In late 1970s America, a TWA pilot named Barry Seal finds himself bored with his routine life and seeks greater thrills and a more lucrative income. His opportunity for transformation arrives when he's recruited by a mysterious CIA operative known as "Schafer." Schafer gives Barry a mission: to covertly take aerial reconnaissance photos of communist insurgents in Central America. Seeing a chance for excitement and financial gain, Barry takes the job, leaving his commercial pilot days behind. As he gets involved with his CIA missions, Barry quickly becomes entangled in a complex web that spans illicit activities and governmental espionage.

Soon after, Barry's work catches the eye of the notorious Medellín Cartel, led by Pablo Escobar. The drug lords see Barry's flights as an opportunity to smuggle cocaine into the United States. Torn between the law and criminality, Barry decides to exploit the situation to his advantage, smuggling drugs on his return flights from Central America. He builds a massive operation that earns him countless riches. As Barry tries to balance his life as a spy, a drug trafficker, and a family man, he gets drawn deeper into a world where he’s both a key player and a pawn in a larger geopolitical game—one that involves everyone from the White House to the jungles of South America.