History of Smuggling Series
Historian Matthew Bane and notorious former marijuana smuggler Tommy Powell teamed up in April 2026 for the first in series of presentations about the history of smuggling. Powell operated an import and distribution ring for over a decade before his arrest and subsequent conviction.
In 1972, Tommy ventured to Columbia in search of 20,000 pounds of high grade Colombia Gold, but was met with disbelief. An order of that size had never been requested from the Colombians. He settled for 16,000 pounds at 6 dollars a pound and sold it in Ann Arbor, Michigan for 250 dollars a pound. The golden hue of the Colombian weed delivered a more enjoyable high and sold for nearly double the price of the Jamaican weed. Tommy would pack a fleet of shrimp boats with 30,000 to 60,000 pounds per trip, send them across the dangerous Yucatan Channel and Mona Passage to hidden coves scattered along Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Maine coastlines. Once there, they packed tractor trailers for distribution to eager buyers throughout North America.
The videos here are outtakes from that presentation. If you are interested in a personal presentation for your group or event, please reach out.
Outtake 1: Getting Into Smuggling
Outtake 2: Colombia gigs with Mike Knight
More presentations and upcoming events can be found on our events page.
Want to read more? Check out these books written by Powell and other Florida smugglers below!
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