How Rick Lydges Became America's Most Successful Drug Smuggler | Masterminds

How Rick Lydges Became America's Most Successful Drug Smuggler | Masterminds | Real Crime

Рет қаралды 528,160

Жыл бұрын

The story of Rick Lydell, who was considered America's most successful drug smuggler, bringing over $20 billion of cocaine into the U.S. Lydell was a mastermind, a world-class aviation expert, and an outstanding pilot. The video covers how Lydell was able to elude the authorities' security net and land billions of dollars' worth of cocaine into the United States. The video also describes the methods used by the government to combat drug smuggling in the early 1980s, including the installation of sophisticated radar networks and the deployment of air patrols.
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Пікірлер: 397

@antoaneta70 Жыл бұрын

Serving only 2 years for 7 mil I mean that’s a good deal bro 😎

@collinwatson3319 Жыл бұрын

7 mill that was found. You think a guy like this doesn’t have holes buried with pallets of cash

@anytimelater Жыл бұрын

You obviously have not been to the feds

@nlocnil3602 Жыл бұрын

After 13 years I'm sure there is plenty money that they never found. 2 years is worth it

@calscottoh Жыл бұрын

I agree

@phil2997 Жыл бұрын

@@anytimelater it was in canada, im sure he was fine

@crand20033 Жыл бұрын

"Befriended the police and government officials". That explains how he got away with it for so long.

@CP-uw3kj 6 ай бұрын

Engineer and Pilot that ran a fleet for Air America.... "Retires" in Miami.... I'm sure he just quit his passion for flying?

@EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz 5 ай бұрын

Police. Politica. Smuggler ...unis shit involved

@amosacklays 21 күн бұрын

@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13 Жыл бұрын

As a wise man once told me, "trying to stop drugs with force, is like trying to empty a river with a ladle.

@k20ngpadrino8 Жыл бұрын

Good one

@daveg-Vancouver_Island Жыл бұрын

Yup it would make more sense to try n get ppl clean and/or not start in the first place!

@crand20033 Жыл бұрын

@@daveg-Vancouver_Island Nowadays it gets people dead: because it's laced with Fentanyl . So people are learning you can't take a risk with any street drug.

@Raja-vg8og 11 ай бұрын

... let the rivers flow ...

@itarry4 11 ай бұрын

Yhea even the name they give it to appeal to the scared population and win votes tells you it's the wrong way to go about it. The "war" on drugs isn't in 99% 9f cases a war on drugs it's a war on users many of who got caught up with something due to the choices life didn't give them. Strange isn't it that in countries like Norway where they concentrate genuinely on education, rehabilitation and giving people a chance have the lowest drug use, reoffending and violent crime where as countries like America have the largest prison population per person of any in the world.

@DanHageeStuff Жыл бұрын

Masterminds was a great series....watch them all.

@Mzee1084 Жыл бұрын

Only 2 years for Smiley? Talk about an inconsistent justice system...

@PaulWalliswriter 9 ай бұрын

So, he's second only to the DEA as having smuggled the most coke into the US!

@donellr.jonesmarketing6809 9 ай бұрын

They say you can't snitch on yourself. That's why you got to put in work alone. 😂

@elkarlos814 Ай бұрын

Fact

@mastercreamer1398 Жыл бұрын

All that the government did to try and stop the flow of drugs and I can still go downtown and get a gram of dope with no problem. Great job Uncle Sam !!

@admiral20055 Жыл бұрын

Uncel sam is he drug dealer of the world, now u dont get Dope in pakistan Iran Afganistan after usa left..

@jamesjohno1180 Жыл бұрын

Biden has made it even better today, la is wrecked with drugs and fentanyl he’s letting flow into the country with undocumented people, he’s making sure every American can have some drugs!

@ryanehlis426 Жыл бұрын

They don’t really try and stop the flow of drugs and drug money 💰, that’s just a cover story. The laws against drugs keep prices high.

