Welcome everyone to part one of my interview with Army Veteran, retired Sheriff Deputy, and host of the popular Antihero podcast, Tyler Hoover.

Tyler Hoover is a United States Army Airborne Infantry Iraq War Veteran, having served with the esteemed 82nd Airborne Division. After serving his country in the army, he continued serving as a sheriff's deputy in two different counties in Florida, working in different roles, including SWAT.

Tyler walked away from law enforcement and is now focused on his wildly popular Antihero Podcast and other entrepreneurial pursuits.

Please enjoy Part One of my interview with Tyler Hoover.  

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      When he got bitten by the police bug, and the influence of his dad being a cop.

·      Why are some women attracted to a man in uniform?

·      How time in the military can be a help or a hindrance when you become a cop.

·      The different SWAT training.

·      An overview of Tyler’s law enforcement career.

·      Sponsoring yourself through the police academy.

·      The dangers of working plainclothes assignments.

·      The unbelievable scrutiny cops are under today.

·      Pros and cons of body and squad cameras.

·      Unbelievable stories regarding one of my old chiefs.

    All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

    Check out the Antihero podcast on YouTube.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with retired DEA Special Agents Steve Murphy, Chris Feistl, and Wes Tabor as we talk about recent maritime operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific involving the U.S. Navy eliminating drug running vessels. Here’s a little bit about these legends in the DEA.

DEA Special Agent Wes Tabor was embedded in Venezuela, battling the drug cartel and gangs for three years. He had a front-row seat to the prospering drug trade and threat to the United States and wrote the book, Infiltrate America: Blood Routes and the Rise of Latin American Gangs.

Retired DEA Special Agent Steve Murphy and his partner Javier Pena are best known for taking down the Medellin Cartel and its leader, Pablo Escobar. Steve is an expert in drug smuggling and cartels and is considered an expert in the world of narcoterrorism. Steve and Javier’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was featured in the Netflix special, DEA Narcos.

Retired DEA Special Agent Chris Feistl and his partner Dave Mitchell are best known for taking down the Cali Cartel and its leaders Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela. Chris’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was also featured in season three of the Netflix special DEA Narcos.

After listening to these three experts, it is clearer than ever to me that narcoterrorism is brewing in South and Central America is a clear and present danger to our country. Please enjoy this eye-opening and informative interview with real experts and not celebrities or people stuck in their echo chambers making stuff up as they go along.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      What gives us the legal right to conduct these maritime operations?.

·      The Maduro family tree of drug running.

·      Maritime operations with the DEA.

·      The president is not ruling out strikes on Venezuelan drug production sites. Also, he is hinting that the next phase is ground assaults on illegal drug transportation. What have we done in the past to curtail these ground operations, and how effective have they been?

·      UN Article 51

·      The president has said that for every drug running boat that is sunk, it is saving 25,000 American lives.

·      Most homicides or violent crimes have a nexus to illegal street drugs.

·      The complacency in this country regarding illegal narcotics.

·      Can we put aside our hatred of some for the president, for the common good, ahead of our feelings?

·      How does it make you feel, as retired DEA agents who spent a good chunk of your lives fighting high-level drug operations, that we now have a government that seems to be taking illegal drug operations seriously? 

    All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Steve Murphy's website!

Visit Wes Tabor's Website!

Visit Chris Feistl's Website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome, everyone, to a special Cops and Writers Podcast. Since September, the US Navy has destroyed at least 10 vessels that were suspected of carrying illegal drugs headed for the United States, mostly in the Caribbean near Venezuela. I have heard so many opinions on this from ‘experts’, I'm using air quotes, and I wanted to get the true story.

My mind went immediately to my interviews with retired DEA Special Agent Wes Tabor (episodes 235,236, & 237). Wes was embedded in Venezuela, battling the drug cartel and gangs for three years. He had a front-row seat to the prospering drug trade and threat to the United States and wrote the book, Infiltrate America: Blood Routes and the Rise of Latin American Gangs. So, of course, I asked him to be on the show again, and he graciously agreed.

Of course, I would be remiss if I were going to be talking about drug cartels and smuggling not to have two experts who took down some of the most notorious drug cartels and their leaders in modern times. Steve Murphy and Chris Feistl. 

