Quick Info
| Profession | Investigative journalist, correspondent and filmmaker |
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| Nationality | Portuguese-American |
| Date of Birth | 07/05/1976 |
| Age | 50 years |
| Birthplace | Cascais, Portugal |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
Latest News about Mariana van Zeller
National Geographic announced Super Scam Me, a one-hour investigative special in which Mariana van Zeller goes undercover as the target of a romance scam. She builds an online dating persona, teams up with a white-hat hacker, and confronts a scammer posing as a four-star general. The special was produced by Muck Media and is set to air in October 2026.
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller won seven News & Documentary Emmy Awards and earned 25 nominations for its final season. Nat Geo's win was among the most-awarded results at the 2026 News Emmys, with the series leading all programs in wins.
Mariana van Zeller launched The Hidden Third, a new independent production company, to keep the Trafficked production team together. The company follows the end of Trafficked, which concluded its run on National Geographic in September 2025.
Mosaic signed Mariana van Zeller for representation in all areas, including television, film and new media. The agency described her as an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning investigative journalist, producer and filmmaker.
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Portuguese-American journalist and filmmaker known for investigations into global black and gray markets, trafficking, and organized crime. She is the host and executive producer of National Geographic's Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller and hosts the podcast The Hidden Third. She is also a co-founder of the production company Muck Media and was signed by the agency Mosaic in January 2026 for representation across television, film and new media. |
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| Languages |
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Educational Qualification(s)
| Master's | Master's degree in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism |
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| Bachelor's | Bachelor's degree from Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa |
Personal Life
| Residence | Los Angeles, United States |
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Relationships & More
| Spouse | Darren Foster |
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| Professional partner | Darren Foster, producing partner |
Family
| Spouse | Darren Foster |
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| Children | Vasco |
Career
| Early career | Began in Portugal in the travel and international departments of television networks, then worked at SIC Notícias as a producer and correspondent |
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| Columbia University | Moved to the United States to study journalism at Columbia University |
| Vanguard | Former correspondent for the Vanguard documentary series on Current TV |
| Fusion | Served as chief correspondent for Fusion until the channel ceased operations in December 2021 |
| National Geographic | Correspondent for National Geographic Channel; host and executive producer of Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, which ended its run in September 2025 |
| Breaking Borders | Hosted Travel Channel's Breaking Borders alongside chef Michael Voltaggio |
| Chasing El Chapo | Hosted and produced the documentary Chasing El Chapo (2015) |
| Notable works |
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| Awards |
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| Muck Media | Co-founder of the Los Angeles and Lisbon-based production company Muck Media |
| The Hidden Third | Launched The Hidden Third, an independent media company, in 2026, and hosts the podcast of the same name, which started in October 2025 |
| Super Scam Me | Host of the National Geographic one-hour investigative special, scheduled to premiere in October 2026 |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Applied to Columbia University's journalism master's program three times before being accepted | |
| 2. Reported on the 9/11 attacks about one month into her Columbia program | |
| 3. Spent years trying to interview drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman before actor Sean Penn reported on him | |
| 4. Her series Trafficked set a record as the most Emmy-nominated unscripted series in history |
Social Media