@JB-ed7ws Жыл бұрын

@@ryanehlis426 uh hhhh hi m huh h

@rscott2247 Жыл бұрын

The DEA guy talks about cocaine hurting a lot of people. What about that legal drug called alcohol ?

@bkatbamna Жыл бұрын

When there is a demand, someone will step in and provide it.

@ramel79 10 ай бұрын

As the saying goes “greed will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay”. If you make a tv show that concluded with how you got caught, you’re not all that of a mastermind 😅 The real masterminds are still roaming around free

@user-jm6bx7zx4o 9 ай бұрын

Greed is everywhere, until you get caught.

@admirosmanovic1368 4 ай бұрын

Well smiley did his hustle for 13 years B4 cops arrested him lol

@Richard-zc1cj Жыл бұрын

Smiley was imprisoned for 2 years? That makes me wonder why I worked so hard honestly for so many years?

@markross9781 Жыл бұрын

You're right, when the bankers (Mother Fuckers) call in your line of credit makes you wonder why, one has been honest for many years? When you can make millions on the other side of the fence! And get two years??? I'm sure old smiley had a hidden stash somewhere. Unless he was stupid I doubt he was.

@MothaLuva Жыл бұрын

3:52 No. The question is, how to repeat it AND NOT being caught.

@cesarealkemist5055 Жыл бұрын

Smiley is a G...

@monchichipower6334 9 ай бұрын

These guys are super smart and sophiscated I’m Sure they can get a legal professional job easily They are smart

@davidunebed 7 ай бұрын

The pay isn’t nearly as close, if he hid the money he only got 2 years, think about that for a moment. The systems punishment laws are very inaccurate he’s probable a Lavish millionaire right now with millions in real estate this happened in 2001 and he got out in 2003, what’s 2 years in anybody life ? that’s a very very short time frame and nobody changes their lives that fast or makes that kind of money anyways.

@henrysantos121 4 ай бұрын

*Very nice documentary very well done*

@Texas_Made_ Жыл бұрын

He was making BIG money moves😮😮😮

@ChuckDeezBitch Жыл бұрын

So you get 345 years for smuggling drugs but only get 20 years for murder? 😮 Something isn't right

@laurisgaluza9668 Жыл бұрын

Think. How much havoc and crimes/murders are coused if u put 800 pounds of cocaine on streets ? Way worse than one random murder. U clearly dont have understanding how drugs influence lives

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@laurisgaluza9668 I never committed crimes when I was using just a few traffic violations

@adiposerex5150 Жыл бұрын

It’s because smuggling bypasses taxation,murder does not.

@ChuckDeezBitch Жыл бұрын

@@laurisgaluza9668 I definitely know what drugs do. I grew up in the industry, nothing I am proud. I was talking about the time difference not the crime

@bobbiejordan1121 Жыл бұрын

Crazy....huh?

@miriam2909 Жыл бұрын

Smiley got two years? Unbelievable

@paxiong6541 Жыл бұрын

Why?

@miriam2909 Жыл бұрын

@@paxiong6541 that’s not even a slap on the wrist

@tracyshaffer4510 Жыл бұрын

I would sacrifice two years to make thousands, just sayin

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@miriam2909 welcome to the justice system

@TheBishop12 Жыл бұрын

Canada

@user-qj5rt1yr1o 3 ай бұрын

I recall this being on tv like 20 years ago

@cocycaxap2797 3 ай бұрын

Also there is a movie on this story ig

@daviddesorcy 11 ай бұрын

Excellent video, thanks

@katherinecollins4685 Жыл бұрын

Interesting video

@showtime0561 Жыл бұрын

The actor for Smiley, the way he had to smile the whole time for the documentary😂 he look like Viagra Bob living large😂

@ssQ2U Жыл бұрын

He should've quit while he was ahead. $7M? retire!

