1 00:00:03,568 --> 00:00:05,005 - A roofer in South Carolina 2 00:00:05,135 --> 00:00:06,528 who had been involved with the Mexican cartel 3 00:00:06,658 --> 00:00:08,225 and Mexican drug trafficking 4 00:00:08,356 --> 00:00:10,010 said, "We want out." 5 00:00:10,140 --> 00:00:12,447 And they said, "Nobody gets out of the cartel. 6 00:00:12,577 --> 00:00:13,926 We decide when you're out, pal." 7 00:00:15,450 --> 00:00:17,060 And they put a gun to his head and pulled him out 8 00:00:17,191 --> 00:00:18,757 and threw him in the back seat. 9 00:00:18,888 --> 00:00:20,020 - A kidnapping plot 10 00:00:20,150 --> 00:00:21,456 in our own backyard 11 00:00:21,586 --> 00:00:22,979 had ties to an international 12 00:00:23,110 --> 00:00:24,198 drug operation. 13 00:00:24,328 --> 00:00:26,461 - They were gonna cut Cory's eyeballs out 14 00:00:26,591 --> 00:00:29,072 and send 'em in a FedEx box to his dad. 15 00:00:29,203 --> 00:00:30,421 - And it was full-court press. 16 00:00:30,552 --> 00:00:32,771 We have to get him quick before the hostage takers 17 00:00:32,902 --> 00:00:34,469 can kill the hostage. 18 00:00:34,599 --> 00:00:37,037 He's probably not gonna live the next 24 hours. 19 00:00:37,167 --> 00:00:38,690 - Yeah, and his life is in our hands. 20 00:00:38,821 --> 00:00:44,174 - Clock's tickin'. 21 00:00:46,481 --> 00:00:48,048 - In the FBI, 22 00:00:48,178 --> 00:00:49,527 we make a lot of headlines. 23 00:00:53,140 --> 00:00:54,750 Drug busts... 24 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,318 mob stings... 25 00:00:57,448 --> 00:00:59,102 terrorist takedowns. 26 00:00:59,233 --> 00:01:01,278 - Get down, get down! 27 00:01:01,409 --> 00:01:03,585 - We understand why people want to tell stories about us. 28 00:01:03,715 --> 00:01:04,760 - Mark it. 29 00:01:04,890 --> 00:01:06,153 - Freeze! - FBI. 30 00:01:06,283 --> 00:01:07,850 - FBI! - Action! 31 00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:10,026 - But they don't know the half of it. 32 00:01:10,157 --> 00:01:11,332 [overlapping shouts, sounds] 33 00:01:11,462 --> 00:01:13,638 What really goes down... 34 00:01:13,769 --> 00:01:15,684 we save that for each other 35 00:01:15,814 --> 00:01:17,947 when we're talking agent to agent. 36 00:01:18,078 --> 00:01:20,863 [dramatic music] 37 00:01:20,993 --> 00:01:27,739 This is "FBI True." 38 00:01:29,089 --> 00:01:33,267 [dark music] 39 00:01:33,396 --> 00:01:36,878 - Cindy Coppola is a 23-year veteran of the FBI. 40 00:01:37,009 --> 00:01:38,446 She worked on cases that included 41 00:01:38,576 --> 00:01:40,535 organized crime and terrorism 42 00:01:40,664 --> 00:01:43,277 and took part in multinational investigations 43 00:01:43,407 --> 00:01:45,714 into drug trafficking and money laundering. 44 00:01:45,844 --> 00:01:48,412 Coppola finished her career with the Los Angeles division 45 00:01:48,543 --> 00:01:51,459 running two offices, supervising investigations, 46 00:01:51,589 --> 00:01:54,375 and providing undercover security for special events. 47 00:01:54,505 --> 00:01:57,987 ♪ 48 00:01:58,118 --> 00:01:59,554 - You guys worked on this cool 49 00:01:59,684 --> 00:02:01,295 cartel kidnapping case, 50 00:02:01,425 --> 00:02:04,298 and you're the guy that had the case, right? 51 00:02:04,428 --> 00:02:07,431 - I was a case agent in North Carolina, yes. 52 00:02:07,562 --> 00:02:11,174 - Frank Brostrom served 27 years in the FBI. 53 00:02:11,305 --> 00:02:13,916 He worked as a bomb technician on the Atlanta Olympics 54 00:02:14,046 --> 00:02:15,918 and Oklahoma City attacks. 55 00:02:16,048 --> 00:02:18,529 He led investigations into serial murders, 56 00:02:18,660 --> 00:02:21,184 terrorism, and kidnappings. 57 00:02:22,054 --> 00:02:23,534 - And how did you get that case? 58 00:02:23,665 --> 00:02:26,189 - We had a certain guy that was a hostage negotiator 59 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,191 who was always having-- you know, getting called 60 00:02:28,322 --> 00:02:29,758 at the last minute to go all over the world 61 00:02:29,888 --> 00:02:31,412 as a hostage negotiator. 62 00:02:31,542 --> 00:02:32,848 So he said, "Hey, I gotta go outta town. 63 00:02:32,978 --> 00:02:34,937 Frank, can you handle my duty?" 64 00:02:35,067 --> 00:02:37,026 And like the first day, 65 00:02:37,156 --> 00:02:39,071 I just happened to be in the office late, 66 00:02:39,202 --> 00:02:41,117 talking with the supervisor and a couple of people, 67 00:02:41,248 --> 00:02:43,206 and this call comes in 68 00:02:43,337 --> 00:02:44,860 from Columbia, South Carolina. 69 00:02:44,990 --> 00:02:46,688 And that call changed my life. 70 00:02:46,817 --> 00:02:50,170 [moody music] 71 00:02:50,300 --> 00:02:52,041 Local law enforcement is telling the FBI 72 00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:53,695 that a roofer in South Carolina-- 73 00:02:53,825 --> 00:02:55,958 - What was his name? - Elicio Cory Still. 