HOUSTON – THURSDAY, OCT. 24: Graduation day
How has time flown so fast? Citizens Academy is wrapping up tonight after our big adventure to the shooting range on Saturday.
We got to see a day in the life and learn what it takes to qualify as a special agent when it comes to shooting. To qualify, they have to accurately shoot one-handed in a matter of seconds.
WATCH: A rare peek behind the scenes of the FBI’s shooting training
“It really is a lot of work that goes into us being trained to do what we do and as quickly as we’re expected to do it as well," Assistant Special Agent in Charge Amanda Culver told me.
She hoped the Citizens Academy brought some humanity to the federal law enforcement agency as we learned about threats and challenges.
“There are real people behind the scenes doing this work. I think that a lot of times people think of the FBI as the FBI that they see on television,” Culver said.
It seems that message came across loud and clear for some of my classmates.
“The FBI Citizens Academy puts the people behind it in saying that’s the workload, that’s what we do, and we put our put our lives behind it," Robert Marquez said.
“These are just regular people who had a dream to be giving back through the FBI service,” Megan Ortiz said.
Part of the day we also got to see the SWAT team in action as they showed us a demonstration of what keeps them busiest in Houston: high risk warrant service.
In July we reported on dozens of early-morning arrests involving a bail bond scheme and nearly 20 more in August involving a violent Houston gang.
You can watch that part of the demonstration in the video above.
At graduation, I got to share some reflections with the class.
SATURDAY, OCT. 19: Firearms training day
The morning started early for a day with FBI SWAT at the shooting range. Ear and eye protection required!
We first got to watch a demonstration of how SWAT would serve an arrest warrant at a home, which helped visualize what often happens around Houston in the early morning hours when we find out and report FBI has conducted a “court-authorized operation” around town.
It clearly requires special teamwork and attention to detail, and sometimes takes months of planning, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Amanda Culver told me.
The part everyone was waiting for was getting to fire the usual weapons FBI agents carry. I started on the rifle, and once an agent pointed out I was cross-eye dominant (I’m left-handed but that eye didn’t seem to work to see the target), it all started working quite smoothly.
As you can see, once I could see, not too bad! Only one bullet went outside of the main target area.
Unfortunately, that precision didn’t last when I shot the Glock, which is the typical duty weapon special agents carry on their belt. No photo evidence to share of that target. 😬
Regardless, the test to become a special agent requires speed and precision on the weapons—and I think speed was seriously lacking for most of us.
We also had a great bomb demonstration, highlighting how various chemicals can react and what the result would be—from a watermelon explosion to a big fire ball.
We’ll have some highlights from the entire morning this week on KPRC 2 as the FBI Houston Citizens Academy Class of 2024 prepares to graduate on Thursday! Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
THURSDAY, OCT. 17: Behavioral analysis and an activity
School threats have been a big topic in the Houston-area as students have returned to classrooms over the last couple months.
We’ve covered several of them ... and discussed the increase in charges filed against students since the school year started.
Turns out: It‘s one of the biggest problems for FBI Houston’s threat management team and we learned a lot about the background of some of these threats.
Why have there been so many? It’s a mix of a few things, a special agent told us, including anger or an impulse to get out of school, but more seriously, students being bullied or sextorted.
The special agent said in these investigations, some of the interviews with students making threats are being handled more so as if the student is the victim because often times, they are being groomed online and encouraged to make these threats.
Sextortion cases are sometimes linked to groups outside of the United States, he said.
In September, he said investigators experienced a big issue with threats not being properly reported but rather reposted or snipped and shared wider.
I asked if it’s an issue of students having more access to technology but the special agent said it has appeared to be more of an issue of absentee parenting when it comes to devices and the internet.
Luckily, the last couple weeks have quieted down when it comes to threats, but if they pop up, FBI asks you not to share the post but instead report it immediately.
As an aside - class started at The Galleria today. If you were there and saw a few dozen of us roaming around with our heads in our cellphones and no shopping bags, let me explain.
It was a surveillance exercise in which us students had to conduct surveillance on subjects (FBI Houston employees) while they shopped and anyone they interacted with. We all had communications with each other, sharing photos or descriptions of the subjects as they roamed and in some cases, changed outfits.
We didn’t all realize there was also a counter surveillance team keeping an eye on us at the same time.
As non-experts, there was a lot to learn about how a surveillance team operates and a lot of missed clues but nonetheless, a fun chance to (try to) think and operate like the professionals.
I’ll have a special Saturday blog this week after we head to the shooting range for a day with FBI firearms instructors and the SWAT teams ... and then, already, graduation is next week! Time flies.
THURSDAY, OCT. 3: WMD, counterintelligence, and tips for you
Too many topics and too little time! We had a lot to get through in class today from weapons of mass destruction to counterintelligence, cybersecurity and active shooters.
It’s no surprise that cybercrimes and cyber losses have continued to increase over the last five years in our ultra-connected world. Criminals are apparently even specializing in certain cyber crimes.
We are showered with convenience in the digital world but that creates a target for criminals. And it’s users (yes, you) who are the biggest risk to cybersecurity.
