Beyond The Barrel Podcast

Former Investigative Police Commander Roberto Ortiz spent his career going toward the danger others were trying to escape.

From organized crime and homicide investigations to kidnappings, extortion, narcotics, intelligence operations, and high-risk arrests, Roberto served on the front lines of some of Mexico’s most dangerous law-enforcement operations.

Then one operation changed everything… 

After fellow officers were attacked and kidnapped, Roberto returned to duty alongside his team. During a subsequent operation, he was struck from behind by a vehicle while positioned along a highway.

The injuries were catastrophic. Roberto lost both legs above the knee, suffered massive blood loss, spent approximately a week in a coma, and remained hospitalized for more than a month. He survived but survival was only the beginning.

On this episode of Beyond The Barrel, Roberto shares the story behind the badge: his rise from the private sector to Investigative Police Commander, the realities of confronting organized crime in Mexico, the officers he lost along the way, the incident that nearly took his life, and the fight to rebuild himself afterward.

We talk about learning to walk again on prosthetic legs, the impact on his wife and family, faith, identity, leadership, survivor’s guilt, gratitude, and what happens when the career that helped define you suddenly looks completely different.

Most importantly, Roberto explains why he chose to return to public service.

Today, he serves as an Intelligence Coordinator with the State Attorney General’s Office of Chihuahua, bringing his experience as both an investigator and operational commander into a new mission.

This isn’t simply a story about losing both legs...

It’s a story about what couldn’t be taken from him: Purpose. Faith. Family. Service. And the decision to keep moving forward. His body changed. His mission didn’t. From Commander to Warrior of Life, this is Roberto Ortiz’s story.

Timestamps: 

02:20 – Becoming a Cop 

11:21 – Elite Police Unit 

15:09 – Police Corruption 

23:04 – Cartel Operations 

34:00 – Deadly Ambush 

37:33 – Life-Changing Attack 

41:39 – Losing Both Legs 

55:52 – Road to Recovery 

1:21:38 – Cartel Threats

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This week on Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with veteran K-9 handler and trainer Justin Featherly.

Justin has spent 17 years in law enforcement, beginning his career with the San Diego Police Department in 2009. In 2015, he earned a spot in the K-9 Unit, where he spent the next seven years as a handler and trainer. During his time with SDPD, Justin worked two patrol and article detection dogs while developing extensive experience in K-9 deployments, training, and real-world street work.

In 2022, Justin and his wife of 21 years, Kayleigh, packed up their lives and moved to Idaho with their five children. Today, Justin continues to serve as a K-9 handler and trainer, working a dual-purpose patrol and narcotics detection dog.

We dive into Justin’s journey from San Diego to Idaho, nearly two decades behind the badge, the realities of being a K-9 handler, training patrol dogs, and the lessons that can only come from years of working dogs on the street.

This is more than K-9 work it’s the story behind the handler.

If you’re a K-9 handler, aspiring handler, trainer, or simply want to understand what life behind the leash really looks like, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Watch the full episode, drop your biggest takeaway in the comments, and share it with someone in the K-9 community. And make sure you follow and subscribe to Beyond the Barrel because the stories behind the badge deserve to be heard.

Timestamps: 

02:07 – Meet Justin 

03:26 – Leaving San Diego 

12:29 – Becoming a K9 Handler 

17:42 – School Shooting Experience

23:32 – Selecting Police Dogs 

32:31 – First K9 Partner 

37:10 – Working Multiple Dogs 

48:30 – Dual Purpose K9s 

57:23 – K9 Misconceptions

01:15:43 – Defining Justice

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After more than 30 years in law enforcement, retired Captain Sonny F. Garcia knows that some of the toughest battles an officer faces never happen on the street.

Sonny’s career spans state and federal service, with experience as a Deputy, State Trooper, SRT operator, bomb technician, federal criminal investigator, and federal polygraph examiner. He also holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology.

But this episode of Beyond the Barrel goes beyond the résumé.

After witnessing firsthand the struggles law-enforcement officers and first responders often carry in silence, Sonny created A Warrior’s Tale, a resilience program built around confronting the battles that too often remain unseen.

Sonny shares his journey through more than three decades behind the badge, the experiences that shaped his perspective on fear and courage, and why he believes no officer should have to fight their darkest battles alone.

At the center of his mission is faith and a simple purpose:

Using God’s grace to save one officer at a time.

And a message every warrior needs to hear:

“There is no courage without fear.”

