The Betrayal, starring Bryan Cranston, could bring production to Tampa

Robert Mazur, undercover agent and bestselling author of The Infiltrator, has a new book coming out, The Betrayal, which tells the riveting true story of grave corruption at the heart of one of the most explosive DEA missions of his career. When his first work of nonfiction, The Infiltrator, was optioned, director Brad Furman, and leading man Bryan Cranston, brought part of the production to Tampa and the greater Tampa area. That could be in the works as Amazon Studios has optioned The Betrayal. Tampa Bay Times reporter Paul Guzzo reports that Mazur prefers to use authentic locales, so odds are the production will find its way home.

To celebrate the book, Mazur will host an event at Tampa Theatre on August 27. Here’s the official announcement: Tampa Theatre and Oxford Exchange are proud to announce an intimate conversation with bestselling author Robert Mazur, discussing his new book, The Betrayal, at 2:00pm Saturday, Aug. 27, moderated by former WTVT-FOX 13 news anchor John Wilson.

Bringing The Betrayal to the city of Tampa

Reminder for those in attendance: filming and photography are strictly forbidden. For security reasons, Robert Mazur has never previously appeared publicly, and will likely not appear publicly again. 

Mazur has earned global acclaim as one of the world’s leading experts on the financial escapades of the underworld. For years – in the eyes of organized crime leaders, at least – he was a highly successful, mob-connected money launderer who helped manage their illicit fortunes. But some of the most famous and deadly drug cartel bosses on his client list offered a $1/2 million price tag for his head when arrests were made around the world and Mazur was revealed to be a highly-trained U.S. federal undercover agent.

Robert’s new book chronicles what happened next: a second two-year undercover assignment he carried out subsequent to the events in The Infiltrator. The Betrayal focuses not only on his infiltration of money launderers, corrupt bankers, and drug kingpins in Colombia’s Cali Cartel, but also addresses his near death at the hands of a law enforcement colleague who secretly compromised his undercover identity to the underworld.

A rare opportunity to see Mazur in person

In 2014, the Hillsborough County Commission put together a local incentive package amounting to $250,000 to lure The Infiltrator to the city for a little over a week. HCP, a research marketing firm in Tampa, reported that in that eight day span the film had an economic impact of $957,020. The analysis found that Hillsborough took in $490,192 in direct expenditures, $145,942 of indirect spending, and $320,886 from an “induced effect” to the local economy.  

Odds are the film of the sequel would provide a similar major benefit to the city of Tampa.

Those interested in attending the event at Tampa Theatre can reserve tickets online.

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