Something to think about in your own home is any device connected to the network. That creates an opportunity for “the bad guys” to get in, we learned, and that includes devices like security cameras or others connected to Wi-Fi.
Some tips to protect yourself:
- Update devices to help prevent being compromised
- Backup data offline to keep it secure
- FBI advises companies don’t pay in ransomware attacks as money may fund illegal activity and/or it emboldens the adversary
- Think before you click
- Use good, long, different passwords for each account
Hard turn to the topic of active shooters.
A special agent told us active shooters value head count, not hostages, and they don’t snap but instead it’s a built up and methodical process.
So now we have some homework that I think would be beneficial for all of us: Think of the places you go most often (school, work, grocery store, etc.) and spend five to 10 minutes doing some serious thinking and visualization training about a plan A and a plan B to get to safety in the event of an active attacker in each of those locations.
Think about what you’d hear, what you’d see, how you’d run, what you’d feel - like the door handle you’d push open to get outside and to a safer spot, for example.
That preparation could help you in any active shooter situation, especially when stress and adrenaline set in. A lot of great tips and videos at fbi.gov/survive.
Only three weeks left and some exciting classes still to come!
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26: Health care fraud and public corruption
In Houston’s approximately 40-county area covered by the local FBI Field Office, $11.6 billion in Medicare claims were paid out last year. An estimated 10 percent, or $1.16 billion, of that is thought to be fraud.
I love a good fraud or scam story that can raise awareness but this was a number that was a pretty shocking number to hear.
Data presented in class also showed the number of healthcare fraud complaints related to the top 5,000 providers in the Houston area have skyrocketed since 2020.
The fraud can happen in multiple ways, we learned, from doctors double-billing or billing a service at a higher charge than what was provided, to patients committing identity theft or swapping identities, to things like forged prescriptions or people selling their prescriptions to others.
We heard from the special agent involved in a recent case worked by FBI Houston, which resulted in a $15 million settlement after doctors were found to have performed concurrent heart surgeries. That investigation began in September 2019 and didn’t conclude until earlier this year when the settlement was reached.
A couple of the issues in that case were that the hospital staff didn’t inform patients the surgeons would be leaving the room and there was no designated backup surgeon when they left the room, leaving the patients at the hands of a resident or fellow.
What can you do to protect yourself?
- Ask if the doctor will perform the entire surgery
- Ask if the surgeon will do the entire operation or what may be designated to others
- Find out who will be in the room and when the doctor is in the room
- Ask what happens if an emergency procedure has to happen involving another patient during your procedure
- Check your explanation of benefits (EOB) regularly
As for the doctors implicated in the concurrent surgeries scheme, we learned two retired and one moved out of Texas to practice elsewhere - which serves as a good reminder that you can always lookup your doctor through the Texas Medical Board.
We also heard from a supervisory special agent focused on public corruption. That, of course, sparked some interest among the class and this nosy reporter because of this week’s headline about search warrants executed at game rooms across the Houston-area with possible connections to public corruption.
Unfortunately, no new developments on that, but the bottom line we learned is that those cases sometimes take longer to work.
Often times, both parties (the corrupt public official and the briber) are benefitting and may not be as forthcoming, so the cases require patience.
Which gets to the other regular reminder... to see something and say something, because those tips can go a long way.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 19: International and domestic terrorism
The top priority for the FBI, including in Houston, is protecting against terrorism attacks, whether it’s homegrown violent extremism or ISIS.
We learned during a case study presentation about what started as a federal international terrorism investigation involving a Fort Bend County religious leader. The case was more than five years old when new leads and investigative energy led to state charges.
Mohammed Omar Ali was sentenced in late 2021 for sexually abusing three children. He’s currently serving his prison time after a one-party consent phone call resulted in Ali admitting to the sexual abuse while investigators listened to the call with one of his young accusers.
But before that, he was under investigation for financial ties to Somalian terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. As that case became difficult to prove, federal investigators caught wind of the potential abuse and spent months investigating it.
Even though Ali ended up convicted of state charges, the feds were involved and it highlighted the benefit of task force officers, which are from local police departments or sheriff’s offices, but deputized to work with federal agents and bring charges in cases where the federal criminal code may not apply.
Domestic violent extremists are also of heightened concern for the FBI, which are individuals who are usually lone actors and not inspired by foreign terror organizations.
A majority of those cases may be racially or ethnically motivated, like the Buffalo supermarket shooting or the El Paso Walmart shooting, or anti-government or anti-authority motivated.
Regardless, they are cases that are “imperative” to act on quickly whenever there is a tip received or information that may indicate some sort of violent action.
Thousands of tips come in every day, and nothing is too small to report. You can do it online here.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12: Organized and violent crime
You see it on the news all the time: Crazy crimes from across Houston that are sometimes hard to fathom. I often ask myself while covering different stories why Houston and why such violent, unpredictable crimes.
According to the experts at the FBI, many things play into it including the city’s sprawling size, a large population for criminals to hide in, the ease of moving around, and a plethora of nightclubs and bars where it’s easy to traffic sex or drugs.
