Joe Rogan interviews documentary-makers Eric Goode and Jeremy McBride about their HBO series Monsters of God, which examines the reptile trade and illegal wildlife trafficking. McBride cites a claimed $20bn-a-year illicit wildlife market and argues it often overlaps with drugs and weapons smuggling. The pair describe the appeal of rare reptiles as a scarcity-driven collector culture, and discuss how pop culture can drive demand for exotic pets.
Goode recounts a rattlesnake bite and the effects of antivenom, then moves into the series’ Florida and Miami storylines, including claims about a trafficker sentenced to more than 100 years for murder and drugs who was released after 12 years, and speculation about why. Goode also alleges that some Komodo dragons in US zoos entered the country through smuggling routes and later ended up in institutional collections after seizures.
The discussion includes first-person claims about recent US turtle confiscations and alleged export smuggling to Asia via luggage and air cargo, alongside broader assertions that enforcement is understaffed relative to the volume of trade. Goode describes conservation work with ploughshare tortoises, saying his team achieved a hatchling after years of attempts with confiscated animals and aims to return captive-bred stock to Madagascar despite ongoing poaching pressure.
The episode also touches on cultural consumption of wildlife in parts of Asia, disputed beliefs about medicinal value, and the ethical tensions between conservation, regulation and black-market incentives.
Jeremy McBride says illegal wildlife trafficking is a roughly $20bn-a-year industry, ranking behind firearms, narcotics and human trafficking. He argues it often overlaps with other criminal activity, including drugs and weapons smuggling.
Read this moment →Eric Goode describes a figure featured in the series, Mario Tawi, as having been sentenced to more than 100 years for “murder and drugs” but released after 12 years. Goode and McBride speculate about whether cooperation with authorities could explain the early release, while stressing they do not know the reason.
Read this moment →Eric Goode says he recently received a confiscation of 300 three-toed box turtles originating in the central United States, describing it as a case handled by US Fish and Wildlife Service. He and McBride describe an alleged pattern of native US reptiles being smuggled abroad—particularly to parts of Asia—via luggage and air cargo.
Read this moment →Eric Goode and Jeremy McBride discuss Strictly Reptiles, a Hollywood, Florida business they describe as a national “fulfilment centre” for reptiles. Goode says the operation sold up to 5,000 baby green iguanas per week during the 1990s boom he links to the release of Jurassic Park.
Read this moment →Eric Goode claims that some Komodo dragons in US zoo collections originated with smuggling operations, describing how traffickers allegedly hid juveniles among similar-looking lizards. He further asserts that the Komodo dragon involved in an incident at the Los Angeles Zoo—where Sharon Stone’s husband was bitten—was among animals brought in through an investigation he links to Malaysian trafficker Anson Wong.
Read this moment →Eric Goode says his conservation work produced a ploughshare tortoise hatchling after roughly 15 years of attempts with animals confiscated in Asia. He describes the species as among the most valuable reptiles in the pet trade, and says the project aims to return captive-bred animals to Madagascar despite risks of renewed poaching.
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