If you’re a fan of the suspenseful storytelling found in true-crime docuseries or the captivating underworld narratives akin to *Narcos*, you’ll want to explore [*Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft*](https://www.netflix.com/title/81614967), a fresh [Netflix](https://bgr.com/tag/netflix/) docuseries hailing from France. It chronicles an astonishing real-life drug operation that seems almost too outrageous to be true: In 2013, Dominican officials intercepted a private jet ready to take off for France, uncovering 26 suitcases packed with over 1,500 pounds of cocaine.
Interestingly, among the passengers were two esteemed French pilots with military histories.
Thus begins the extraordinary real-life story presented in the Netflix series by journalist-directors Olivier Bouchara and Jérôme Pierrat. *Cocaine Air* differentiates itself from other true-crime documentaries by refraining from providing a straightforward conclusion, instead prompting viewers to form their own judgments: Were pilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos aware of the contents of the 26 suitcases? Or were the legal representatives of both men justified in their claims that they were merely piloting the aircraft, oblivious to the cargo they were carrying (akin to taxi drivers who might not know who or what is entering their cab)?
> “Sometimes, we’d think, ‘Maybe they knew.’ Other times, we doubted everything.”
>
> -Cocaine Air co-director Olivier Bouchara
Complicating matters further: Both individuals had spotless records and military experience, having once transported nuclear arms. Following their arrest in the Dominican Republic in 2013, they managed to flee by boat two years later. They faced conviction in 2019 but were later acquitted in 2021. “When you’re innocent, you almost turn yourself in,” Odos reflects at a moment in the series, [as reported by *Time* magazine](https://time.com/7292948/cocaine-air-netflix-true-story/), attempting to express his innocence.
For what it’s worth, both men were regarded in France as veterans and family men, not drug traffickers. Supporters even rallied to defend them.
Nonetheless, investigator Christine Saunier-Ruellan identified warning signs in communications such as texts stating “nature of cargo confirmed,” as well as Google inquiries regarding drug legislation and a questionable flight record. However, no definitive evidence emerged.
“What she had were indications,” *Cocaine Air* co-director Olivier Bouchara stated to *Time*. Adding to the peculiarity of this entire tale, even former French president Nicolas Sarkozy features in the narrative at one point. His phone was monitored during the investigation due to previous flights on the same aircraft.
The filmmakers assert their uncertainty regarding the pilots’ involvement or potential deception. As Bouchara expresses, “Sometimes, we’d think, ‘Maybe they knew.’ Other times, we doubted everything.” Hence, *Cocaine Air* does not culminate in a neat conclusion. Its thrilling storyline keeps you engaged and guessing throughout, making it a unique docuseries that does not dictate your thoughts. It’s no surprise that it ranks #2 on the Netflix weekly Top 10 list of the most-watched non-English series as of this writing.
## More French true-crime to stream on Netflix
Once you’ve finished *Cocaine Air*, if you find yourself craving additional French true-crime narratives, Netflix offers a robust selection to explore. *[The Outreau Case: A French Nightmare](https://www.netflix.com/title/81368117)* revisits one of the most unsettling judicial scandals in France’s modern history. *[Lords of Scam](https://www.netflix.com/title/81092697)* delves into a remarkable tax fraud scheme featuring characters straight out of a noir thriller, while *[The Masked Scammer](https://www.netflix.com/title/81512109)* recounts the tale of a con artist who deceived French high society with style.