@Bradphil87 10 ай бұрын

They get addicted to the rush of what they’re doing. The money (when you have that much) becomes second to them or else they would’ve cut and ran. Rick had over 30 million, he didn’t need to keep making runs or have his team do it anymore. The thrill of doing it and getting away with it was what kept him coming back.

@cardguys 10 ай бұрын

Im just glad I got to see the where "The Office" got their video!!

@rizalaziz2089 Жыл бұрын

Hunt for Smiley for 13 years..but he serve his time just 2 year😄

@jfjc5694 Жыл бұрын

That’s messed up. He needed to put in for life.

@geofreymutagobwa8725 16 күн бұрын

Great thinker

@adil.chouqui Жыл бұрын

After making millions of stolen goods, you take a 2 years vacation in a Canadian prison.

@sumisumi-by8xv 8 ай бұрын

Not really. He will do like 1 year for good behaviour. Not too shabby

@phil2997 Жыл бұрын

Why didnt they put tracking devices in a few boxes or pallets and follow and see where they go, strange.

@nlocnil3602 Жыл бұрын

So once again greed brought down an otherwise fool proof plan. Rick was dumb to let an associate of his languish in jail

@itarry4 11 ай бұрын

Yhea personally I'd say the best smuggler in history will be someone who's never caught or even suspected committing a crime. If he'd stayed small he might never have been caught instead he did what most silly people did and got over confident. Once I had 13 million I'd be out, gone. Bringing in others wasn't at all smart.

@MothaLuva Жыл бұрын

22:28 No. They are hurting themselves. Nobody forces them to take drugs. But YOU, big fella, you and your colleagues protect this exact system which makes people drift into drugs.

@Bradphil87 10 ай бұрын

Ricks worst mistake was not tossing his boy a few million to be quiet. If he did his boy could’ve probably gotten the charges down to manslaughter and been out in under 10 years. I’d do 10 years for 3 million today, back then it was probably worth like 5 million.

@Rup869 Жыл бұрын

Rick was indeed a very clever man. I saw another documentary, there's a lot more to this re the DEA

@yorkiesweetpea23 Жыл бұрын

@R'up are you able to find the other documentary? This is very interesting. He is indeed a very smart man.

@roberthoward3085 10 ай бұрын

What's the documentary called?

@flipnotrab 3 ай бұрын

This guys wasn’t the only person to figure out tanking, low level flights with touch n go re-entry into USA airspace. There’s WAY more of guys like this that didn’t get caught. Abandon planes with suspicious fuel systems popped up all over the place at small municipal airports across the mid-west in the 90’s. Trace of titles went to fictional characters and companies.

@alexanderj808 Жыл бұрын

2 years 😢 for 13 years stealing and millions in banks only 6 million fine. Wow. Those ppl the investigators happy and proud.... Shhhiiii

@michaelripley4528 2 ай бұрын

Theft is not a federal crime😁

@alainportant6412 7 ай бұрын

8:33 Yeah... I don't think Jorge Ochoa was an Elvis impersonator being driven around in a giant white limo with butterfly doors.

@milessaxton 3 ай бұрын

This is the kind of guy that would be recruited by the airforce in one of those thriller movies

@JColeComedian 7 ай бұрын

How much was spent on a 13 year investigation, plus millions in business losses that increases the price of everything for all of us, and he gets 2 years...because he cooperated. What a country.

@davidunebed 7 ай бұрын

It doesn’t make any sense, absolutely none, this is more of an inspirational story now for the future smuggler.

@chriscordray8572 4 ай бұрын

I know in the 70s there was many flying from Mexico to the middle of the country. Flying low through the mountains. A few where caught flying that route I remember. Many got away tho.

@bluesky6985 2 ай бұрын

The CIA Cocaine Importation Agency says hold my beer 🍻

@ThatMichaelTGuy 2 ай бұрын

Air America, now, that sounds familiar... The CIA had the biggest coke smuggling operation in the U.S.

@bullitt7544 2 ай бұрын

Wonder if his Company or "Best Service" made the TD Gold shipment from Switzerland disappear?

