The speaker was born in Mexico and emigrated to the United States. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and worked for the Ogden Standard Examiner, the El Paso Herald, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2007, he received the María Moors Cabot Prize in recognition of his courage in reporting on U.S.-Mexico relations. This award is presented annually by the Columbia University School of Journalism. In 2009 , he was named a Nieman Fellow, allowing him to participate in a program that offers journalists the opportunity to attend Harvard University for one year to renew their intellectual curiosity and enrich their knowledge of the topics they typically cover.
Corchado continuously investigates drug trafficking, police and government corruption, the disappearance of women, and the rise of organized crime among Mexican cartels in U.S. cities. He has exposed Los Zetas, former Mexican military commandos who now work for drug lords. He has written about mass murders that no one has dared to discuss and has obtained videos of executions and arrests in Ciudad Juárez.