74 00:02:56,088 --> 00:02:58,265 We call him Cory Still. 75 00:02:58,395 --> 00:03:00,528 His fiancée can't get ahold of him, 76 00:03:00,658 --> 00:03:02,747 and they find his truck in the middle of the road 77 00:03:02,878 --> 00:03:05,576 with the driver's door open and the truck still running. 78 00:03:06,621 --> 00:03:08,318 But initially, the family wasn't forthcoming 79 00:03:08,449 --> 00:03:10,277 about all the details. 80 00:03:10,407 --> 00:03:13,671 What we found out was Cory's father is Mexican 81 00:03:13,802 --> 00:03:16,065 and who had been involved with Mexican drug trafficking 82 00:03:16,196 --> 00:03:18,067 and the cartel. 83 00:03:18,198 --> 00:03:20,112 For a long time, he and his family, 84 00:03:20,243 --> 00:03:21,636 they were dealing marijuana and cocaine 85 00:03:21,766 --> 00:03:23,203 that was being shipped from Mexico. 86 00:03:23,333 --> 00:03:26,510 And so Cory was dragged into this. 87 00:03:26,641 --> 00:03:28,556 The case agent in Columbia, South Carolina 88 00:03:28,686 --> 00:03:30,993 is talking to Cory's family. 89 00:03:31,123 --> 00:03:33,343 And as the intel developed, we learned the cartel, 90 00:03:33,474 --> 00:03:35,476 they were sending tractor trailer loads, 91 00:03:35,606 --> 00:03:38,218 and the family said, "We can't get rid of this. 92 00:03:38,348 --> 00:03:41,308 We can't sell this anymore," and they said, "We want out." 93 00:03:41,438 --> 00:03:43,571 And they said, "Nobody gets out of the cartel. 94 00:03:43,701 --> 00:03:45,268 We decide when you're out, pal." 95 00:03:45,399 --> 00:03:47,357 Cory's father had several brothers, 96 00:03:47,488 --> 00:03:49,228 and they all were involved with the cartel. 97 00:03:49,359 --> 00:03:51,361 And as it turns out, the uncles, 98 00:03:51,492 --> 00:03:53,841 they weren't on great terms with Cory, the victim. 99 00:03:53,972 --> 00:03:55,583 And what witnesses tell us-- 100 00:03:55,713 --> 00:03:59,456 one day, Cory, he's in his F-150, and he backs out... 101 00:04:01,415 --> 00:04:03,417 And very quickly, this vehicle cuts him off 102 00:04:03,547 --> 00:04:06,507 and stops, and two Hispanic guys jump out. 103 00:04:08,335 --> 00:04:10,598 He's showing this badge and saying, you're in trouble, 104 00:04:10,728 --> 00:04:12,077 you know, policía, policía, you're in trouble. 105 00:04:12,208 --> 00:04:13,470 and they put a gun to his head 106 00:04:13,601 --> 00:04:15,385 and pull him out and throw him in the back seat. 107 00:04:15,516 --> 00:04:16,865 - So they're pretending they're police. 108 00:04:16,995 --> 00:04:19,781 - Exact TTPs right outta Mexico. 109 00:04:19,911 --> 00:04:22,305 More times than not, they'll pose as law enforcement 110 00:04:22,436 --> 00:04:24,525 to get someone to stop or cooperate, 111 00:04:24,655 --> 00:04:26,309 and then that's how they'll take people. 112 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:27,571 So it was just right out of their playbook 113 00:04:27,702 --> 00:04:29,225 from south of the border. 114 00:04:29,356 --> 00:04:31,053 - Bill Francis served in the U.S. Army's 115 00:04:31,183 --> 00:04:33,707 elite 5th Special Forces group. 116 00:04:33,838 --> 00:04:35,579 He worked counterterrorism in the Middle East 117 00:04:35,710 --> 00:04:37,102 and North Africa. 118 00:04:37,233 --> 00:04:39,191 Francis spent 17 years 119 00:04:39,322 --> 00:04:41,846 on the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. 120 00:04:42,933 --> 00:04:45,023 - And was this Sinaloa, or was it a different cartel? 121 00:04:45,154 --> 00:04:46,111 - Sinaloa Cartel. - Sinaloa. 122 00:04:46,242 --> 00:04:48,679 - It's a pretty brutal cartel. 123 00:04:48,810 --> 00:04:49,985 You'll see in the news where, 124 00:04:50,115 --> 00:04:51,639 you know, down the Texas border 125 00:04:51,769 --> 00:04:53,728 they'll find vans abandoned, 126 00:04:53,858 --> 00:04:55,686 and they open the vans, and it's just body parts-- 127 00:04:55,817 --> 00:04:57,209 legs and arms and torsos. 128 00:04:57,340 --> 00:04:59,211 They do that to send a signal, 129 00:04:59,342 --> 00:05:01,605 and it's a pretty horrible one. 130 00:05:01,736 --> 00:05:03,912 They're all into the torture and murder, you know? 131 00:05:04,042 --> 00:05:05,827 - The brutality of the cartel 132 00:05:05,957 --> 00:05:08,133 south of the border is... 133 00:05:08,264 --> 00:05:10,266 pretty much unchecked. 134 00:05:10,397 --> 00:05:13,051 - The brutally aggressive Sinaloa cartel 135 00:05:13,182 --> 00:05:14,575 have blood on their hands. 136 00:05:14,705 --> 00:05:17,229 A grisly new tactic-- beheadings. 137 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,057 [dark music] 138 00:05:19,188 --> 00:05:20,929 - When I was in Palm Springs, the RA, 139 00:05:21,059 --> 00:05:22,539 we worked a lot with the border patrol. 140 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:25,281 and, yeah, the cartels are bad down there. 