Retired DEA Special Agent Steve Murphy and his partner Javier Pena are best known for taking down the Medellin Cartel and its leader, Pablo Escobar. Steve is an expert in drug smuggling and cartels and is considered an expert in the world of narcoterrorism. Steve and Javier’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was featured in the Netflix special, DEA Narcos.

Retired DEA Special Agent Chris Feistl and his partner Dave Mitchell are best known for taking down the Cali Cartel and its leaders Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela. Chris’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was also featured in season three of the Netflix special DEA Narcos.

After listening to these three experts, it is clearer than ever to me that the narcoterrorism that is brewing in South America is a clear and present danger to our country. I feel this topic is so important that I’m doing an early release of this episode and will air the conclusion of this episode this Sunday. Please enjoy this eye-opening and informative interview with actual experts and not celebrities or people stuck in their echo chambers making stuff up as they go along.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Since September, the US Navy has destroyed at least 10 vessels that were suspected of carrying illegal drugs headed for the United States, mostly in the Caribbean near Venezuela. 

·      What are these boats, and how much cargo can they hold? What drug(s) are aboard these boats? They are obviously not ‘fishing boats.’

·      The obvious clues indicate that these go-fast boats are drug-running boats.

·      How to discover illegal narcotics on container ships.

·      Narco submarines and their use in drug smuggling. Not much fishing is being done from a submarine.

·      Where do you see this going in the future? Are container ships next?

·      Who is conducting the criminal investigation when people are recovered? Are there arrests being made? Who and where would the interrogation take place?

·      One criticism of these actions is that nobody is disclosing any evidence of drugs aboard these vessels. How would you get this intel? How closely do you think we are working with our intelligence partners (CIA)?

·      The president has ordered a carrier strike group led by the Gerald Ford into the Venezuela area. Donald Trump, who is now unfiltered as a second-term president, isn’t pulling punches. He is saying that this will continue, and he said. “We’re just going to kill people who are bringing drugs into our country. … They’re going to be, like, dead.”

·      There was never a ‘war’ on drugs.

·      Medellin and Cali cartel members in Venezuela.

·      The clear and present danger to the United States brewing in South America.

     All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

     Visit Steve Murphy's website!

     Visit Wes Tabor's Website!

     Visit Chris Feistl's Website!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back, everyone, for the conclusion of my interview with Army Veteran, former Wichita Police Officer, Stuntman, Actor, DJ, Standup Comic, and Author Duane Michaels.

Duane is focusing his energy these days on making it as an actor in Hollywood, along with writing his most recent book, Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp!

I’m so glad I got the chance to chat with Duane and learn about his law enforcement career and his book, and his acting career! Please enjoy my conversation with Duane Michaels.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Why he wrote Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp.

·      The dog poop story.

·      Commandeering a pizza delivery car chasing a suspect.

·      Bringing his mom along on a ride along.

· Accidentally blowing up someone's ashes.

·      Breaking his back in five places and how he recovered.

·      Witnessing pure evil and losing faith in humanity.

·      The changes in law enforcement throughout the years.

·      Duane’s path to Hollywood.

·      His advice for rookie actors trying to make it big.

·      The heartwarming roller rink story.

     Check out Duane's book Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome everyone to part one of my interview with Army Veteran, former Wichita Police Officer, Stuntman, Actor, DJ, Standup Comic, and Author Duane Michaels.

Judging by how many things Duane has done and is doing, one episode wouldn’t have done him justice.

Duane is focusing his energy these days on making it as an actor in Hollywood, along with writing his most recent book, Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp!

This interview is focused on his career in law enforcement and his early days in the military and other pursuits. We get into his most excellent book and his acting career next Sunday!

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Where Duane grew up.

·      Duane’s interesting first encounter with law enforcement.

·      Being an M.P. in the army in Bosnia and Korea.

·      Being a DJ and stand-up comic.

·      How being a stand-up comic and DJ prepared him for a career in law enforcement.

·      Joining the Wichita Police Department.

·      Breaking his back in five places while going down a flight of stairs on the job.

·      Duane’s favorite/least favorite part of the job.