Tonight’s class focused on violent, organized crime, including gangs and cartels.
The Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua or TdA, was a big focus of the presentation from law enforcement.
We learned TdA does have a presence in Houston. Gang members affiliated with TdA are known for being involved in violent crimes such as sex trafficking, human smuggling, weapons and narcotic trafficking, and more.
We weren’t told how many people in the Houston area are currently believed to be connected to TdA.
Special agents told us they have to learn a code language when tracking potential criminal activity, because gang members will use certain phrases or emojis on social media which could be a clear indicator of gang affiliation.
In terms of cartels, a special agent told us the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa Cartel are two of the most active in Houston.
In April, there were some big Houston headlines involving the Jalisco New Generation cartel, including 41 people indicted in a drug trafficking case connected to the group, and a Harris County Sheriff’s Office chop shop bust that investigators believed had ties to the cartel.
Beyond gangs and cartels, we also learned about that time that Houston led the nation in armored truck robberies.
From 2017 to 2019, Houston accounted for 25 percent of the country’s armored car robberies in the country. I wish I could show you all of the surveillance videos and evidence that was presented to us from that investigation, but it was very eye opening.
One aspect of piecing together a crew of the armored car robbers involved Flock license plate readers, which an HPD sergeant, who is a task force officer that works with the FBI, said in his 18-year career have been the biggest advancement.
We know license plate readers have been helpful in cases all the time in our area, including in the story I just covered this week on missing Missouri City mother Karen Miles.
Next week is class picture day, so for my classmates’ family members who are reading the blog, remind them to wear their Sunday best.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5: First class
I won’t be earning the award for perfect attendance after getting out of the station later than expected and running into rainy rush hour traffic on day 1!
But I made it in time for introductions and got to meet classmates from different backgrounds in the community, from banking to real estate to local school districts and business owners.
Today’s session focused on an overview of the FBI and operations in Houston. There’s a lot that I learned, including that there are 280 federal violations investigated by the FBI and that investigators are not sitting on a computer monitoring everything on the internet as some may think.
A lot of that work still depends on tips from the community being reported before special agents will look at specific sites or social media pages.
Counterterrorism and counterintelligence is an important part of what the nearly 300 special agents in the Houston field office do as part of the FBI’s mission. Because of the Texas Medical Center, NASA and other space companies, consulates, and the energy sector, all in the Houston area, we learned counterintelligence is especially vital here.
We discussed how Houston is seeing younger actors committing more violent crimes (remember the ‘little rascals’?) and while it’s a multifaceted community problem, there’s not much the feds can do because juveniles can’t be prosecuted in the federal system by law.
“None of us need to fight for work,” FBI Houston’s Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams told the academy, when speaking of crime in Houston and the partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, like the Houston Police Department or Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
We also got a presentation on the Department of Justice’s policy when it comes to the use of deadly force and some of the split-second decisions that have to be made by law enforcement officers.
There’s a lot to come including an activity that piqued my interest: acting as “ghosts” in a simulation with the class, which is a lesson on some of the specialized surveillance agents do as part of investigations.
More next week...
ABOUT THE ACADEMY - Published Sept. 5, 2024
For the next seven weeks, Thursday nights will look a lot different. Usually I’m working on stories for the 10 p.m. news but instead I’ll be taking my pen and paper to FBI Houston’s Citizens Academy with other community members to start learning all about federal criminal investigations.
I’ve always had an interest in the criminal justice system - and took criminology and criminal justice courses in college - so I really can’t wait for this up close and personal look at how federal agents work through cases.
It’s part of the 2024 Citizens Academy, which I’ve been told will be Houston’s biggest class yet. We all got nominated for the opportunity which takes place once a year.
During the course, we’ll hear from active FBI agents and intelligence analysts. We’re supposed to talk about real life cases, go to the FBI’s shooting range, and experience a bomb and SWAT demonstration.
“There’s a lot of FBI shows that are out there nowadays. I don’t really watch any of them, but I have seen bits and pieces and a lot of it is Hollywood, right?” FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Doug Williams told me during a recent sit down interview. “Well, that really isn’t the reality of of how things work. So I think that’s the real magic in the Citizens Academy presentations is that people get to see the real behind the scenes.”
Some of the topics I’m told we’ll discuss: counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and public corruption, civil rights, and violent crime cases.
“We’re not sharing secrets, per se, but you know, what we’re going to talk about is somewhat sensitive,” Williams said.
We plan to bring our viewers along for the process and share parts of what I’m learning each week, whether it’s through this blog, on the KPRC 2+ Livestream, or in stories that you may see on KPRC 2 News.
Everyone had to go through a strict vetting process that included background checks and fingerprints.
As part of the requirements, we can’t take any electronics inside the FBI’s offices, including cell phones or smart watches. I’ll admit, I’m already twitching about being detached from my phones for three hours every Thursday.
The first class is tonight!
I’d love to hear from you throughout the journey with any questions or advice.
I’ll be checking the comments on this article or you can send me a Facebook message.