@jburron 10 ай бұрын

Sint Eustatius is an island in the Dutch Caribbean, not Cayman. Cayman consists of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac.

@TheLochs Жыл бұрын

Smiley only got 2 years. Thats crazy.

@Bulletguy07 Жыл бұрын

Yeah it is......he should have got promoted to CEO!

@erebusl Жыл бұрын

Smileys was a victimless crime. None hurt or threatened. All companies get paid out by their insurance company and buyers get great deals. 👏🏿

@dirtbagzrus Жыл бұрын

The war on drugs. The only ear we all were happy to loose.

@jamesgraham6122 Жыл бұрын

How is it that so many people posting on these comment pages have no idea of the difference between lose and loose? Is the education system really that pathetically poor?

@dirtbagzrus Жыл бұрын

@@jamesgraham6122 apparently the drugs got a hold of me during during my time in the education system. Musta loost my mind

@TINYT467 Жыл бұрын

@@jamesgraham6122 😅

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@jamesgraham6122 yup it is especially if your gud at sports

@monchichipower6334 9 ай бұрын

He’s a genius

@Emre-syoutubehandle Жыл бұрын

I was hoping him to say Dunder Mifflin 😂

@ssQ2U Жыл бұрын

Another major theft at the airport $22M in gold last week 😮

@muthoni632 Жыл бұрын

Criminals are most of the brilliant people there is!

@andreasfranzgass8525 10 ай бұрын

Were this not also the "Goodfellas"(Henry Hill) connection?

@user-bo4ci9il7l 6 ай бұрын

The amount of ads within this video makes more money than rick

@seanmchugh840 Жыл бұрын

Is there a version without the constant pop music?

@hardleecure Жыл бұрын

44:30 except for that air can of gold that went missing last month

@meweaz3 Жыл бұрын

Dude if you run out of room to store stolen goods stop stealing!!!

@johnkaplanian Жыл бұрын

Great movies, and with all respect for law against crime, I am from the Middle East, and I am just curious to know where did the confiscated bulks of cash goes to, or through which channels it is routed. Are there any public annoncements in such regard ? I have seen probably in Miami Vice episodes in the 80s or similar movie that all or part of the confiscated stuff goes as a bounty for the officers? I think that the confiscated assets are auctioned, but how about the dispursement of the paper currency. Take Care. John Kaplanian from Jordan / Middle East

@AppleWaveGamer 11 ай бұрын

Hello John. I’ve been to Jordan. Very nice place. When it comes to the money, it’s complicated. Sometimes it’s divided and paid back to the creditors. As far as I know the police does not keep it. But this world is corrupted, so who knows.

@amd77j 11 ай бұрын

@@AppleWaveGamer Agreed. It’s a great question that you’d think that there was a simple answer to. So, yep, who knows…..🤔

@xenostim 11 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure the police keep the confiscated cash and property, at least if it's a local police operation. I'm not sure about federal, 3-letter agencies.

@my1vice 11 ай бұрын

The federal gov't can seize your cash basically for any reason, indefinitely. Even if you're just suspended, you can have assets seized. Asset forfeitures are usually held through trial and the kept by the confiscating agency. DEA and DHS are the worst.

@jfjc5694 Жыл бұрын

Smuggler’s Cove in Florida

@De_Mier Жыл бұрын

Is there a movie about this?

@davidr4332 Жыл бұрын

He gets two years jail and made millions .

@traceyroyer993 2 ай бұрын

Was part of his genius using a pseudonym? The entire video description calls him Lydell, not Lydges. Hmmm... I'm from PA & I've never heard of him. Well, unless the film "Air America" is about him. One of my best buds in the USAF, in the late 80s, worked a special secret mission and I suspect it was DEA related. 🇺🇲

@spidermight8054 Жыл бұрын

WTF? Both the title and the description got his name wrong. It’s RIK LUYTJES!

