Claw of the Dragon

By Michael S. Vigil

Mike Vigil rose from humble beginnings in the Northern New Mexico village of Española to lead America’s effort against treacherous international drug traffickers and cartel bosses. He is a legend in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and far beyond. From Mexico to Honduras, the Caribbean to Afghanistan, Vigil’s name is celebrated in far-flung regions of the world for his ability to bring disparate law enforcement and military entities together to take down some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet.

In a career spanning more than three decades, Vigil faced down death many times and was known for being “first through the door” on operations that led to thousands of arrests and seizures of tons of dangerous drugs and millions of narco dollars.

After his retirement from the DEA, Vigil embarked on a new career as an author and authority on the ever-evolving world of the increasingly violent drug cartels. His fast-paced novels have the clarion ring of authenticity, and for good reason: He’s been there and done that.

From foot soldier to field general, and now a successful author and top authority on the continuing campaign against drug trafficking in America and around the world, Mike Vigil’s life is a testament to the good that can be accomplished against formidable odds by one brave man.

Viva Mike Vigil.

John L. Smith

Author of Saints, Sinners, and Sovereign Citizens: The Endless War over the West’s Public Lands

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663241870

Michael S. Vigil

Michael S. Vigil, born and raised in Española, New Mexico, earned his degree in Criminology at New Mexico State University where he graduated with Honors. He later joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and became one of its most highly decorated agents. He served in thirteen foreign and domestic posts and rose through the ranks to the highest levels of the Senior Executive Service. He was the Special Agent in Charge of the Caribbean and San Diego Divisions. He further served as the Chief of International Operations in charge of all DEA offices worldwide. Mr. Vigil has received numerous awards during his elite career such as law enforcement’s most prestigious recognition: The National Association of Police Organization’s (NAPO) Top Cop award. This award is only given to ten law enforcement heroes each year from thousands of submissions nationwide. Many foreign governments have honored Mr. Vigil for his extraordinary and courageous efforts in the violent struggle against transnational organized crime. He is the only American to be made an Honorary General by the country of Afghanistan. China bestowed him with the “Key to the City of Shanghai.” The President of the Dominican Republic presented him with an Admiral’s sword at an International Drug Enforcement Conference. He is mentioned in over twenty-five books and appears on worldwide documentaries, and popular television programs such as Gangsters: America’s Most Evil, The Rise and Fall of El Chapo, Manhunt: Kill or Capture, and NETFLIX’S Drug Lords. He is a contributor to CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, Telemundo, Univision, Chinese Global Television, NPR, TRT, Al Jazeera, BBC, TV Azteca, El Financiero Bloomberg, FOX, NTN 24, Caracol Television, CNN Español, and dozens of internationally syndicated newspapers and radio stations. He is also a contributor to the highly regarded Cipher Brief. His highly acclaimed memoir, DEAL, was released in 2014. Metal Coffins: The Blood Alliance Cartel, Narco Queen, Land of Enchantment Cartel, Afghan Warlord, and the Rise of the Sicario are his five fiction novels. Many of the scenarios, however, are derived from his extensive experience as an undercover agent. He is the only American to have a corrido (ballad) made in his honor by Alberto Angel AKA El Cuervo, a famous recording artist and composer in Mexico. Mr. Vigil was responsible for the largest and most successful operations in the DEA’s history. The most significant one involved thirty-six countries in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America. After the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, he designed and implemented Operation Containment consisting of twenty-five countries, to include the China and the Russia. Prior to this initiative, only a few kilograms of heroin were seized in the region. During the first year of Operation Containment over twenty-four tons were seized in this same region. The U.S. Congress continues to fund the highly successful initiative. He also developed regional intelligence centers allowing foreign countries to exchange information on transnational organized crime. The centers are now operational globally. Mr. Vigil was one of the most intrepid and legendary undercover agents in the history of the DEA. He successfully infiltrated some of the most violent and dangerous cartels in the world.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 Michael S. Vigil.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4188-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4189-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-4187-0 (e)

