first Mohawk to take a border crossing case to court. The last person who tried spent 15 years in the courts, and risked the rights of his entire community. His story now serves as a stark warning for anyone fighting for native rights.

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Derek’s constitutional challenge becomes a controversial issue in the Mohawk Nation. The tobacco trade has always been a hot button issue, and in the 1980s, it led to a full fledged civil war in one Mohawk territory. 

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In 1974, a handful of Mohawk Warriors crossed the Canadian border and occupied an abandoned Girl Scout camp in upstate New York. Their mission was to reclaim their ancestral homeland, and after three years of talks with the state government, they did just that.

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The Mohawk Nation has officially intervened in Derek’s case, and not necessarily in his defense. So whose side are they on?

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