@my1vice 11 ай бұрын

Hahahaha. I'm sure Rik prefers it being misspelled.....

@criminalitycollective 4 ай бұрын

2 years for 13 years of selling stolen goods?? And the son and wife get off?? Wow what a joke.

@robertcanceljr4400 Жыл бұрын

Ya I hope so

@killamike178 9 ай бұрын

This sound like the movie called American made with tom cruise

@bwmcelya 7 ай бұрын

That guy Lydges has cash stashed. Whenever he gets out he’ll be set. What a life eh? Flying the friendly skies.

@justsamantha1833 2 ай бұрын

He's been out. This airport is in my backyard, he moved to Florida after he was released

@ikabangaji6509 Жыл бұрын

Yo are you sure this guy ain’t who we suppose to be looking up to? This sounds like it’s the right career part to choose….just saying

@jeffreyferlotte6379 Жыл бұрын

O well this aint good news for the 20m that went missing from the toronto pearson few weeks ago

@SkinnyVinnie Жыл бұрын

2 year? Sign me up!

@JGASM31 Жыл бұрын

2 YEARS??!! WTF

@aaronm.7224 Жыл бұрын

What about Boston George?

@Markandjayde180 9 ай бұрын

Good for you well done

@jepoytv612 7 ай бұрын

Air America is nice stories

@jfjc5694 Жыл бұрын

The candy store of drugs

@jomang1758 3 ай бұрын

They should make a movie of smiley

@seventhson3228 Жыл бұрын

@Real Crime Rick Lydges, really? How hard is to Google his name?

@paulitocoronacion428 7 ай бұрын

I this was shown in cinema portrayed by Tom Cruise titled American made..

@marusnastase6251 3 ай бұрын

Its funny in vancouver canada now if you have 2.5 grams of cocaine your okay 😂😂

@TY-dg4il Жыл бұрын

Smiley won from start to finish

@lucyroark4189 10 ай бұрын

I really wanted to watch this video but the background "music" was too disconcerting. What was the point - it was unnecessary and too distracting.

@nickchatzis4049 Жыл бұрын

Come on we're talking about Barry Seal here

@Dr.J.Garlock Жыл бұрын

The subject of this video is a legendary man whose name is Frederick “Rik” LUYTJES. The people who posted this video should be ashamed that they couldn’t even spell his name properly. Not that hard to do even few minutes of research…

@clownnworldorder Жыл бұрын

Yeah, and in the description under the title they call him another different surname again: "Rick Lydell" . Lol

@TrompKramer 11 ай бұрын

It's litteraly multiple times in the docu itself. How can you fuck up a name so bad when it's on your damn screen.

@TrompKramer 11 ай бұрын

At 21:30 big letters..

@my1vice 11 ай бұрын

Hahahaha. I'm sure Rik prefers it being misspelled.....

@-danR 11 ай бұрын

It's not an accident; they know how to spell his name. This video is a straight ripoff of the original video. Misspelling names (among other strategies) slows down plagiarism searches, including glueToob's.

@itarry4 11 ай бұрын

Look I can see why they'd think Smilies crimes were a gang but honestly no one talking about it says it can't be more than 1. Let's face it if 2 people have a secret it won't be a secret for long.

@clairesutherland4868 Жыл бұрын

I can't believe that Benny didn't have a work phone 🤦‍♀️

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

I only have a work phone for 1 of my businesses the other when I'm working I don't want to be messed with and couldn't hear it anyway

@clairesutherland4868 Жыл бұрын

@@davidwoermansr i understand your viewpoint but I doubt your 2nd business ia an illegal business

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@clairesutherland4868 nobody in the area knows about it and it's a cash only buissnes I don't report the income for taxes so it's probably not legal in many ways

@clairesutherland4868 Жыл бұрын

@@davidwoermansr be careful what you write on the Internet ;)

@1ehvideos271 4 ай бұрын

So smiley was the early days equivalent of: E-Bay, Liquidation 📦 Stores, Kijiji, Mystery Box 📦, etc... Suppliers?! Is this how 🤔 Temu started? "Shop like a billionaire"..."Pay wholesaler prices without having to buy products in wholesale volumes!" 😂😅

@uncannybeachboys 15 күн бұрын

So this vid offers not one, not two, but THREE different ways to spell his name - Lydges, Lydell and at 21:30 in the vid Luytjes! Which is it "Real" Crime?