iUniverse rev. date:  08/02/2022

CONTENTS

Forewords

Dedication

Chapter 1 The Raid

Chapter 2 The Intifada

Chapter 3 The Spector of Terrorism

Chapter 4 The Angels of Death

Chapter 5 The Jihadist Thunderclap

Chapter 6 Chaos and Uncertainty

Chapter 7 The Money Launderer

Chapter 8 Cryptocurrency

Chapter 9 The Assassination

Chapter 10 The Iranian Connection

Chapter 11 The Bomb

Chapter 12 Violent Retaliation

Chapter 13 The Unification

Chapter 14 The Plot

Chapter 15 The Terrorist Storm

Chapter 16 Extrajudicial Killings

About The Author

FOREWORDS

STATEMENT OF IGNACIO MORALES LECHUGA

FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MEXICO

The deadly work that has transcended and sowed the seed in the fight against drug trafficking throughout the hemisphere, which now bears fruit, are results the different countries have obtained thanks to the support the United States government has graciously provided. In particular, the complex multi-national operations and global intelligence platforms the DEA developed has to be credited to Michael S. Vigil, a true visionary and strategist.

I had the honor of participating in these efforts as the Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico and this allows me to affirm that the dangerous work carried out by Mike Vigil were very valuable in obtaining nothing less than spectacular results in the fight against the scourge of drug trafficking. I feel satisfied and honored our countries, the United States and Mexico, in 1991 and 1992, seized record figures of cocaine and apprehended more than 32,000 deadly criminals involved in transnational organized crime.

Mike Vigil was at the forefront of all these efforts. His courageous penetrations of the ruthless cartels, in an undercover capacity, gained him the reputation of a fearless warrior and a true living legend, not only in Mexico, but throughout the world. He truly needs to be emulated by others who will follow him.

STATEMENT OF GENERAL MUHAMMAD SALANGI

DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERIOR-AFGHANISTAN

My country, Afghanistan, through many centuries, has known a number of great leaders, some of whom have actually invaded and attempted to conquer it. Leaders whose exploits are well documented in history along with their military tactics and strategies are still studied and analyzed by contemporary armies throughout the world. I refer to individuals like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan who were completely fearless in battle and when preparing for war had the vision and experience to implement ingenious plans to ensure victory.

These extraordinary leaders have only existed every few centuries. One of them is Mike Vigil from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who is known in many countries around the world as one of the greatest strategists of his time. He developed and executed some of the largest anti-drug operations in history, some involving as many as 36 countries. The sheer strength of his character convinced those countries who had reservations to eventually agree to participate in his expansive initiatives. He did what most politicians were never able to do, which was to get many nations to put aside long-standing differences and work together as a cohesive network.

Mike Vigil’s operational objectives were always multifaceted to ensure the maximum impact on the most violent transnational organized groups in the world. No matter how large the operations were, he planned them meticulously. For him, there was no room for error. Quite frankly, military and police generals on many continents were intimidated by his knowledge and abilities to successfully accomplish all of his undertakings. No one was more respected and it was obvious when he walked into a room, everyone listened to his every word and went out of their way to please him. Most individuals don’t understand that respect is not demanded, but earned on the field of battle.

Mike Vigil, like Alexander the Great, always led from the front and never from the rear. The true warrior moves valiantly into the heat of battle knowing he may die at any moment, but fear never enters his mind, only courage and determination. Mike Vigil is one of those men.

STATEMENT OF LARRY VILLALOBOS

DEA SUPERVISOR-INTELLIGENCE

If one believes you can have a bigger life than most people ever dreamed of through three life times, you might be called a dreamer, a fantasy experiment or someone that might not be balanced or of solid ‘foot planting’ in life…but what if that life and experience did indeed occur? In that case you are fortunate to read the stories based on real life twists and turns that ordinary people simply learn or read about. Today, right here, you can inject yourself into a world of violence and intrigue that reflect a man’s mind who was there. Mike Vigil actually lived these adventures through a career of globe-trotting through an element of life that while not pretty and safe, has existed, exists and unfortunately will always exist.

