Standoff

Standoff

Standoff follows Fred Gómez Carrasco, a drug cartel kingpin and orchestrator of the 1974 Huntsville, Texas, prison siege. The siege was one of the most infamous hostage crises in American history and played out in dramatic fashion over eleven days, all in front of a terrified national audience. One hundred hours of audio containing the actual hostage negotiations and the deadly shoot-out tell the story like never before. "Journalist Wes Ferguson... weaves a fascinating yarn using new interviews as well as unearthed tapes of Carrasco’s hostage-negotiation calls. What emerges is a big bold look at a little-known crime story." - Vulture Standoff is a production of Imperative Entertainment and is written, created and hosted by Wes Ferguson. Executive Producer and Story Editor is Jason Hoch. Audio editing and sound engineering by Shaine Freeman and Jason Hoch. Original music is by Max Baca with Flaco Jiménez on accordion and Tony Gonzalez is the music engineer for the original score. The main theme 'Huntsville' is performed by Ray Benson and is from the 1971 Merle Haggard and the Strangers Album, 'Someday We'll Look Back'.

Episodes

March 1, 2022 4 mins
A new series on the 1974 Huntsville, TX prison siege, one of the most infamous hostage crises in American history that played out in dramatic fashion over 11 days – all in front of a terrified national audience. 100 hours of newly uncovered audio containing the actual hostage negotiations and the deadly shoot-out tell the story like never before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
Fred Carrasco seizes control of the prison library at the Texas State Penitentiary, taking librarians and teachers hostage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 12, 2022 55 mins
Before his infamous prison siege, Fred Carrasco rose from the streets of San Antonio to the heights of power as an international druglord, only to crash back down to earth in a wild shoot-out with the cops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 13, 2022 53 mins
Stuck behind bars, Fred Carrasco recuperates from numerous bullet wounds and hatches a brazen and daring plot to escape justice ... with a little help from his friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 14, 2022 46 mins
Schoolteacher Jack Branch and other hostages become human shields as Fred Carrasco ups the stakes in his demand to be released from prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 15, 2022 56 mins
Guards armed with guns and explosives get ready to storm the library. Their goal? Recapture the outlaw Fred Carrasco and free his civilian hostages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 16, 2022 55 mins
Hostage taker Fred Carrasco turns up the public pressure on prison officials to release him and his accomplices from the Walls Unit. A desperate hostage takes matters into his own hands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 17, 2022 52 mins
As Fred Carrasco engages in a life-or-death chess match with the Texas prison system, his escape attempt is swept up with an important civil rights movement. Meanwhile, Carrasco's wife, Rosa, disappears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 18, 2022 50 mins
The hostages call their loved ones to say their final goodbyes. The standoff can't go on another day. Dead or alive, Carrasco and his hostages are leaving the library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
March 19, 2022 46 mins
A loving son grapples with his mom's sacrifice. Dueling autopsies fuel a deepening mystery. Who, if anyone, killed Fred Carrasco? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
May 16, 2022 58 mins
Fred Carrasco leaves a complicated legacy in San Antonio. Rosa, his wife, fights for control of the family's drug empire — that is, until her life takes a surprising turn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played
Here’s your special preview episode of the new series Elizabeth the First – about the remarkable life of Elizabeth Taylor. In our preview, Elizabeth Taylor overcomes unthinkable loss and rises as the biggest movie star on the planet. She uses this power to negotiate a legendary payday for her leading role as CLEOPATRA. All eyes are now on Elizabeth, and the years ahead will be tumultuous ones. Headline News says ‘I love Elizabeth...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2023 4 mins
Hosted by Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart from the hit show Morbid. When 90-year-old Laurence Pilgeram drops dead on the sidewalk outside his condo, you might think that’s the end of his story. But, really, it’s just the beginning. Because Laurence and others like him have signed up to be frozen and brought back to life in the future. And that belief will pull multiple generations of the Pilgeram family into a cryonics soap opera f...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

    Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

    Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.