141 00:05:25,412 --> 00:05:27,805 But this is small town rural Carolina, 142 00:05:27,936 --> 00:05:29,416 not exactly the kind of place 143 00:05:29,546 --> 00:05:31,679 you expect someone to be kidnapped. 144 00:05:31,809 --> 00:05:33,898 - It's Southern rural, sort of low income, 145 00:05:34,029 --> 00:05:36,379 and you have a lot of migrant workers. 146 00:05:36,510 --> 00:05:38,250 And the cartel works underground 147 00:05:38,381 --> 00:05:40,557 to exploit both of these groups. 148 00:05:40,688 --> 00:05:43,299 In Mexico, though, they're a dangerous, 149 00:05:43,430 --> 00:05:46,563 well-funded paramilitary organization. 150 00:05:46,694 --> 00:05:49,131 ♪ 151 00:05:49,261 --> 00:05:51,568 Wire taps were run out of Columbia, South Carolina. 152 00:05:51,699 --> 00:05:54,179 - They're doing that because the family's in South Carolina. 153 00:05:54,310 --> 00:05:55,616 - The first ransom call came in. 154 00:05:55,746 --> 00:05:57,705 [phone ringing] 155 00:05:57,835 --> 00:05:59,446 And they said, "Hey, we've got the little chicken, 156 00:05:59,576 --> 00:06:01,143 and you owe us--" 157 00:06:01,273 --> 00:06:02,666 It started out at $200,000. 158 00:06:02,797 --> 00:06:04,929 I think it went up-- - Just kept goin' up. 159 00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:06,496 - Then they sent a photo of his tattoo 160 00:06:06,627 --> 00:06:09,760 to make sure they had the right guy. 161 00:06:09,891 --> 00:06:12,633 The ransom calls were the thing that helped us... 162 00:06:14,461 --> 00:06:17,072 You know, as to find out where they were. 163 00:06:17,202 --> 00:06:19,770 And we were able to identify a couple cell phone numbers 164 00:06:19,901 --> 00:06:22,120 in North Carolina. 165 00:06:22,251 --> 00:06:25,080 It was a two-hour ride up to North Carolina. 166 00:06:26,908 --> 00:06:30,259 So Cory goes on the floor board. 167 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:33,957 He knew he was in a lot of trouble. 168 00:06:34,089 --> 00:06:37,135 - When the SAC down in Columbia realized it was cartel related 169 00:06:37,266 --> 00:06:38,963 and it was kidnapping, 170 00:06:39,094 --> 00:06:40,400 hostage, uh-- - Yeah. 171 00:06:40,530 --> 00:06:42,445 So that's why HRT comes in. 172 00:06:42,576 --> 00:06:45,361 - The team was formed back in 1983 173 00:06:45,492 --> 00:06:48,625 in preparation for the 1984 Olympics in L.A. 174 00:06:48,756 --> 00:06:50,671 [crowd noise] 175 00:06:54,065 --> 00:06:56,503 The U.S. government didn't have 176 00:06:56,633 --> 00:06:59,419 a civilian law enforcement counterterrorism capability. 177 00:06:59,549 --> 00:07:02,465 We actually went to our military counterparts 178 00:07:02,596 --> 00:07:04,946 and got that training from them 179 00:07:05,076 --> 00:07:07,514 and learned counterterrorism hostage rescue... 180 00:07:09,559 --> 00:07:12,083 And brought that to federal law enforcement. 181 00:07:13,911 --> 00:07:16,305 - Weren't you on the bunker? Like, was that 2013? 182 00:07:16,436 --> 00:07:18,525 - Yeah, 2013. - That was in Alabama, right? 183 00:07:18,655 --> 00:07:19,961 - Yep. 184 00:07:20,091 --> 00:07:23,138 - That boy kidnapped off a bus in Alabama 185 00:07:23,268 --> 00:07:26,358 last week and held hostage in a bunker. 186 00:07:27,577 --> 00:07:30,232 The suspect-- 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes 187 00:07:30,362 --> 00:07:31,842 was seen with a gun. 188 00:07:31,973 --> 00:07:34,541 - We ended up doing hostage rescue on that bunker, 189 00:07:34,671 --> 00:07:36,194 explosive breach. 190 00:07:39,371 --> 00:07:41,330 Put guys in the bunker and saved the child. 191 00:07:43,767 --> 00:07:46,117 [dramatic musical sting] 192 00:07:46,248 --> 00:07:47,554 - As a case agent, 193 00:07:47,683 --> 00:07:49,294 you have someone's life on your shoulder. 194 00:07:49,425 --> 00:07:52,776 So when Bill showed up, he was legendary in HRT. 195 00:07:52,907 --> 00:07:55,518 I was in awe, just, you know, and just so happy to have him. 196 00:07:59,957 --> 00:08:02,264 - At the small airport in Elizabethtown, 197 00:08:02,394 --> 00:08:04,266 we've converted the terminal 198 00:08:04,396 --> 00:08:06,703 into a big tactical operation center. 199 00:08:06,834 --> 00:08:08,313 ♪ 200 00:08:08,444 --> 00:08:09,663 - You have Wilmington office 201 00:08:09,793 --> 00:08:11,186 and Fayetteville office, 202 00:08:11,316 --> 00:08:12,840 and it just so happens Elizabethtown 203 00:08:12,970 --> 00:08:14,624 is right in the middle. 204 00:08:14,755 --> 00:08:16,365 So you've got the Fayetteville and Wilmington part 205 00:08:16,496 --> 00:08:19,499 coming together at the airport. 206 00:08:19,629 --> 00:08:20,935 So that's the different locations you have 207 00:08:21,065 --> 00:08:22,327 working on this. 208 00:08:22,457 --> 00:08:24,765 - So it's Saturday. We got called in. 209 00:08:26,767 --> 00:08:30,422 We deployed by helicopter, which is... 210 00:08:30,553 --> 00:08:33,077 it's kinda unusual 'cause the helicopters are-- 211 00:08:33,207 --> 00:08:35,165 it's pretty limited space in there. 