This is a conversation about the badge, the battles behind it, faith, resilience, and finding the courage to ask for help.

Watch, listen, and share this episode with a first responder who needs to hear it.

Timestamps: 

05:36 – Childhood Trauma

11:29 – Meeting His Father

14:48 – Brother’s Suicide

24:22 – Warrior’s Tale

32:22 – Losing Duffy

38:04 – Saving an Officer

50:18 – Choosing Family

56:13 – Sonny’s Breaking Point

1:23:03 – Defining Justice

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What happens when an active interdiction officer sits down with a former Arizona State Trooper and interdiction officer who left law enforcement and entered the cannabis world?

AJ, host of the Blue to Green Podcast, joins me for a conversation that probably won’t make everyone in law enforcement comfortable.

We come at recreational and medical marijuana from different perspectives—and we don’t shy away from the disagreement.

We talk about the contradiction of a profession that has historically accepted alcohol while continuing to draw a hard line on cannabis. We discuss whether law enforcement officers should ever be permitted to use medical marijuana, what legalization means for policing, and how decades of marijuana enforcement have shaped how cops view cannabis.

But this conversation goes much deeper than weed.

We talk about poor leadership, stress, mental health, and the drinking culture that still exists throughout law enforcement. Too many great cops reach the end of their careers early because alcohol, stress, or poor decisions lead them into situations that violate policy or the law.

Then AJ opens up about his own experience with PTSD and his journey into psychedelic-assisted treatment.

This isn’t someone looking at the profession from the outside. AJ wore the badge, worked interdiction, enforced drug laws, and lived the stresses of the profession.

Two men who spent years interdicting drugs. Two different perspectives on marijuana.

And one question law enforcement eventually has to confront:

If an officer can legally drink alcohol off duty, should that same officer be allowed to legally use marijuana—or explore psychedelic-assisted treatment for legitimate medical purposes?

Timestamps: 

03:14 - AJ’s Story

07:08 - Cannabis Discovery

15:45 - Cannabis Debate

30:18 - Cannabis Research

44:23 - Medicating vs. Impairment

55:12 - Career Fallout

59:17 - Rock Bottom

1:05:16 - Psilocybin Journey

1:44:15 - Letting Go

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Keith Shibley spent more than two decades in law enforcement—working patrol, investigations, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and responding to major critical incidents, including the Washington Navy Yard shooting and the 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River.

But this episode isn’t about what Keith accomplished on the job. It’s about what happened when the job followed him home—and how he fought his way back.

After an injury, prescription medication became part of Keith’s life. What began as pain management eventually contributed to a battle with opiates and alcohol that changed his personality, damaged relationships, and deeply affected his family.

Keith speaks openly about addiction, guilt, accountability, recovery, and the wife and family who refused to give up on him.

This is ultimately a redemption story—about rebuilding trust, repairing relationships, and refusing to let your worst chapter define the rest of your life.

We also confront a difficult question in law enforcement: What happens when an officer finally admits they need help?

Asking for help shouldn’t erase decades of honorable service. Keith’s story shows why support, accountability, and second chances matter.

This is a conversation about addiction, family, leadership, accountability, forgiveness—and ultimately, redemption.

No scripts. No agendas. Just authentic conversations with those who’ve lived it.

This is Beyond The Barrel.

Timestamps: 

15:08 – Becoming a Cop 

31:32 – Richmond Patrol 

39:23 – Hidden Trauma 

49:30 – Calls That Haunt 

54:26 – Navy Yard Shooting 

58:28 – Addiction Begins 

1:06:19 – Family Intervention 

1:17:48 – Helping Others 

1:35:39 – Lessons Learned

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What can someone’s body tell you before they ever say a word?

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Nearly 23 years as a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent. Fifteen years in special operations. Four presidential administrations. Missions across the world where failure simply wasn’t an option.

But what does that level of service actually cost the person behind the badge—and the people waiting for them at home?

On this episode of Beyond The Barrel, we go far beyond executive protection, presidential details, and high-stakes operations. We have an incredibly candid conversation about the personal price of spending a career at the beck and call of the federal government, sometimes with little to no notice.

We talk about the birthdays missed, plans canceled, relationships strained, and the countless times the mission came before your spouse, children, family, and friends. At the time, you tell yourself it’s part of the job. Years later, you may find yourself carrying the guilt of realizing just how often the people you loved took a back seat to the profession.

And that struggle doesn’t necessarily end when the career does.

