Varnamtown

PodcastOne

Two years ago, Kyle MacLachlan, the star of Twin Peaks, called investigative journalist Joshua Davis with a strange story. Kyle had heard a rumor that Pablo Escobar did a deal in the early 1980s with a remote, coastal Southern town of 300 people. In exchange for vast wealth and limitless cocaine, Escobar would be allowed to land planes and ships in the area. Over the last 24 months, Josh and Kyle investigated the rumor, journeying to Varnamtown to knock on doors and find out what really happens when a firehose of money and cocaine is turned on a small, tight knit community.

Varnamtown was created in association with PodcastOne. It is produced by Epic Magazine, Picture Perfect Federation, and Full Picture with consulting producers Nir Liberboim and Lynn Betz.

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Our Editor's Take

Varnamtown is a true crime podcast that details a small town's lethal secret. Following a lead, actor Kyle MacLachlan and reporter Joshua Davis travel to North Carolina to do some digging. Together, the friends and cohosts tell an unbelievable true story.

The podcast's name comes from the town where the story takes place. In 1980, Varnamtown was little more than a fishing village with a few hundred residents. The town's legacy changed forever after it made an alleged deal with drug lord Pablo Escobar. MacLachlan and Davis strive to determine whether this story is true. If it is, how has it affected the town and its residents?

With Varnamtown, MacLachlan, an accomplished actor, plays a role he knows well detective. He is best known for portraying Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks. MacLachlan earned two Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe Award for this role. He has also starred in David Lynch's Dune.

Davis is a reporter, New York Times best-selling author, and film producer. He has created several documentaries and reported on the Iraq War. So when MacLachlan told him about Varnamtown and Escobar, he knew he needed to inspect the rumor.

The two cohosts discuss the events surrounding Escobar's deal with the town. The show features interviews with residents and federal agents. MacLachlan and Davis even get the story from one of the town's more eccentric citizens Dale Varnam. The owner of Fort Apache, a bizarre "museum," Varnam was a prolific drug trafficker in the 70s and 80s. Many believe he made the deal with Escobar. In 1988, he revealed conspirators in the drug ring and then served time in prison for other charges.

MacLachlan and Davis have a pleasant chemistry. Sometimes, they divert from the main story to exchange personal anecdotes. Then, the two share and analyze their interviews with Varnamtown residents.

The story seems too outlandish to be true, but MacLachlan and Davis plan to uncover the facts. The result is an excellent account of one of America's unknown entry points for cocaine in the 1980s. New episodes of Varnamtown are available on a periodic basis.

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Varnamtown: Trailer

Varnamtown: Trailer

Launching January 24, 2024: Two years ago, Kyle MacLachlan, the star of Twin Peaks, called investigative journalist Joshua Davis with a strange story. Kyle had heard a rumor that Pablo Escobar did a deal in the early 1980s with a remote, coastal Southern town of 300 people. In exchange for vast wealth and limitless cocaine, Escobar would be allowed to land planes and ships in the area. Over the last 24 months, Josh and Kyle investigated the rumor, journeying to Varnamtown to knock on doors and find out what really happens when a firehose of money and cocaine is turned on a small, tight knit community.

Episodes

Varnamtown: Trailer

Varnamtown: Trailer

Launching January 24, 2024: Two years ago, Kyle MacLachlan, the star of Twin Peaks, called investigative journalist Joshua Davis with a strange story. Kyle had heard a rumor that Pablo Escobar did a deal in the early 1980s with a remote, coastal Southern town of 300 people. In exchange for vast wealth and limitless cocaine, Escobar would be allowed to land planes and ships in the area. Over the last 24 months, Josh and Kyle investigated the rumor, journeying to Varnamtown to knock on doors and find out what really happens when a firehose of money and cocaine is turned on a small, tight knit community.

REO Speedwagon - Episode 1

REO Speedwagon - Episode 1

In 1981, REO Speedwagon’s airplane landed outside of Varnamtown, a remote town in North Carolina. The cargo: a massive amount of drugs from Barranquilla, Colombia. The shipment revealed a startling connection between Colombia and Varnamtown, population 300. Did Pablo Escobar really do a deal en masse with the entire town? Kyle MacLachlan and investigative journalist Joshua Davis begin their journey into the swampy backwaters of the coastal South to uncover the truth. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Hello Fresh: Go to https://HelloFresh.com/VarnamtownFree and use the code VARNAMTOWNFREE to get FREE breakfast for life. One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month.