212 00:08:35,297 --> 00:08:38,126 You basically just go with the kit that you're wearing 213 00:08:38,256 --> 00:08:40,520 and, you know, some radios, some other gear, 214 00:08:40,650 --> 00:08:42,217 but there's not a lotta room to take stuff. 215 00:08:42,347 --> 00:08:44,785 And at the time, the information we're getting 216 00:08:44,915 --> 00:08:47,004 was, you know, you could hit the ground there 217 00:08:47,135 --> 00:08:49,180 in Elizabethtown and be asked 218 00:08:49,311 --> 00:08:51,661 to execute this hostage rescue right away. 219 00:08:51,792 --> 00:08:54,098 So that's kinda what we were prepared to do. 220 00:08:54,229 --> 00:08:56,013 We had our dogs in there and helicopter 221 00:08:56,144 --> 00:08:59,974 and, you know, our operators, and that was about it. 222 00:09:00,104 --> 00:09:02,193 - It was pretty badass, when you drive into town 223 00:09:02,324 --> 00:09:04,587 and you drive to the airport and you see these frickin' 224 00:09:04,718 --> 00:09:07,372 HRT helicopters lined up and all the guys 225 00:09:07,503 --> 00:09:09,113 in their, you know, flight suits, so I was like, 226 00:09:09,244 --> 00:09:11,159 oh, yeah, this is gonna be all right. 227 00:09:11,289 --> 00:09:12,943 - That's FBI, that's--yeah. - Yeah, yeah. 228 00:09:13,074 --> 00:09:15,729 - So we've got our sniper observers. 229 00:09:19,863 --> 00:09:21,778 Goin' out with the surveillance teams 230 00:09:21,909 --> 00:09:23,693 to get eyes on 231 00:09:23,824 --> 00:09:27,305 these locations where potentially Cory could be. 232 00:09:27,436 --> 00:09:31,135 - We had surveillance planes from 12 or 15 divisions. 233 00:09:31,266 --> 00:09:36,924 ♪ 234 00:09:37,054 --> 00:09:39,709 - They brought down surveillance jets, 235 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,277 prop planes, ground surveillance units, 236 00:09:42,407 --> 00:09:44,279 and it was full-court press 237 00:09:44,409 --> 00:09:46,020 to try and figure out where this guy was. 238 00:09:46,150 --> 00:09:48,805 - All the agents were saying, "Why are we pulling out 239 00:09:48,936 --> 00:09:50,677 all the stops for this drug dealer?" 240 00:09:50,807 --> 00:09:52,809 And Bill and I both kinda got some, you know, 241 00:09:52,940 --> 00:09:54,942 kinda tongue-in-cheek comments about that. 242 00:09:55,072 --> 00:09:56,683 And I think that kinda got back, 243 00:09:56,813 --> 00:09:58,510 so the director came out and said, "We're doing this 244 00:09:58,641 --> 00:10:00,512 "because we wanna show them they can't come into 245 00:10:00,643 --> 00:10:02,732 our country and take our citizens," you know. 246 00:10:02,863 --> 00:10:04,734 - Frank and I are pretty much joined at the hip, 247 00:10:04,865 --> 00:10:06,475 'cause he's getting all the intel, 248 00:10:06,606 --> 00:10:09,347 which we need to refine the target 249 00:10:09,478 --> 00:10:11,306 and refine and deliver assault options. 250 00:10:11,436 --> 00:10:12,742 - Bill was the one that needed to know 251 00:10:12,873 --> 00:10:13,830 everything about the case. 252 00:10:13,961 --> 00:10:15,702 Everybody else has their little project, 253 00:10:15,832 --> 00:10:17,094 but Bill had to know everything. 254 00:10:17,225 --> 00:10:19,096 So if it didn't come from me, I had to make sure 255 00:10:19,227 --> 00:10:21,316 it came from whoever had it, so that was my job. 256 00:10:21,446 --> 00:10:24,319 I was on the phone 24/7 with the case agent in Columbia 257 00:10:24,449 --> 00:10:25,929 because I had to know right away 258 00:10:26,060 --> 00:10:27,931 what they were getting from the Title III, 259 00:10:28,062 --> 00:10:29,716 from the intel. - You're trying to get 260 00:10:29,846 --> 00:10:32,153 all the phone information to figure out 261 00:10:32,283 --> 00:10:34,764 where Cory is, right? 262 00:10:34,895 --> 00:10:36,723 'Cause we don't know--you guys didn't know where he was. 263 00:10:36,853 --> 00:10:38,594 You don't know where he's being kept, 264 00:10:38,725 --> 00:10:40,770 but they think he's in North Carolina somewhere, right? 265 00:10:40,901 --> 00:10:42,119 Did you have any names at this point? 266 00:10:42,250 --> 00:10:43,338 - One--Morales. 267 00:10:43,468 --> 00:10:45,732 One of the kidnappers. 268 00:10:45,862 --> 00:10:47,777 He seemed like the organizer or the leader, 269 00:10:47,908 --> 00:10:50,040 because he was taking all the calls, 270 00:10:50,171 --> 00:10:52,608 the directions from the cartel in Mexico. 271 00:10:52,739 --> 00:10:54,958 And then we could GPS that phone, 272 00:10:55,089 --> 00:10:56,743 you know, through the cell tower. 273 00:10:56,873 --> 00:10:59,093 - Triangulation. - We knew where he was. 274 00:10:59,223 --> 00:11:00,181 Wherever he went, we would do surveillance 275 00:11:00,311 --> 00:11:02,444 on that address. 