She developed a friendship with her neighbor and began smoking marijuana with him. Later, she determined that she might be living among drug dealers and attempted to become involved in drug trafficking activities. Her neighbor turned out to be a member of a drug smuggling group that imported a ton of marijuana and 40 kilos of cocaine every few months. The author collected information on the life histories of drug dealers she met using taped interviews with an unstructured, open-ended format. She developed personal relationships through socializing with drug dealing and smuggling group members. The establishment of relationships involved a covert role with some individuals and building trust. Problems encountered in the course of research included the effects of drugs on the data collection process, dangerous or risky situations, fear of the police, and the potential for cultural clashes with research subjects. By studying criminals in their natural environment, the author was able to research them in their surrounding subculture rather than in the artificial setting of a prison. 31 references and 8 notes