We dive into how to recognize and cope with that guilt while you’re still serving, how to rebuild priorities and relationships after the job, and how to find an identity and purpose when the phone finally stops ringing.

We also discuss leadership, resilience, ego, redemption, and the lessons behind Hallways and Stairwells—a book about confronting the human ego and finding a path toward resiliency, redemption, and personal freedom.

This isn’t just a conversation about an extraordinary Secret Service career.

It’s about what happens when serving everyone else means the people closest to you—and sometimes even yourself—come second.

No scripts. No agendas. Just authentic conversations with those who’ve lived it.

This is Beyond The Barrel.

Timestamps: 

03:02 – September 11th 

11:21 – Secret Service 

20:22 – Agent Training 

25:35 – Career Sacrifices 

35:44 – Family & Guilt 

41:31 – Leadership Philosophy 

51:15 – Counter Assault Team 

01:06:59 – Writing the Book 

01:11:36 – Presidential Threats

Links to John’s Socials

Linkedin: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-constantine-754b65380?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/john.constantineonezero?utm_source=qr

If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram:

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Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Jenn Benjamins joins Beyond the Barrel to share the incredible experiences that shaped her 22-year law enforcement career. From working undercover against organized crime, narcotics, human trafficking, and vice, to leading specialized investigative units and supporting officers through peer support, Jenn has seen nearly every side of policing.

Now the founder of Covert Blue LLC, Jenn trains law enforcement professionals across the country on undercover operations, leadership, investigations, and officer wellness. In this episode, we dive into the realities of undercover work, the challenges of leadership, the importance of taking care of officers, and the lessons she’s learned both on and off the job.

No scripts. No agendas. Just authentic conversations with those who’ve lived it.

Timestamps: 

06:19 - Becoming a Cop 

15:19 - Vice Begins 

19:13 - First Undercover 

35:51 - Undercover Mindset 

44:21 - Darkest Case 

57:08 - Deep Undercover 

1:09:24 - Why She Retired 

1:19:03 - The Mental Toll 

1:26:30 - Undercover Advice

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The Badge Doesn’t Make You Bulletproof

In this episode of Beyond The Barrel, we sit down with Robyn a Maine police officer, K9 handler, single mom, and someone who refuses to stop growing when life gets difficult.

Robyn has served in law enforcement since 2011, following a path shaped by a family rooted in police and military service, along with her own experience in firefighting and EMS. Today, one of the most rewarding parts of her career is working alongside her K9 partner, Jax, a Belgian Malinois, and constantly pushing herself to become a better handler.

But this conversation goes far beyond the badge.

Robyn opens up about navigating major life changes, becoming a single mom, rebuilding her life, and finding strength through fitness, personal development, and purpose. We talk K9s, motherhood, resilience, getting outside your comfort zone, and what it really looks like to keep moving forward when life doesn’t go according to plan.

No scripts. No agendas. Just an authentic conversation about service, struggle, growth, and becoming the best version of yourself.

Timestamps: 

3:08 — K9 Memorial

7:13 — K9 Journey

12:27 — Robyn’s Story

21:47 — Police Career

29:44 — Fitness & Sobriety

39:09 — Handler Selection

49:02 — Choosing Jax

1:01:12 — Female Handler

1:07:23 — Police Dog Foundation

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Scott Howell, host of the Iron Sights Podcast and CEO of Red Dot Fitness, joins Beyond the Barrel for a conversation that goes far beyond the gym.

With more than 25 years in the health and fitness industry, Scott has built a platform centered on preparedness, discipline, self-reliance, and what it takes to WIN in fitness, business, and life.

We get into his recent travels throughout Asia and what he noticed about their food, fitness, and gym culture compared to America. From there, the conversation turns to some much bigger and more controversial topics: immigration and its impact on our communities, the lasting effects of the COVID era, and what Scott experienced trying to keep his gym and business alive during one of the most disruptive periods in recent history.

Fitness. Culture. Immigration. COVID. Business. Preparedness.

No scripts. No agendas. Just an honest conversation that isn’t afraid to go there. Go Beyond the Barrel. 

Timestamps: 

0:00 - Introduction

1:35 - Korea & Japan

5:52 - Asian Gym Culture

15:30 - Cultural Differences

38:34 - Fitness Entrepreneur 

43:52 - COVID Shutdowns

54:29 - Community & Survival

1:06:01 - Starting Iron Sights

1:18:50 - Healthcare & TRT

1:32:11 - Peptides

1:52:58 - Defining Justice

If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram:

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