Sam Quinones is an American journalist and author based in Los Angeles, California. He has written four books of narrative nonfiction, establishing himself as an important voice in investigative journalism. Quinones is best known for his extensive reporting on Mexico and Mexican communities in the United States. His work has also focused significantly on the opioid crisis in America, bringing attention to this public health emergency through in-depth narrative journalism. Among his notable works is Dreamland, published in 2015, which examines the opioid epidemic. He followed this with The Least of Us in 2021, continuing his investigation into this critical issue.