Mike Vigil entered a world and profession that was becoming an advanced measure of tactics, techniques and procedures, which required intellectual and mental acrobatics to ensure a successful result through partnerships, investigations and undercover operations that would become the expertise and foundation of these stories. Mike Vigil entered the world of global crime fighter as a young, dynamic, strong, powerful and innovative in-your-face bigger than life Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent from the very tranquil and beautiful Northern New Mexico Valley along the Rio Grande.

Read the stories in his many books carefully and as the reader, place yourself as only Mike Vigil can take you into the minds and physical locations of a complex world through the events he presents. Learn and believe that although it is a novel, understand that events portrayed have a place in history of events that actually occurred. Feel what you are reading is something that is today’s world and what Mike Vigil is presenting is the confluence of drugs and terror…and if for one minute you might believe that drugs and drug investigations have no link to global terror then understand that over half of all terrorist organizations designated by the U.S. Government are now involved in one or more aspects of the drug trade and precisely Mike Vigil’s expertise. Mike Vigil has given to us a novel that depicts hybrid terror and through his experience we learn history that was ongoing when he was that young boy playing sports in Northern New Mexico and waiting to become a hybrid international crime fighter.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the loving memory of my parents, Sam and Alice, whose sacrifice, support and love made me the person I am today.

It is also dedicated to my sisters, Anita and Mona.

To my niece, Ursula, who is my bright shining star.

To Nicole who is in heaven with my parents.

To my stepdaughter, Lisa and my grandchildren, Luke Edward and Sarah Claire.

To my wife, Suzanne, for the stunning book cover.

To my friends, Alvan Romero and Lillie Montoya, for their assistance in editing this book.

To my friend, Gordon Eden, former Albuquerque Police Chief, for inspiring this novel.

CHAPTER 1

46072.png

THE RAID

Miguel Villa had just arrived at his new assignment in Medellin, the capital of the mountainous province of Antioquia, Colombia, better known as the Murder City of the world. Drug cartels, terrorist networks, and paramilitaries fought each other because of conflicting ideologies, but much more so, for control of the multi-billion dollar cocaine trade. Villa had most recently served for a number of years in Mexico and was now in a seriously much more dangerous environment. He was a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, which was best known by its acronym, DEA. He was tall, broad shouldered, with dark hair and hazel eyes. Sporting a thick mustache, many people would comment he resembled the actor, Tom Selleck.

Unlike many other agents, he thrived operating in high-risk areas. He was addicted to the adrenaline rush and was extraordinarily fearless. Villa grew up in Espanola, New Mexico, an extremely poor village in the northern part of the state. Despite the suffocating poverty, the area was rich in culture, history, and hardworking people. After graduating from Espanola High School, he fought major forest fires throughout the Southwestern United States in the summer months to help pay for his college tuition. Villa earned a degree in criminology, graduating with honors, from New Mexico State University.

Several months later, he was hired by the DEA. After serving in several domestic and foreign posts, he found himself in the middle of the principal source country for cocaine. He immediately began working with his great friend, General Leonardo Gallego of the Colombian National Police (CNP). The general was a no-nonsense leader who commanded all anti-drug forces in the country. He was focused and widely respected, even by the drug lords he pursued in the jungles.

Earlier, the head of a murderous cartel, Pablo Escobar had been killed on a roof-top in Medellin in a vicious shootout with police, but soon others took his place even before he was placed six feet into the ground. Drug trafficking was a way of life in Colombia and astute criminals had turned it into an art form.

After state sponsored terrorism went out of vogue as a result of severe international condemnation, terrorist organizations found themselves vulnerable and incapable of carrying out their violent objectives. This, however, didn’t last long because they soon realized the vast potential in the drug trade. It swiftly became their primary funding source and they began generating more money than ever before. For the rest of the world, this meant a formidable alliance between major cartels and terrorist organizations. One entity was motivated by the greed for money and the other with eliminating anyone who was of a different religion or political ideology. Just like with the cartels, there was a proliferation in terrorist networks and international security forces now needed a score card to keep track of all of them.