The Captain Tom - Episode 2

The Captain Tom - Episode 2

A cargo ship filled with drugs runs aground outside of Varnamtown. To make matters worse, the grounding happens in front of Roger Morton’s house, one of the only people in the area set on stopping the influx of drugs. Roger decides he needs to take serious action, setting up a titanic struggle between him and his neighbors. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month.

The CIA Accountant - Episode 3

The CIA Accountant - Episode 3

DEA agent Mike Grimes arrives in North Carolina from Washington D.C. thinking he’d have plenty of time to fish in this sleepy region. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of a massive smuggling operation hidden in the swamps and coastal inlets. Roger Morton should be a natural ally, but things go quickly sideways at the local Tasty Freeze, and Roger is forced to write President Ronald Reagan a letter asking for help. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Hello Fresh: Sign up at https://HelloFresh.com/VarnamtownFree for free breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month. OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code TOWN at https://www.oneskin.co/TOWN #oneskinpod

The Chinese Connection - Episode 4

The Chinese Connection - Episode 4

When the REO Speedwagon plane botched its landing, the pilots took off into the forest. Mike Grimes launches a manhunt and steadily closes in on one of the pilots while local Sheriff's deputy Larry Joyner chases down a van full of Colombians. Eventually, the chase leads Mike and Larry on an adventure in Miami. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Hello Fresh: Go to https://HelloFresh.com/VARNAMTOWNFREE and use the code VARNAMTOWNFREE for free breakfast for life. One breakfast item per box while subscription is active One Skin: Go to https://OneSkin.co and use code TOWN to get 15% off Viia Hemp: Go to https://ViiaHemp.com & use code TOWN to receive 15% off PLUS one free sample of their Sleep Dreams gummies. 21+

Clam Cops - Episode 5

Clam Cops - Episode 5

Mike Grimes expands the REO Speedwagon investigation and discovers layers of corruption all around Varnamtown, from the Sheriff's office to within Roger Morton’s family. We delve into the Shakespearean tragedy of Roger’s relationship with his brother Duane, a local “clam cop.” Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Factor: Go to https://FactorMeals.com/Varnamtown50 and use code VARNAMTOWN50 to get 50% off. Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month.

Attack Turkeys - Episode 6

Attack Turkeys - Episode 6

Corey Duber, a cop from Brooklyn, arrives in Varnamtown to take down Dale Varnam’s drug empire. He wins Dale’s trust and suddenly Dale starts naming names…a lot of them. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Factor: Go to https://FactorMeals.com/Varnamtown50 and use code VARNAMTOWN50 to get 50% off. G-Defy Shoes: Visit https://GDEFY.com, and use discount code TOWN for an exclusive $30 off orders of $150 or more. Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month.

Dale Varnam - Episode 7

Dale Varnam - Episode 7

At long last, we venture inside Fort Apache, the town within a town constructed by Dale Varnam. For months, we have heard about Dale’s reputed deal with Pablo Escobar, the deal that transformed Varnamtown. Now we’ll venture inside Dale’s lair in search of the truth. But can he be trusted? And why does everyone have a different perspective on him? Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Viia Hemp: Go to https://ViiaHemp.com & use code TOWN to receive 15% off PLUS one free sample of their Sleep Dreams gummies. 21+ Wooga: Discover your inner detective when you download June’s Journey for free today on iOS and Android. G-Defy Shoes: Visit https://GDEFY.com, and use discount code TOWN for an exclusive $30 off orders of $150 or more.

Just Another Pablo - Episode 8

Just Another Pablo - Episode 8

In our final episode, we hear from Mike Easley, the guy who prosecuted the locals in Varnamtown and eventually became governor of North Carolina. In the end, was Varnamtown a major transshipment site for Pablo Escobar’s cocaine? Or was the whole thing a giant ruse that Dale Varnam concocted to entertain his friends and neighbors? Thank you for supporting our sponsors! G-Defy Shoes: Visit https://GDEFY.com, and use discount code TOWN for an exclusive $30 off orders of $150 or more. Better Help: This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/TOWN to get 10% off your first month. Wooga: Discover your inner detective when you download June’s Journey for free today on iOS and Android.

Introducing Deep Cover: The Nameless Man

Introducing Deep Cover: The Nameless Man

Deep Cover is a show about people who lead double lives. Season four, The Nameless Man, tells the epic tale of two federal agents who investigate a rumor about a murder that supposedly took place 15 years prior. It is also the story of a family searching for answers about why their brother was killed. These two storylines collide in a courtroom in Philadelphia, where murder, memory, and morality go on trial. If you enjoy this clip, listen to Deep Cover: The Nameless Man wherever you get your podcasts.