'Hell on the Border' Goes After Mexican Cartel
Premiering Sunday, August 19, the new Animal Planet series follows the Nogales Police Department K9 Unit as it wages war on crime in a desert border town.
John Zuniga and Christian Flores in "Hell on the Border"
John Zuniga and Christian Flores in "Hell on the Border" - © Animal Planet
John "Captain Chaos" Zuniga in "Hell on the Border"
John "Captain Chaos" Zuniga in "Hell on the Border" - © Animal Planet
NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Caught between a vast desert and a 20-foot tall steel fence, Nogales, Arizona, is a small town dead center in the middle of the war on drugs. The enemy is a ruthless Mexican cartel consisting of a highly organized and well-financed army of criminals smuggling narcotics, weapons, cash and humans day and night. The cartel makes billions of dollars in illegal profits. Fortunately, the men of the elite Nogales Police Department K-9 unit are sworn to protect their town and border and will stop at nothing to put an end to this dangerous cartel. Whether raiding drug-stash houses, capturing human traffickers, or busting weapons caches, these officers and their canines put their lives on the line fighting a never-ending battle. It's "Hell on the Border," with a special premiere episode airing on Sunday, August 19, at 11 PM (ET/PT) following "Call of the Wildman." "Hell on the Border" moves into its regular timeslot on Friday, August 24, at 10 PM (ET/PT) with the six-part series airing every Friday thereafter.
The "Hell on the Border" officers and canines in the line of duty are as follows:
Officer Mario Lopez aka "Falcon" and K-9 "Readi"
With a master's degree in psychology, Lopez is the unit's "brainiac." Born and raised in Nogales, Lopez has been with the Nogales Police Department for nine years. He's always wanted to be a part of the K-9 unit, and just three months ago, his dream came true and has been hard at work learning the ropes.
Officer Amador Vasquez aka "Gecko" and K-9 "Ilo"
Although Officer Vasquez may look a little like the famous lizard from the television commercials, don't underestimate his abilities. His expertise is reading suspects, and he has a keen sense for finding the real story behind words and body language. Vasquez was born in Mexico and moved to Nogales when he was 16-years-old. He has been a police officer for seven years and a K-9 officer for one.
Officer John Zuniga aka "Captain Chaos" and K-9 "Tesko"
Wherever Zuniga goes, action follows. He is the team's weapons expert and gets an "A+" in aggression. He has been a police officer for 13 years and a K-9 handler for four. He's lived in Nogales for 34 years and will never call any other place home.
Officer Christian Flores aka "Patron" and K-9 "Thorpe"
Officer Flores is the boss, but he's a surprisingly mild-mannered guy. Respected for his excellent judgment and calm demeanor in even the most dangerous situations, Flores was born and raised in Nogales and has been a K-9 officer for six years.
Officer Oscar Mesta II aka "Crash" and K-9 "Ari"
Mesta is the joker. He's never short of a funny story or a witty line, but he's dead serious when it comes to protecting Nogales. Mesta is a new K-9 officer and before working at Nogales Police Department, he was living in Tucson working as a sheriff's deputy.
"Hell on the Border" officers see it all from high-risk drug busts, human trafficking and gunrunners to cash smuggling and a runaway bull downtown. Exploits seen in the all-new series include: a death-defying escape artist, apprehending a gang of possible cartel cash smugglers and the confiscation of bundles of dope worth nearly $100,000.
"Hell on the Border" is produced for Animal Planet by Hoff Productions. Michael Hoff is the executive producer for Hoff Productions, and Dawn Sinsel is the executive producer for Animal Planet.
The "Hell on the Border" officers and canines in the line of duty are as follows:
Officer Mario Lopez aka "Falcon" and K-9 "Readi"
With a master's degree in psychology, Lopez is the unit's "brainiac." Born and raised in Nogales, Lopez has been with the Nogales Police Department for nine years. He's always wanted to be a part of the K-9 unit, and just three months ago, his dream came true and has been hard at work learning the ropes.
Officer Amador Vasquez aka "Gecko" and K-9 "Ilo"
Although Officer Vasquez may look a little like the famous lizard from the television commercials, don't underestimate his abilities. His expertise is reading suspects, and he has a keen sense for finding the real story behind words and body language. Vasquez was born in Mexico and moved to Nogales when he was 16-years-old. He has been a police officer for seven years and a K-9 officer for one.
Officer John Zuniga aka "Captain Chaos" and K-9 "Tesko"
Wherever Zuniga goes, action follows. He is the team's weapons expert and gets an "A+" in aggression. He has been a police officer for 13 years and a K-9 handler for four. He's lived in Nogales for 34 years and will never call any other place home.
Officer Christian Flores aka "Patron" and K-9 "Thorpe"
Officer Flores is the boss, but he's a surprisingly mild-mannered guy. Respected for his excellent judgment and calm demeanor in even the most dangerous situations, Flores was born and raised in Nogales and has been a K-9 officer for six years.
Officer Oscar Mesta II aka "Crash" and K-9 "Ari"
Mesta is the joker. He's never short of a funny story or a witty line, but he's dead serious when it comes to protecting Nogales. Mesta is a new K-9 officer and before working at Nogales Police Department, he was living in Tucson working as a sheriff's deputy.
"Hell on the Border" officers see it all from high-risk drug busts, human trafficking and gunrunners to cash smuggling and a runaway bull downtown. Exploits seen in the all-new series include: a death-defying escape artist, apprehending a gang of possible cartel cash smugglers and the confiscation of bundles of dope worth nearly $100,000.
"Hell on the Border" is produced for Animal Planet by Hoff Productions. Michael Hoff is the executive producer for Hoff Productions, and Dawn Sinsel is the executive producer for Animal Planet.