Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4020 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JUNE 2016 by Jaclyn Barrientes T he National Law En- forcement Museum recently presented the 13th installment of its popular “Witness to History” panel discussion series. Held at the U.S. Navy Memorial’s Burke Theatre, guests enjoyed a fascinating program that detailed spe- cific accounts from agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the California Department of Justice who helped take down one of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Arellano Félix Organization (AFO) was one of the most powerful drug trafficking cartels in Mexico. They brutally controlled the drug trade in Tijuana through murder, torture, and extreme violence. National Law Enforce- ment Officers Memorial Fund President and CEO Craig W. Floyd introduced moderator Dr. Nathan Jones, an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University in Hunts- ville, Texas. The panel included Agent Juan Martinez, who currently serves as a Resident Agent in Charge in Tijuana and supervises the on-going inves- tigations of drug trafficking networks in northern Mexico. Agent Alan Hargrove (re- tired) was a lead agent in the investigation of the Arellano Félix Organization. Agent Manuel Castañón, a case agent for Operation United Eagles – an effort to apprehend dangerous cartel members operating or living in Mexico – was there too. Agent Stephen Duncan from the California Depart- ment of Justice, a member of the Arellano Félix task force for more than 17 years, was also there, along with Agent Castañón. He was in charge of the Arellano Félix hotline for tips on the organization. He described how one good tip led to the important operation titled United Eagles. “This was in 2003. Crooks always give the U.S. gov- ernment a lot more credit than what’s really out there,” Agent Castañón joked to the audience. “They assume that we have this bank of operators just waiting for the phone calls like a telethon. In real- ity when you call the 1-800 number, I would answer the phone.” Agent Martinez spoke about the capture of Javier Arellano Félix while he was fishing on a yacht off the coast of Baja California in August 2006. “So much of life is tim- ing and luck,” he said as he described the difficulty in getting real-time information from their Mexican counter- parts. “But Martinez happened to be available to interpret an English message for a Span- ish-speaking agent, thereby learning Javier Arellano Fé- lix’s location. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter was sent in to intercept the boat that contained the drug trafficker.” The Museum’s “Witness to History” program began all the way back in June of 2011. Since the inaugural event, 12 more have been pre- sented. Video recordings and photos from this event are available to view on the Museum’s website. Jaclyn Barrientes is the com- munications and digital media manager at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. How the DEA won against a cartel Left to right: Moderator: Dr. Nathan Jones, Agent Juan Martinez, Agent Alan Hargrove (retired), Agent Manuel Castañón, Agent Stephen Duncan.