It was a gloomy, rainy day when Villa received a call on his cell phone. It was General Gallego, but the connection was poor and Villa could barely hear him. Villa pulled over on the side of the road, clicked the disconnect button then quickly called the general back. This time the reception was much better.

Villa spoke loudly, Leonardo, sorry I could not hear you. How are you, my friend? Actually, I was on my way to see you, but the highway is heavily congested and the traffic is barely moving.

The general replied, Miguel, thanks for calling me back. Every time it rains, the phone system in Colombia goes bad. We will soon be having a meeting in my office and I wanted to make sure you attended. Please try to get here without killing yourself. I will see you soon.

Twenty minutes later, Villa arrived at the CNP building located in the downtown area of Medellin. It was an old, gray structure, which not only contained the administrative offices, but cafeterias and dormitories as well for officers. There was also a small officer’s club, which conveniently served alcohol and snacks in the afternoon. Several uniformed police officers stood in front of the building providing security and checking the identifications of all visitors. Villa parked nearby and maneuvered through the throng of people standing around talking with one another.

On the other side of the narrow street was a row of small shops selling candy, drinkable yogurt and other sweets. It was a very popular hangout for local teenagers. Villa flashed his DEA credentials and was immediately allowed through the tall, massive wooden doors. He jogged up the steps to the second floor and walked into General Gallego’s office that was filled with mementos of his long-distinguished career. Sitting at an oval conference table were three men, including the general, and also two women in uniform.

The general stood up, greeted Villa, and stated, Welcome! Miguel, it is so good to see you in person since we usually just talk on the telephone. Glad you were able to get through traffic and arrive here so fast. Everyone present are members of our intelligence section and admittedly the very best at what they do. They have come up with some recent disturbing information, which may be of interest to you. Let’s proceed. Lydia, why don’t you start the briefing?

Lydia, a striking, tall brunette, stood up and declared, Recently, we have been obtaining very interesting data from two of our informants who have successfully penetrated the ranks of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). For your information, Mr. Villa, the FARC is the oldest and largest rebel group in the country. It currently has over ten thousand well-armed fighters. The organization follows a Marxist-Leninist doctrine. Initially, they protected cocaine conversion laboratories and clandestine airstrips for the cartels, but eventually realized they could make significantly more money by becoming full-fledged drug traffickers. Obviously, this meant they could buy more weapons, equipment, and recruit more members. But back to the main point, our sources say several Middle Eastern looking men have been meeting with the main leaders of the FARC. Unfortunately, our sources are not privy to the discussions, but thought it was important enough to advise us.

Villa asked, Do your informants have any idea who these men are or who they represent? That information is going to be critical. I wonder if they are foreign drug traffickers seeking to make money or if they have another nefarious objective? I will certainly alert DEA’s sources to see if more intelligence regarding this matter can be developed.

Unfortunately, at this time we don’t know who they are, Lydia replied. We have never had reports regarding this type of activity before. We are very concerned about potential foreign terrorist activity in our country. We have more than enough problems with domestic subversives.

Villa responded, Terrorism is like a malignant cancer and once it takes root, nothing short of a miracle will eliminate it. They certainly don’t play by the rules and therefore have a distinct advantage over traditional law enforcement. Well, let’s keep working on this together and see what we can dig up.

General Gallego commented, We welcome the participation of the DEA on this and hopefully, our mutual efforts can soon bring some clarity to this perplexing issue.

During the next couple of months, Villa and agents Mike Parra, Lupe Martinez, Ed Tanuz, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Chris Quintana, Migel Flores (not the normal spelling of Miguel), David Gil, along with IRS agent Alvan Romero began working on further developing the infrastructure of the CNP. They created several wire intercept centers throughout Colombia that were manned by local CNP officers and analysts. It had previously been decided the intercepted calls would be extralegal (not court authorized) because the massive corruption that existed in the telephone company and the judicial system would compromise them if they followed the legal process.

