Confessions of a Cartel Hit Man - by Martin Corona & Tony Rafael (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The true confession of an assassin, a sicario, who rose through the ranks of the Southern California gang world to become a respected leader in an elite, cruelly efficient crew of hit men for Mexico's "most vicious drug cartel," and eventually found a way out and an (almost) normal life.

Martin Corona, a US citizen, fell into the outlaw life at twelve and worked for a crew run by the Arellano brothers, founders of the the Tijuana drug cartel that dominated the Southern California drug trade and much bloody gang warfare for decades. Corona's crew would cross into the United States from their luxurious hideout in Mexico, kill whoever needed to be killed north of the border, and return home in the afternoon. That work continued until the arrest of Javier Arellano-Félix in 2006 in a huge coordinated DEA operation. Martin Corona played a key role in the downfall of the cartel when he turned state's evidence. He confessed to multiple murders. Special Agent of the California Department of Justice Steve Duncan, who wrote the foreword, says Martin Corona is the only former cartel hit man he knows who is truly remorseful.

Martin's father was a US Marine. The family had many solid middle-class advantages, including the good fortune to be posted in Hawaii for a time during which a teenage Martin thought he might be able to turn away from the outlaw life of theft, drug dealing, gun play, and prostitution. He briefly quit drugs and held down a job, but a die had been cast. He soon returned to a gangbanging life he now deeply regrets.

How does someone become evil, a murderer who can kill without hesitation? This story is an insight into how it happened to one human being and how he now lives with himself. He is no longer a killer; he has asked for forgiveness; he has made a kind of peace for himself. He wrote letters to family members of his victims. Some of them not only wrote back but came to support him at his parole hearings. It is a cautionary tale, but also one that shows that evil doesn't have to be forever.

Review Quotes

Advance Praise for Confessions of a Cartel Hit Man

"Corona's engaging story offers an insider's peek into gang and prison life, providing insight into how a seemingly average boy can become a drug kingpin and a murderer. Recommended for true crime lovers." --Library Journal

"In the world of LA crime writers, the late great Tony Rafael was ahead of his time. He perceived truths and stories that others couldn't, or wouldn't. The world he helps Martin Corona take us to here is one that few writers would have dared enter, much less known how to navigate. Don't miss this--the latest and last work of a great crime writer."
--Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic

"Martin Corona takes you inside the scary world of drug gangs and killers as only a man who walked those streets can. His book is courageous, and a gripping read. It should be required reading for anybody concerned about gang violence, street crime and border security." --Fred Burton, Vice President for Intelligence, Stratfor, former State Department special agent, and author of Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent

"Martin Corona has written a raw, gritty first-person account of the dark world of the cartel enforcer. His book is a rare and very personal look into that universe, drawn from his own experiences of brutal violence. Corona spent so long in the belly of the beast that's it is nothing short of a miracle that he has returned to tell this shocking tale."
--Ricardo Ainslie, Director, Mexico Center, University of Texas at Austin

About the Author

Martin Corona, after serving as an enforcer in the Tijuana drug cartel, turned state's evidence against the organization and made possible the federal prosecution that brought an end to it. He lives with his family in witness supervision. He speaks to law enforcement organizations on the subject of his crimes and to at-risk youth on the importance of avoiding his mistakes.