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     Mexican Drug Cartel Investigations
"Aggressive Tactics for Local Law Enforcement"

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Course Presenter: Narcotic Instructor

Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations are impacting communities in nearly every city in the United States.  This problem can no longer be viewed as a “Border Issue.”  The majority of the drugs distributed and consumed in the U.S. originate in Mexico.  The Cartel leaders have strategically formed relationships with American Street gangs to flood the streets with illicit drugs.

The smuggling routes utilized by the Cartels do not stop once the drugs make it across the U.S./Mexican Border.  That is simply the first step.  It is important for Local law enforcement officers to understand the precise smuggling routes of drugs entering their cities; however, it is paramount that officers learn to identify the methods used by the cartels to distribute drugs in their communities.In an effort to aggressively target drug trafficking organizations, local law enforcement officers need to gain a better understanding of the true structure and operational components of the Cartels and how the Mexican Drug War impacts local cities in the U.S. on a daily basis.
   
The violence perpetrated by the Cartels has reached an unprecedented level in the United States.  Kidnappings, home invasions, murders, and attacks on local law enforcement officers are occurring on a daily basis.  Aggressive tactics will be presented to combat this violence.This course does not focus on statistical data or other information easily obtained through online searches regarding Mexican Drug Cartels.  The information presented is based on the instructor’s unique experience in conducting long-term undercover operations, wire tap intercepts, and debriefings of suspects directly linked to various Mexican Drug Cartels. 

This training course will assist local law enforcement officers learn how to identify, target, infiltrate, and prosecute Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations operating in their perspective cities.  Gaining a true understanding of the “Drug Trafficking Pyramid” will lead to more arrests as well as larger seizures of drugs, currency, and assets. 

Topics Covered

  •  Structure of Mexican Drug Cartels
  •  Mexican Drug Cartels’ Connection to American Street Gangs & Local Drug Dealers
  •  Understanding the “Drug Trafficking Pyramid”
  • Identification Local Smuggling Routes
  •  Concealment Methods
  •  Counter-surveillance Techniques
  •  Cultivating High-level Informants
  •   Techniques to Infiltrate the Cartels
  •  Practical Wire Tap Investigations to Dismantle Cartel Distribution Cells
  • Aggressive Tactics to Combat the Violence
  • Case studies of classic “Cartel Hits” in America
  • “Sanctioned Hits” on Local Law Enforcement Officers

Mid-Level Narcotic Investigations (3 Day Course)

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Course Presenter: National Training Instructor

Mid-Level Narcotic dealers are often over looked by law enforcement agencies across the country.  Local police departments spend a great deal of time arresting the same street-level dealers over and over again.  Federal agencies primarily target upper-level drug organizations trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, PCP, and Methamphetamine.  These enforcement strategies leave a tremendous void in targeting mid-level drug organizations that are flooding the communities with drugs.Basic narcotic training courses focus on drug identification, types of informants, operational planning, and search warrant execution.  Advanced narcotic training courses focus on drug cartels, money laundering, complex conspiracy investigations, and wiretap cases.  While these two types of training programs are a necessary part of drug enforcement, there is a considerable gap in the training available to undercover law enforcement officers that target mid-level drug dealers.  This training course will teach officers how to identify, target, infiltrate, and prosecute drug organizations that often go undetected.
     
This course will also focus on ways to proactively take firearms off the street.  Techniques will be presented to teach officers how to purchase firearms in an undercover capacity.
  
In an effort to prevent history from repeating itself, case studies will be presented on undercover operations that erupted in violence.                                                
                                                                                                                                     
This training curriculum was developed to target mid-level drug dealers using all available resources including both state and federal narcotic and firearm laws.  All of the material presented in this course is based solely on methods and techniques that have been extremely effective in previous undercover operations.  Learn from an instructor who has infiltrated numerous mid-level drug groups, and knows how to attack every aspect of the group to dismantle the entire organization.   
                                                                                                                  
Topics Covered
  • Mid-Level Enforcement Philosophy 
  • Structure of Drug Organizations (Crack Cocaine, PCP, Heroin, Meth)
  • Building a Conspiracy Investigation
  • Overview of Federal Sentencing Guidelines
  • Search Warrant Affidavit Preparatioin
  •  Intelligence Gathering Techniques
  • Uses of Pen Registers
  • Introduction to Wire Tap Investigations
  • Overview of OCDETF Investigations
  • Case Management
  •  Initiating Undercover Operations
  • Violence in Undercover Operations
  •  Undercover Officers Killed in Line of Duty
  • Conducting Firearm Investigations
  • Informant Management and Control
  • Psychological Effects on UC officers
  • Ethics and Integrity in Drug Investigations

Patrol Officer Drug Investigations (2 Day Course)

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Course Presenter: National Training Instructor

Drug-related crimes are impacting every community across the United States.  Law enforcement agencies devote a tremendous amount of resources to combat illegal narcotic activity.  Uniform patrol officers are in a prime position to target drug offenders.  From the drug addict, to the upper-level dealers, patrol officers must be prepared to handle these unpredictable criminals

There are various techniques and tactics that patrol officers can utilize to be more effective at arresting drug violators.  The officers must be familiar with basic drug identification as well as search and seizure case law.Knock & Talk operations, when conducted properly, can be a very successful tactic to combat illegal narcotic trafficking.  Officers must receive proper training and understand the limitations of knock & talks in order for this tactic to be effective.All too often, drug dealers are arrested, prosecuted, and found "not guilty" due to poor report writing or officer testimony in court. 
   