276 00:11:02,574 --> 00:11:06,187 - We don't know at the time which location Cory could be, 277 00:11:06,317 --> 00:11:09,669 but we know that our bad guys are visiting this place, 278 00:11:09,799 --> 00:11:11,453 this place, this place. 279 00:11:11,583 --> 00:11:13,716 Different, you know, food deliveries, things like that 280 00:11:13,847 --> 00:11:15,936 kinda gave us clues 281 00:11:16,066 --> 00:11:18,808 that he's potentially at one of these places. 282 00:11:18,939 --> 00:11:21,506 - There is a grocery store in Elizabethtown. 283 00:11:21,637 --> 00:11:24,596 The owner handled all the money for the cartel 284 00:11:24,727 --> 00:11:27,251 through wire transfers to his store. 285 00:11:27,382 --> 00:11:29,036 He was kinda the money laundry. 286 00:11:30,907 --> 00:11:33,867 So we get him telling... 287 00:11:33,997 --> 00:11:37,174 Juan Morales, leader of the kidnappers, 288 00:11:37,305 --> 00:11:40,569 that somebody wanted to bring the package to Mexico. 289 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:43,006 And we thought that package 290 00:11:43,137 --> 00:11:45,574 might be Cory. 291 00:11:45,705 --> 00:11:48,055 We're like, oh, boy, we can't let Cory 292 00:11:48,185 --> 00:11:51,536 be taken out of the country, we'll never get him. 293 00:11:53,147 --> 00:11:55,540 - So you think the package is Cory. 294 00:11:55,671 --> 00:11:57,151 - Yeah. - And he's potentially 295 00:11:57,281 --> 00:11:58,456 in the back of the car. 296 00:11:58,587 --> 00:12:00,154 - We don't know. 297 00:12:00,284 --> 00:12:01,590 We think he might be the package. 298 00:12:01,721 --> 00:12:03,810 So we pick up surveillance on that vehicle. 299 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:08,162 [edgy music] 300 00:12:08,292 --> 00:12:09,467 It goes through several different states, 301 00:12:09,598 --> 00:12:11,687 and the Bureau's passing it off to their partners 302 00:12:11,818 --> 00:12:13,080 in those states. 303 00:12:13,210 --> 00:12:14,603 - Billy, you know it's rare 304 00:12:14,734 --> 00:12:16,823 like for the FBI to do car stops. 305 00:12:16,953 --> 00:12:18,694 - Oh, definitely rare for the FBI. 306 00:12:18,825 --> 00:12:21,001 - We're in unmarked cars. - Unmarked cars would... 307 00:12:21,131 --> 00:12:23,177 yeah, it would just be much more dangerous. 308 00:12:23,307 --> 00:12:24,874 - I had an undercover minivan, 309 00:12:25,005 --> 00:12:27,181 a Windstar minivan that was like purple. 310 00:12:27,311 --> 00:12:29,096 It was horrible. Trying to pull somebody over-- 311 00:12:29,226 --> 00:12:31,141 nobody's gonna pull over because of that. 312 00:12:31,272 --> 00:12:32,447 - Yep. - But the other thing-- 313 00:12:32,577 --> 00:12:34,101 somebody thinks they're getting robbed. 314 00:12:34,231 --> 00:12:36,973 - With a marked unit, you know, the guy's hoping 315 00:12:37,104 --> 00:12:40,107 he's getting pulled over for a traffic violation, 316 00:12:40,237 --> 00:12:42,283 so a lotta times, he'll actually stop and cooperate. 317 00:12:42,413 --> 00:12:46,461 [uneasy music] 318 00:12:46,591 --> 00:12:48,593 - We have to do the car stop, but also, 319 00:12:48,724 --> 00:12:50,552 the pressure on Bill was, well, once we do that, 320 00:12:50,682 --> 00:12:52,336 the gig's up, and they let them know 321 00:12:52,467 --> 00:12:54,469 they could kill Cory. 322 00:12:54,599 --> 00:12:57,254 - Did local PD do a car stop somewhere? 323 00:12:57,385 --> 00:12:59,822 - We did, we had a state-- the highway patrol in Texas 324 00:12:59,953 --> 00:13:02,782 do the stop just outside of Houston. 325 00:13:02,912 --> 00:13:05,262 - Driving the car is this guy named Freddy, 326 00:13:05,393 --> 00:13:07,090 Freddy Jimenez, 327 00:13:07,221 --> 00:13:09,223 tasked with bringing this package to Mexico. 328 00:13:09,353 --> 00:13:11,878 [uneasy music] 329 00:13:12,008 --> 00:13:14,097 [sirens wailing] 330 00:13:14,228 --> 00:13:17,231 They pull him over. They search the vehicle, 331 00:13:17,361 --> 00:13:19,276 but no Cory. 332 00:13:19,407 --> 00:13:22,236 The package turns out to be illegal passports. 333 00:13:22,366 --> 00:13:25,326 ♪ 334 00:13:25,456 --> 00:13:27,154 - And then what happens? 335 00:13:27,284 --> 00:13:29,939 - We didn't have enough evidence on Jimenez 336 00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:32,072 to arrest him for anything. 337 00:13:32,202 --> 00:13:34,117 But he did participate in a polygraph in Houston, 338 00:13:34,248 --> 00:13:35,945 and he failed the polygraph test. 339 00:13:36,076 --> 00:13:37,642 He didn't give it up. 340 00:13:37,773 --> 00:13:39,296 - Does he call the guys up, the kidnappers, and say, 341 00:13:39,427 --> 00:13:40,863 "Hey, I just got stopped"? 342 00:13:40,994 --> 00:13:42,996 - The wire did pick up 343 00:13:43,126 --> 00:13:44,084 that the kidnappers were notified. 