·      Duane remembers the first time he drove out of the parking lot of the police station solo.

·      What was it like to retire? How difficult was it?

·      I loved his book, Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp! Is there going to be a second book?

·      Cops contacting him, saying that they have had similar stories.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Duane's book Cop Ink: Donuts, Decapitation & Dumpster Sex. Real Calls That Will Make You Laugh, Cry & Gasp!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome to a bonus episode of the Cops And Writers Podcast, where the tables, or mics, are turned. Today on this special Author Spotlight, I’m being interviewed by book coach and editor, Lori Puma.

A little about Lori: Lori Puma helps authors write novels that inspire readers to skip bathroom breaks and survive on chips and salsa. She started her writing career by publishing scientific papers. (Great reading if it’s 3:12 am and you’ve run out of Ambien.) Since then, she’s worked a variety of jobs, many of which involved telling stories.

Now a developmental editor and story coach, Lori works with writers who are trying to figure out how to tell a story readers can’t put down, as well as seasoned authors who are looking for ways to make their stories stand out. 

For today’s interview, Lori will pick my brain, analyzing what today’s crime writers can learn from the Edgar Allan Poe classic The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Of course, we go off course a bit with some of my war stories from working the streets.

I had a lot of fun chatting with Lori and learned a bunch! Lori asked some excellent questions that will be of service for crime writers. Please enjoy this informative and fun interview with Lori steering the boat.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Edgar Allan Poe's classic The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

·      What is a ‘locked room’ mystery?

·      My first locked-room mystery on the street.

·      Interviewing a potential homicide suspect.

·      Managing a chaotic homicide scene with multiple witnesses/suspects.

·      Setting up a formal interrogation.

·      Being the first cop on the scene of a homicide with over 100 people running out of a tavern.

·      The surprising way police obtain confessions from a suspect.

 All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Lori's website to learn more about her and her services!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back for the conclusion of my conversation with retired Chief of Police and Author Brian Brady.

Brian was born and raised in the San Francisco area and became a police officer in Berkeley, California, in the late sixties. He moved around to four different police departments, eventually attaining the rank of Chief of Police. 

After decades of serving and protecting, he retired from police work and transitioned to becoming a corporate security executive. This path led him to holding executive positions at prestigious organizations such as NBC Universal and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Brian has published two crime novels and is working on his third. 

I really enjoyed talking to someone like Brian, who has seen the evolution of police work through the years and worked his way up from police officer to chief. Brain is one of the few police chiefs I have known who didn’t lose their way and bend to politics and ego. He has a good heart, and that is what’s needed if you are going to lead a police force in today’s world of distorted priorities and egos. Please enjoy this informative and wide-ranging conversation with Brian Brady.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      How departments are falsifying crime stats.

·      Why would you want to be a police chief?

·      Brian being in four different departments and did most jobs within the PD. What were his favorite positions and department? What was his least favorite?

·      How could the Alec Baldwin situation have happened?

·      Retired from law enforcement and going to corporate security. How difficult was it for him to transition to that?

·      The billion-dollar business of fine art security.

·      Where do art thieves fence priceless pieces of art?

·      The secret world of fine art forgeries.

·      Artificial intelligence and writing.

·      Talking about Harry Bosch and Titus Welliver!

·      His latest book, Greed. What is it about, and what should we expect?

·      The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, which occurred on March 18, 1990, where 500 million in art was stolen.

·      If your book made it to the big screen, who would you want playing the main role?

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Check out Brian's website to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

On today’s episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, I have with me retired Chief of Police and Author Brian Brady.

Brian was born and raised in the San Francisco area and became a police officer in Berkeley, California, in the late sixties. He moved around to four different police departments, eventually attaining the rank of Chief of Police. 

After decades of serving and protecting, he retired from police work and transitioned to becoming a corporate security executive. This path led him to holding executive positions at prestigious organizations such as NBC Universal and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Brian has published two crime novels and is working on his third.  

I really enjoyed talking to someone like Brian, who has seen the evolution of police work through the years and worked his way up from police officer to chief. Please enjoy this informative and wide-ranging conversation with Brian Brady.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      Growing up in San Francisco.

·      Brain’s law enforcement influences.

