For the first episode of Behind the Thin Blue Line, I’m joined by retired ATF Special Agent Billy Queen. Billy spent years working deep undercover inside outlaw motorcycle gangs, earning trust through presence, restraint, and reputation. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, he begins unpacking how those early steps unfolded, what it took to establish credibility from the inside, and why some undercover assignments leave no room for hesitation or second guesses.

Episode Highlights

• [00:01:40] Billy’s journey from Vietnam veteran to federal agent
• [00:05:00] Why long-term undercover work inside motorcycle gangs operates differently
• [00:08:00] Why the Mongols gang became a priority for federal investigators
• [00:10:45] Early steps toward embedding inside the organization
• [00:15:10] How trust forms without forced conversations
• [00:18:45] The transition from hang-around to prospect
• [00:23:00] Managing a second identity under constant scrutiny
• [00:36:00] A confrontation that reshaped Billy’s standing inside the club
• [00:40:30] The physical and psychological toll of constant prospecting
• [00:44:15] How violence was normalized inside daily club life
• [00:48:00] The pressure to prove loyalty without asking questions
• [00:52:30] What Billy knew was coming as the operation deepened

Links & Resources

• Under and Alone by Billy Queen: https://a.co/d/06QaUd4r 
• North Carolina Gang Investigators Association: https://www.ncgia.org/ 
• UNC Greensboro Digital Media Center: https://uncg.libguides.com/dmc
• North Carolina Center for Safer Communities: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/center-safer-schools
• Follow Behind the Thin Blue Line for Part 2 of this conversation

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Listener Advisory

This episode includes discussions of real-world violence, criminal activity, and emotionally intense subject matter. Listener discretion is advised.