344 00:13:44,214 --> 00:13:46,477 - And then what we're picking up on the wire 345 00:13:46,608 --> 00:13:48,915 is, really, preparations to kill Cory. 346 00:13:50,307 --> 00:13:52,788 It was imminent in terms of 347 00:13:52,919 --> 00:13:56,400 you know, he's probably not gonna live the next 24 hours. 348 00:13:56,531 --> 00:13:59,534 - Their mission was to get as much money out of Cory's dad 349 00:13:59,664 --> 00:14:01,797 as they could, and then they were gonna 350 00:14:01,928 --> 00:14:04,104 cut Cory's eyeballs out and his tattoos 351 00:14:04,234 --> 00:14:05,670 and send 'em in a FedEx box to his dad 352 00:14:05,801 --> 00:14:07,411 after they got the money from-- 353 00:14:07,542 --> 00:14:09,587 after he wired it to Mexico City. 354 00:14:09,718 --> 00:14:12,112 - So it's a race, basically, 355 00:14:12,242 --> 00:14:14,984 but, at the same time, you don't know where Cory is. 356 00:14:15,115 --> 00:14:16,551 - The clock's tickin'. 357 00:14:16,681 --> 00:14:18,553 It's a hostage rescue, so we're thinking 358 00:14:18,683 --> 00:14:20,642 we have to get in, we have to get in quick 359 00:14:20,772 --> 00:14:26,996 before the hostage takers can kill the hostage. 360 00:14:28,563 --> 00:14:29,781 - The other thing that folks don't understand 361 00:14:29,912 --> 00:14:31,000 is you gotta get warrants 362 00:14:31,131 --> 00:14:32,349 for all those places 363 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,003 and you gotta have probable cause. 364 00:14:34,134 --> 00:14:35,483 It's gotta go before a judge, so all that's taking place. 365 00:14:35,613 --> 00:14:37,528 - And then it comes back from the prosecutor, reviews it, 366 00:14:37,659 --> 00:14:40,009 and, "No, we don't like this, we need more of this," 367 00:14:40,140 --> 00:14:42,620 so it's not just a one and done, boom, we get the warrant. 368 00:14:42,751 --> 00:14:44,971 It's not that easy. - I know, it's tough. 369 00:14:45,101 --> 00:14:47,147 When did it finally happen 370 00:14:47,277 --> 00:14:48,626 that you guys were allowed to make the hits? 371 00:14:48,757 --> 00:14:49,976 - The actual permission to go 372 00:14:50,106 --> 00:14:51,978 was... - To go the 15th, early-- 373 00:14:52,108 --> 00:14:53,327 - To go early in the morning on the 15th. 374 00:14:53,457 --> 00:14:55,807 [punchy music] 375 00:14:55,938 --> 00:14:58,462 The plan was for one unit from the Hostage Rescue Team 376 00:14:58,593 --> 00:15:01,944 to hit Morales's place in Garland around 3:00 a.m. 377 00:15:02,075 --> 00:15:04,251 The other HRT units are on standby, 378 00:15:04,381 --> 00:15:06,122 ready to hit the houses at Horseshoe Road 379 00:15:06,253 --> 00:15:08,211 and Elizabethtown 380 00:15:08,342 --> 00:15:10,083 with Charlotte SWAT tackling Roseboro. 381 00:15:11,345 --> 00:15:13,521 We wanna be near-simultaneous 382 00:15:13,651 --> 00:15:15,915 so that one location couldn't alert the other locations 383 00:15:16,045 --> 00:15:17,177 or a neighbor or something like that 384 00:15:17,307 --> 00:15:19,266 couldn't alert the other locations. 385 00:15:19,396 --> 00:15:21,833 We hit Morales's location first, 386 00:15:21,964 --> 00:15:23,879 the thought being because we knew he was a key player 387 00:15:24,010 --> 00:15:25,925 in this whole kidnapping. 388 00:15:26,055 --> 00:15:27,709 A buncha commandos in there, 389 00:15:27,839 --> 00:15:30,233 and we felt like just the shock of all that 390 00:15:30,364 --> 00:15:31,800 would pry loose some intel. 391 00:15:33,802 --> 00:15:35,151 It was an explosive breach. 392 00:15:35,282 --> 00:15:37,066 We blow in his door. 393 00:15:37,197 --> 00:15:38,807 [indistinct shouting] 394 00:15:38,938 --> 00:15:40,287 - Go, go, go, go! - Go, go! 395 00:15:40,417 --> 00:15:42,724 - According to the girl next to him 396 00:15:42,854 --> 00:15:44,682 that was sleeping with him, he had a pistol under his pillow, 397 00:15:44,813 --> 00:15:48,251 and he thought about grabbing it, and then-then let it go. 398 00:15:48,382 --> 00:15:50,165 - And so our guys went in... 399 00:15:51,602 --> 00:15:52,864 And got Morales. 400 00:15:53,822 --> 00:15:55,737 Took him aside and questioned him 401 00:15:55,867 --> 00:15:58,087 and tried to get Cory's location out of him, 402 00:15:58,218 --> 00:16:00,960 but unfortunately, he was not cooperative. 403 00:16:01,090 --> 00:16:02,309 - But we did find the phone 404 00:16:02,439 --> 00:16:04,354 that was the subject of the wire tap 405 00:16:04,485 --> 00:16:07,531 which confirmed that he was the guy talking, you know. 406 00:16:07,662 --> 00:16:09,185 - He was the one making the ransom calls. 407 00:16:09,316 --> 00:16:11,318 - Yeah, 'cause we found the actual phone, 408 00:16:11,448 --> 00:16:12,493 and we could verify it through the phone. 409 00:16:12,623 --> 00:16:14,277 - Oh, that's cool. both: Yeah. 410 00:16:14,408 --> 00:16:15,452 - But then he gave you guys the finger 411 00:16:15,583 --> 00:16:17,106 and said, "I'm not helping you." 412 00:16:17,237 --> 00:16:18,325 - It's a race against time... - Yeah. 413 00:16:18,455 --> 00:16:20,327 - And his life is in our hands. 