@josephlee4337 2 ай бұрын

I grew up in the heart of Little Italy in downtown Manhattan, stealing merchandise was the bread and butter of the Italian and Jews. The Italian would do the highjacking and Jews would sells the merchandise. That was then, today they had moved to bigger and better things. You know what I mean?😊

@tikhir6884 Жыл бұрын

Paolo Escobar enter the Chat

@realestudergroundsou Жыл бұрын

😂😂😂

@deeespinal9666 Жыл бұрын

😊didn't get 2 yrs. Likely half the time-1yr if he maintained the smiley demeanor

@crand20033 Жыл бұрын

Only two years and released? So, is he broke now?

@rpalmer274 10 ай бұрын

This man should be free

@NationalUniform 7 ай бұрын

Genius man but sad to say he used it in an evil manner.

@keyboardheroism 7 ай бұрын

What about the 20mil in gold that disappeared?

@begbieyabass 2 ай бұрын

What were the pills, was it ectasy?

@Lorenzo-wp1by 3 ай бұрын

Plan! Plan! Plan!😂😂😂🎉

@kananathansuppiah543 Жыл бұрын

Colombia to miami

@advilbudhcad3751 Жыл бұрын

Smiley 2 got year's it's a joke 😂😂😂

@dandared6395 5 ай бұрын

2 years !?!? wtf ?

@michaelripley4528 2 ай бұрын

🤷🏼‍♂️Theft is not a fedral crime, like bank robbery is😁

@acajudi100 Жыл бұрын

STOP USING DRUGS!!!

@ians9390 Жыл бұрын

NEVERRRRRR

@deeespinal9666 Жыл бұрын

Easy there we just transporting them

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

I can't I'll die

@ians9390 Жыл бұрын

@@davidwoermansr thats the spirit

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@ians9390 they'll also kill me but without oxys and fentanyl I have strokes and heart attacks because the pain f@cks me up too bad (I have a couple lbs of metal in my spine and neck) I've survived 7 strokes and 3 heart attacks my luck is bound to run out sooner or later on the plus side I get free nasal spray that will stop an overdose so I can save someone so they can continue partying

@jamesp6561 4 ай бұрын

The most successful smuggler is the one knobody ever hears about!

@tracyshaffer4510 Жыл бұрын

I want to know what the government does with all the money and drugs they get from the smugglers.

@lowlifeminitrucker6910 Жыл бұрын

Guess....

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

They get high and buy hookers

@phillipsmom6252 Жыл бұрын

They have a big party.

@skatelisa Жыл бұрын

Re sell them and pocket the money

@ballistic350 Жыл бұрын

Pocket some for eachother trust me..I have buddies in law enforcement, when the raid houses with thousands they Pocket some and report fake amount..

@sarahgreenslade1219 Жыл бұрын

Is this based on the film cocaine bear a drug dealer threw drugs out of plane into a national park

@sarahgreenslade1219 Жыл бұрын

@Donnell Okafor really sarcasm 🙄 and childish

@sherrylamanda2053 Жыл бұрын

Barry Seal

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

I'm sure the movie was based on a smuggler not the other way around

@coffeejazzvibes2194 Жыл бұрын

It's based on a movie with Mel Gibson called Air America I belive. Could be wrong

@davidwoermansr Жыл бұрын

@@coffeejazzvibes2194 the case happened way before the movie so there's no way this case is based off that movie now I believe you do have the dots connected enough people can see the picture you just started with the highest number and went to 1 connecting them backwards I do believe that you got the right movie that was based on this case