Proper report writing and courtroom testimony are necessary to secure a conviction and send the drug violator to prison.  Officers will receive tips for testifying along with terminology that should be included in drug arrest reports.
Narcotic investigations are extremely dangerous in nature.  Patrol officers often encounter armed drug traffickers who are willing to protect their drug stashes at all costs.  Officer safety concerns while investigating drug offenses will be studied.
     
This 2 day training course will teach patrol officers proven techniques that will assist them in investigating narcotic offenses in their communities.  After attending this course, patrol officers will have the resources and training to seize larger quantities of drugs, firearms, and currency. 
 
Topics Covered
  • Drug Identification
  • Field-Test Procedures 
  • Search and Seizure Case Law
  •  Knock & Talk Operations
  • Consent Searches
  • Vehicle Stops &Terry Frisks
  • Uniformed Foot Surveillance
  • Report Writing
  •  Courtroom Testimony
  • Responding to Drug House Complaints
  • Violent Encounters With Drug Violators
   

Introduction to Undercover Operations

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Course Presenter: Multiple Instructors

Undercover narcotic operations are a necessary tool to effectively target drug dealers operating in every communitiy within the United States.  Successful undercover operations allow law enforcement officers to covertly gather evidence of a crime, or interrupt the planning of criminal activities before the suspects have an opportunity to commit the crime.  The most common type of undercover operations utilized by police agencies involves narcotic enforcement.

                                                                                      

All too often, police departments fail to provide their newly assigned "Narcotic Investigators" with any type of training prior to the investigator starting undercover work.  While this practice was common in the 70's, 80's, and early 90's, it can lead to serious mistakes that can cost an officer their job, their freedom, or their life.
                                           
This four day training course was designed to provide undercover officers with current methods and techniques to safely initiate undercover operations.  Practical application involving scenario based training is included in this training program. 
                          
Topics Covered 
  • Drug Identification
  • Field-Testing Procedures (Receive certification from Narco Pouch)
  • Use and Control of Informants
  • Search Warrant Preparation
  • Knock and Talk Considerations
  • Surveillance Techniques 
  •  Uses of Electronic Surveillance
  • Undercover Role Preparation (Mental mindset, choice of gun, alternate weapon, identification, cover story, ...etc)
  • Street-Level Drug Buys (Violent encounters, open air drug sales, cold knock considerations, informant introductions, ...etc. )
  • Encounters with Armed Drug Dealers
  • Ethics & Integrity during Narcotic Investigations
  • Psychological Challenges for Undercover Officers
Club Drugs & the Club Scene (3 Day Course)
                                                                                     
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Course Presenter: Barry Ragsdale

 
“Club Drugs & the Club Scene” is designed to teach law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and probation office about the various types of designer drugs being utilized in the “Club Scene”, formally referred to as “Raves”.  These types of drugs are very prominent in our society with little being done by law enforcement to curtail the problem due to lack of knowledge about the drugs and the scene.  In the past, “Club Drugs” were often overlooked by law enforcement possibly due to the lack of violence associated with these types of drugs.  Rest assured, “Club Drugs” are seen in every aspect of the drug world and have crossed all racial and socio-economic boundaries as we are now seeing MDMA/Ecstasy, Xanax, and others in methamphetamine, crack, and marijuana houses on a regular basis. 
                                                                                                                                                                                                 
The “Club Scene” is becoming increasingly violent as numerous large-scale drug trafficking organizations are recognizing the potential profit and return on investment with these “Club Drugs”.  As the danger increases, undercover narcotics officers and surveillance personnel in particular need to become more knowledgeable about this evolving drug scene in order to operate in a safer manner. 
                                                                                                                     
In this two and a half day training course, students will learn to identify the various types of “Club Drugs”, trafficking methods, paraphernalia, event planning, and organizational structure utilized by these “Club Drug” enterprises.Officers will be exposed to various methods of investigation utilized in the recent past to identify, target, infiltrate, and prosecute “Club Drug” organizations.  Students will receive instruction on confidential informants (CI’s) and web sites that can be utilized to further their investigations into members of these organizations, as well as monitoring the types of products being introduced into communities across the country.  
                                                                                                                                                
As we continue to observe the utilization of the “Pretty People” to enhance the profits realized by these “Club Drug” Organizations, we must discuss “Ethics” and “Integrity” in an attempt minimize the exposure to undercover officers and probation officers having regular contact with these individuals.

Topics Covered
  •  Overview of the Various Types of Club Drugs (Ecstasy, Xanax,..etc)
  • Common Paraphernalia Associated with Club Drugs
  • Methods Utilized to Manufacture GHB
  • Trafficking Methods
  • Organizational Structure Utilized by these "Club Drug" Enterprises
  • Utilization of Confidential Informants
  • Monitoring of Popular Websites
  • Violence Associated with the Club Scene
  • Surveillance Techniques
  • Methods Utilized to Launder the Drug Proceeds
  • Preparation of Search Warrants
  • Ethics & Integrity to Minimize Exposure of Undercover Officers