Mariana
van Zeller
Journalist · Filmmaker · Speaker
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Journalist · Filmmaker · Speaker
Exciting news coming soon. Stay connected.
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About
Mariana van Zeller is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and filmmaker — the host and executive producer of National Geographic's Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller and The Hidden Third podcast.
Over five seasons, Trafficked has offered an unprecedented look at global black markets and trafficking networks. In 2025, the series set an all-time record as the most Emmy-nominated unscripted series in history with 29 Emmy nominations, winning four. Known for her bold and empathetic reporting, Mariana has become a leading authority on what economists call "the hidden third" — the multi-trillion dollar black and gray markets that comprise up to a third of the global economy.
Born and raised in Portugal, she moved to the U.S. to study journalism at Columbia University. One month into the program, she was reporting on 9/11 — an event that set the course for the type of reporting she wanted to do.
TV Series
An unprecedented and nuanced look at global black markets and trafficking networks. Now in its fifth season on National Geographic.
Mariana has led groundbreaking investigations into the opioid crisis, immigration, the global scamming industry, and dozens of other black market operations across six continents.
Podcast
A weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand — the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all.
Subscribe on YouTubeGuest Suggestions — thehiddenthird@gmail.com
Muck Media
Co-founded by Mariana van Zeller, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini, Jeff Plunkett, and Alex Simmons. Muck Media produces award-winning documentaries and series.
Emmy and Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary following high school students as they compete at the International Science Fair.
The beloved Netflix documentary about Walter Mercado, the legendary Puerto Rican astrologer who captivated audiences worldwide.
The critically acclaimed documentary exploring the largest pill mill in American history and its role in the opioid epidemic.
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