Mariana van Zeller is a renowned and accomplished correspondent and investigative journalist, celebrated for her outstanding work in the field of documentary filmmaking and storytelling.
As the host and executive producer of National Geographic's original documentary series "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller", she delves into the intricate and often perilous inner workings of the global underworld, exploring smuggling networks, black markets, and informal trade.
Throughout her illustrious career, Mariana has received numerous prestigious awards for her reporting, including the DuPont Award for her 2016 investigation "Death by Fentanyl", which tracked the pharmaceutical and clandestine sources of the deadly opioid.
Her groundbreaking report "Rape on the Reservation" earned her the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, while her documentary on prescription drug abuse and pill trafficking, "The OxyContin Express", received a Peabody Award, a Television Academy Honor, and an Emmy nomination.
In 2011, Mariana began covering the drug war in Mexico, attempting to interview notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, only to be outmaneuvered by actor Sean Penn. As a consolation, Penn reported that he and Guzman discussed Mariana's 2015 documentary, "Chasing El Chapo", in which she traveled to El Chapo's hometown in the mountains of Sinaloa.
In addition to her work on "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller", she has also hosted Travel Channel's "Breaking Borders", where she embarked on a journey to conflict zones around the world alongside acclaimed chef Michael Voltaggio.
Mariana's journalism career began in her native Portugal, before she relocated to the United States to attend Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, where she met her husband and producing partner Darren Foster. The couple resides in Los Angeles with their son Vasco, and Mariana is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, and French.