Additionally, the agents began to recruit more informants and quickly developed a large network, which soon encompassed the entire country. Information began to flow like a river. Each morning, the U.S. agents received transcripts on all the telephones being monitored. The calls were in Spanish, but were quickly transcribed into English and put into investigative reports and forwarded to the headquarters of both the DEA and IRS. Analysts went through them meticulously and then created organizational charts, intelligence reports, and link analysis.

One of the cell phones being intercepted belonged to a mid-level FARC leader, Antonio Mata, who had been kidnapped by the subversive group from Villavicencio, capital for the department (state) of Meta, at the age of thirteen. He became one of many child soldiers and fought several battles against Colombia’s security forces. By the time he was fifteen, it was estimated, Mata had killed close to a hundred men. He enjoyed the respect and admiration violence brought him. Through time and constant indoctrination, he had become a fanatical and loyal servant to the FARC. He had not seen his family since being abducted, but no longer cared since he had new brothers and sisters in the FARC who protected and loved him. Mata was now in charge of cocaine production and distribution for the violent rebel group.

On a bright, sunny morning, Mata and four of his brothers-in-arms drove through the town of Popayan located in the southwestern part of the country. Mata loved the colonial architecture and the many ornate churches, which dotted the area. Popayan was best known as the White City due to the color of most of its buildings. Mata and his men made the sign of the cross each time they passed a religious building. They all felt a need to stay in good standing with God because of their acute awareness of human mortality and knowledge that death could come from one day to the next. They didn’t want to take the super highway to hell, but opted for the spiral staircase to heaven.

Twenty kilometers from the town, the landscape changed to a rustic area full of grass fields where hundreds of cattle grazed peacefully. Eventually, they turned right onto a rough dirt road and followed it until arriving at the top of a hill. Not visible from the main road was an old, dilapidated ranch house surrounded by a barbed wire fence. A strong wind would have easily collapsed the structure. Inside were four men wearing gas masks and rubber gloves. They were FARC members who were highly skilled cocaine chemists. When Mata and his men entered the building, they could smell the pungent precursor chemicals, which included potassium permanganate, toluene, ethyl ether, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and other ingredients being mixed with raw coca paste. Mata choked on the fumes and coughed loudly. He took out a handkerchief from his pants pocket and covered his mouth and nose with it.

Mata addressed Jose, the chief chemist at the site, How is everything going? I trust you have enough chemicals and equipment to keep this lab fully operational? Although, we have many labs around the country, this is our most important one. By the way, how much finished product do you have right now?

Jose, temporarily taking off his mask, replied, Thus far, we have manufactured six tons of cocaine hydrochloride and still have another four tons of coca paste to convert. We should be finished in about a week. Our supply of precursor chemicals is more than adequate to get the job done.

That is excellent news, and you are doing a great job, commented Mata. Our Muslim brothers are chomping at the bit to get their hands on it. In the future, they will definitely be the best customers we have ever had.

I find it amazing to say the least, Jose stated. Traditionally, the Mexican cartels and the gringos have been the ones who buy most of our white powder. But in reality, who gives a fuck who ends up with it. We get rich, which is our primary objective, right?

Mata answered, You are absolutely correct! I will be leaving very early in the morning, but I want you to keep me apprised on your progress in processing the remaining tons of coca paste.

A week later, on a cold, rainy night, well-armed guerrillas of the FARC’s 20th and 23rd Fronts marched into the city of Bucaramanga, the capital of Santander located in north-central Colombia. The FARC rebels wore their traditional camouflage uniforms and had large arm bands bearing the acronym of their organization and the colors of the Colombian flag, yellow, blue, and red.

Without warning or provocation, they attacked the local police garrison raking it with automatic weapons fire. Caught completely by surprise, the police began to slowly return fire, but by now were completely surrounded. Luis Serrano, the charismatic FARC commander, gave the order to launch three rocket propelled grenades. They punched holes through the windows and exploded with a deafening blast in the interior of the building. Many officers were torn to shreds and others became dazed when their eardrums were violently shattered. Several other grenades finished the job and all twenty officers were brutally killed.

Next the guerillas moved quickly to the offices