414 00:16:20,457 --> 00:16:24,244 ♪ 415 00:16:24,374 --> 00:16:26,550 - Then two units from HRT hit the houses 416 00:16:26,681 --> 00:16:28,988 at Horseshoe Road and Elizabethtown... 417 00:16:29,118 --> 00:16:33,557 and Charlotte SWAT hits the house at Roseboro. 418 00:16:33,688 --> 00:16:35,081 Horseshoe Road, I think it was. - Yeah, Horseshoe. 419 00:16:35,211 --> 00:16:38,258 - And it was a rural setting, multiple buildings in acreage, 420 00:16:38,388 --> 00:16:40,477 and it had a barn in the back. 421 00:16:40,608 --> 00:16:42,610 - On the arial photos, we saw that shed 422 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:45,047 that little like guest house way in the back... 423 00:16:45,178 --> 00:16:46,440 - Yeah. - Almost in the woods, 424 00:16:46,570 --> 00:16:48,964 and I'm like, "Bill, man, we gotta check that out." 425 00:16:49,095 --> 00:16:50,879 - We're working down the hill. 426 00:16:51,010 --> 00:16:53,012 We hit the outbuildings first 427 00:16:53,142 --> 00:16:54,926 while we lock down the main building 428 00:16:55,057 --> 00:16:58,582 and then made entry on the main building after that. 429 00:16:58,713 --> 00:17:00,149 And as we're making entry on the main building 430 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:01,716 at Horseshoe Road, 431 00:17:01,846 --> 00:17:04,893 Charlotte SWAT hit the house at Roseboro. 432 00:17:06,112 --> 00:17:08,375 And, uh, as they're going in, 433 00:17:08,505 --> 00:17:10,290 the front door was barricaded with a mattress. 434 00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:11,726 So it wasn't like firmly barricaded, 435 00:17:11,856 --> 00:17:14,076 but it was a shoving match to get in. 436 00:17:14,207 --> 00:17:16,644 They rammed it. 437 00:17:16,773 --> 00:17:19,516 [overlapping yelling] 438 00:17:19,646 --> 00:17:22,519 [tense music] 439 00:17:22,650 --> 00:17:25,392 ♪ 440 00:17:25,521 --> 00:17:27,307 One of the kidnappers, he squirts out the back, 441 00:17:27,436 --> 00:17:30,049 goes running out a back door. 442 00:17:30,179 --> 00:17:32,225 And, of course, they have guys out back. 443 00:17:32,355 --> 00:17:34,357 They take him down there. 444 00:17:34,488 --> 00:17:35,880 So they're looking around for Cory, 445 00:17:36,011 --> 00:17:38,187 they're calling his name, but they can't find him. 446 00:17:40,755 --> 00:17:44,280 We hear over the radio Denny's voice at Roseboro. 447 00:17:44,411 --> 00:17:46,108 He's saying jackpot, jackpot. 448 00:17:46,239 --> 00:17:49,546 [dramatic musical sting] 449 00:17:49,677 --> 00:17:52,941 ♪ 450 00:17:53,072 --> 00:17:55,683 They found Cory, chained. 451 00:17:55,813 --> 00:17:57,163 - Ugh, poor kid. 452 00:17:57,293 --> 00:17:59,382 - And it was like chains with padlocks. 453 00:17:59,513 --> 00:18:02,472 Lookin'--he was lookin' pretty beat up. 454 00:18:02,603 --> 00:18:04,561 Had--his eyes were covered. 455 00:18:06,259 --> 00:18:08,783 - He's chained on the floor 456 00:18:08,913 --> 00:18:11,177 to a Universal Gym set. 457 00:18:11,307 --> 00:18:13,440 He had very little water or food 458 00:18:13,570 --> 00:18:16,138 and was not allowed to go to the bathroom. 459 00:18:16,269 --> 00:18:18,097 So he's kinda--he's dehydrated, 460 00:18:18,227 --> 00:18:19,968 he's in bad shape. 461 00:18:20,099 --> 00:18:21,752 - Were you able to go help him? 462 00:18:21,883 --> 00:18:23,406 - So the ambulance took him from the scene 463 00:18:23,537 --> 00:18:24,842 directly to the hospital, 464 00:18:24,973 --> 00:18:26,670 so I took off from the command post 465 00:18:26,801 --> 00:18:29,717 and rendezvoused with the-- he had a SWAT escort, 466 00:18:29,847 --> 00:18:32,328 and then they turned him over to me at the hospital. 467 00:18:32,459 --> 00:18:33,808 - The kidnapping plot 468 00:18:33,938 --> 00:18:34,983 foiled by the FBI 469 00:18:35,114 --> 00:18:36,376 in our own backyard 470 00:18:36,506 --> 00:18:38,160 had ties to an international 471 00:18:38,291 --> 00:18:39,466 drug operation. 472 00:18:39,596 --> 00:18:41,032 - The investigation into this 473 00:18:41,163 --> 00:18:42,947 elaborate kidnapping scheme 474 00:18:43,078 --> 00:18:44,123 spanned two countries, 475 00:18:44,253 --> 00:18:45,994 numerous states, 476 00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:47,038 and involved more than 477 00:18:47,169 --> 00:18:48,301 30 law enforcement groups. 478 00:18:49,911 --> 00:18:52,305 - So I'm in the hospital and, you know, 479 00:18:52,435 --> 00:18:53,828 they said he's in great shape 480 00:18:53,958 --> 00:18:55,873 for not eating and drinking for six days. 481 00:18:56,004 --> 00:18:58,180 He was a little dehydrated, but they put fluids. 