·      Brian starting his LE career in Berkeley in the late 60s. Lots going on in the world, and of course, Berkeley was the epicenter of turmoil.

·      The innovations that came from the Berkeley Police Department.

·      No formal FTO program when he started in Berkeley.

·      Brian’s first foot chase, apprehending a purse snatcher and getting scolded for not following protocol.

·      Typing police reports on a manual typewriter?

·      Why the rank of sergeant is the most influential and important in law enforcement.

·      Novato PD as Police Chief. What did he expect being chief, and what surprised you about the job? Are you the “Political Pinata”?

·      Being the incident commander at an officer-related shooting where an officer was forced to take a life.

·      The pros and cons of CompStat.

    All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

    Check out Brian's website to learn more about him and his books!

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

Welcome back for the conclusion of my interview with Sgt. Bert “Maverick” Gonzalez.

Sergeant Maverick served the South Florida community for 37 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, retiring in 2020. His career included assignments in uniform patrol, narcotics, airport and port security, and crime scene investigations. Following 9/11, he became a national leader in port security operations. A highly respected police instructor, Gonzalez has trained over 25,000 officers in areas such as crisis intervention, active shooter response, major scene management, tactical driving, and crowd control. A recipient of the Bronze Medal of Valor and two Life-Saving Awards, he has earned over 60 commendations throughout his career. Gonzalez is the author of The Real Greatest Show on Earth and hosts Sgt. Maverick–The Podcast, where he discusses policing, politics, and life.

It was a pleasure talking to Maverick about being a cop in the Miami area back when it was literally the Wild West due to the surge in population and drug-related crimes to the present. Please enjoy the conclusion of my interview with Sgt. Maverick.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      The problems and challenges as a police officer dealing with sovereign citizens.

·      Training 25,000 police officers over 38 years.

·      How vital is training, and why is it the first thing to go when cities cut budgets?  

·      The price communities pay for poorly or untrained police officers.

·      Crowd control, crisis intervention, and active shooter training.

·      Maverick earning the Medal of Valor and two lifesaving awards.

·      Sgt. Maverick’s book, The Real Greatest Show on Earth.

·      Sgt. Maverick The Podcast.

·      The next chapter in Sgt. Maverick’s life after retirement.

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Maverick's website to learn more about him and his books/podcast.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.

On today’s episode of the Cops and Writers Podcast, I have with me Bert “Maverick” Gonzalez for this special two-part interview that will conclude next Sunday.

Sergeant Bert “Maverick” Gonzalez served the South Florida community for 37 years with the Miami-Dade Police Department, retiring in 2020. His career included assignments in uniform patrol, narcotics, airport and port security, and crime scene investigations. Following 9/11, he became a national leader in port security operations. A highly respected police instructor, Gonzalez has trained over 25,000 officers in areas such as crisis intervention, active shooter response, major scene management, tactical driving, and crowd control. A recipient of the Bronze Medal of Valor and two Life-Saving Awards, he has earned over 60 commendations throughout his career. Gonzalez is the author of The Real Greatest Show on Earth and hosts Sgt. Maverick–The Podcast, where he discusses policing, politics, and life.

I loved talking to Maverick about being a cop in the Miami area back when it was literally the Wild West due to the surge in population and drug-related crimes to present. He continues to reinvent himself and is a genuinely entertaining guy. Please enjoy part one of my interview with Sgt. Maverick.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      How Bert got the nickname Maverick.

·      Working as a cop in the Miami area during a population boom. With that came a boom in crime. Cocaine Cowboys and the Mariel Boatlift (125,00 Cubans in one day). What was going through his mind as a new cop with all of this occurring?

·      His biggest drug bust and money seizure.

·      The difference between the Cuban, Colombian, Jamaican, Russian, and Mexican drug dealers?

·      The growing pains for the department during this surge in crime and population?

·      The Everglades. Dumping bodies and dope.

·      Working as a cop at the Port of Miami.

·      What’s most important to the mob?

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Maverick's website to learn more about him and his books/podcast.

Check out the new Cops and Writers YouTube channel!

Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

Enjoy the Cops and Writers book series.

Please visit the Cops and Writers website.