482 00:18:58,311 --> 00:19:00,965 So I interviewed him about actually what went down. 483 00:19:01,096 --> 00:19:03,838 He was able to give us a description of what he saw. 484 00:19:03,968 --> 00:19:07,537 When you're a kid, and you play Pin the Tail on the Donkey, 485 00:19:07,668 --> 00:19:10,105 right, how do you cheat when you have a blindfold? 486 00:19:10,236 --> 00:19:11,846 You do this, right, you look--right? 487 00:19:11,976 --> 00:19:14,065 'cause if it doesn't-- you look under. 488 00:19:14,196 --> 00:19:16,503 And he actually told me he was looking under, 489 00:19:16,633 --> 00:19:18,809 and he was able to describe the subjects. 490 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:20,768 He saw the subjects, and they didn't know 491 00:19:20,898 --> 00:19:23,292 that he wasn't covered all the way. 492 00:19:23,423 --> 00:19:24,989 So his description was right on the money. 493 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:26,513 - Oh, that's awesome. 494 00:19:26,643 --> 00:19:28,558 I mean, that obviously helped the case, you know? 495 00:19:28,689 --> 00:19:30,125 - Absolutely. - But he's lucky he's alive 496 00:19:30,256 --> 00:19:31,170 to even tell the story. - Yes. 497 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:32,780 - Very, very. 498 00:19:32,910 --> 00:19:35,652 [quiet music] 499 00:19:35,783 --> 00:19:37,176 ♪ 500 00:19:37,306 --> 00:19:39,961 - He looked at me like the person that saved him. 501 00:19:40,091 --> 00:19:42,268 Obviously, I didn't singlehandedly save this guy, 502 00:19:42,398 --> 00:19:44,400 but he looked at me like-- - Big part of it. 503 00:19:44,531 --> 00:19:46,576 - Yeah, and so I drove him to the Marriott 504 00:19:46,707 --> 00:19:48,926 right next to the FBI office in Fayetteville, 505 00:19:49,057 --> 00:19:50,972 and I took him up to the hotel and I said, "Look, 506 00:19:51,102 --> 00:19:52,930 take a shower, whatever. I'm gonna wait out here." 507 00:19:53,061 --> 00:19:54,628 I turned the TV on. You know, I'm armed, 508 00:19:54,758 --> 00:19:56,978 so I said, you know, I'll watch your back, 509 00:19:57,108 --> 00:19:59,720 go in the bathroom, and he was very, very nervous. 510 00:19:59,850 --> 00:20:02,331 So much so that when his family came to pick him up, 511 00:20:02,462 --> 00:20:03,985 a couple hours later, 512 00:20:04,115 --> 00:20:06,205 he wanted to stay with me 513 00:20:06,335 --> 00:20:07,945 rather than go with his own family. 514 00:20:08,076 --> 00:20:09,382 He didn't know if maybe... 515 00:20:09,512 --> 00:20:11,210 - His dad... - The cartel had flipped 516 00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:13,603 his dad, and they're gonna deliver him to the cartel. 517 00:20:13,734 --> 00:20:15,126 - Yeah. 518 00:20:15,257 --> 00:20:17,172 - As it turns out, Cory's uncle, 519 00:20:17,303 --> 00:20:18,565 he was feeding intel to the cartel 520 00:20:18,695 --> 00:20:20,654 to help them find Cory and do the kidnapping. 521 00:20:20,784 --> 00:20:21,698 - Oh, wow. 522 00:20:21,829 --> 00:20:24,832 - And so what was really a tearjerker 523 00:20:24,962 --> 00:20:27,138 is his family arrived, 524 00:20:27,269 --> 00:20:28,792 and his five-year-old son 525 00:20:28,923 --> 00:20:31,230 comes running across the parking lot into his arms. 526 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:34,189 He said, "You saved my life." 527 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:35,625 He said, "I'm done with this life," 528 00:20:35,756 --> 00:20:38,585 and again, he said, "You know, I was born into it. 529 00:20:38,715 --> 00:20:39,890 I really didn't have a choice," you know. 530 00:20:40,021 --> 00:20:42,241 And he promised me 531 00:20:42,371 --> 00:20:44,112 that he would make good with the rest of his life 532 00:20:44,243 --> 00:20:46,375 because we saved his life. 533 00:21:25,849 --> 00:21:28,287 [soft music] 534 00:21:28,417 --> 00:21:30,506 - HRT is a--it's a brotherhood. 535 00:21:30,637 --> 00:21:32,465 I mean, my best friends in the world, 536 00:21:32,595 --> 00:21:34,684 probably till the day I die'll be HRT guys. 537 00:21:34,815 --> 00:21:37,121 It just inspires me to know that there's 538 00:21:37,252 --> 00:21:39,646 Americans out there that are willing to do 539 00:21:39,776 --> 00:21:41,648 what these guys were willing to do 540 00:21:41,778 --> 00:21:43,432 for people they don't even know. 541 00:21:43,563 --> 00:21:46,174 You know, they went down there and took care of business. 542 00:21:46,305 --> 00:21:48,002 - You guys are, like, badass. 543 00:21:48,132 --> 00:21:49,569 - There's a saying in law enforcement, 544 00:21:49,699 --> 00:21:51,179 sometimes when things go our way-- 545 00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:52,702 it doesn't always go our way, but when it does, 546 00:21:52,833 --> 00:21:54,617 we get these lucky breaks, you know. 547 00:21:54,748 --> 00:22:00,623 People say, "Sometimes God loves cops." 548 00:22:02,059 --> 00:22:04,627 [intense music] 549 00:22:04,758 --> 00:22:14,594 ♪