16-"It Takes A Network to Fight a Network" feat. Walt, Director of Operations for the Children's International Rescue Foundation.

We are happy to welcome back The Children's International Rescue Foundation to the Podcast! This time we are joined by one of the co-founders of the group, Walt. He also serves at the director of operations.  Walt details his journey working undercover, why relationships are so vital, some what real undercover investigations look like vs. how they may be portrayed on other media outlets. This conversation is vital as there is much confusion and misrepresentation on undercover work in general.  Walt is a highly skilled investigator dedicated to combating transnational criminal organizations involved in child trafficking. His expertise encompasses investigative fieldwork, hostage rescue, fugitive apprehension, and small unit leadership. Walt has had the privilege of briefing Vice Presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, as well as U.S. Ambassador Popp on behalf of NGOs fighting human trafficking in the Northern Triangle. He has also conducted extensive ground investigations in Colombia and Ecuador, collaborating with National Police agencies to infiltrate criminal networks. In 2021, Walt played a pivotal role in an award-winning Colombian human trafficking investigation.Throughout his career, Walt has held positions such as S.W.A.T Master Operator, U.S. Marshal Service Task Force Officer, Police Sergeant, and U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Sergeant. Walt emphasizes the importance of continuous training, operational planning, and international partnerships between law enforcement, financial institutions, and NGOs in combating the human trafficking crisis in Latin America. Walt's language abilities in Spanish and Portuguese, along with his cross-cultural experiences, including a two-year Christian mission in Brazil and teaching the English Connect program in Ecuador, further enrich his perspective. Above all, Walt considers his greatest success to be his enduring marriage of over 20 years and the joy of raising children with his wife. Here is the link to their website-https://www.childrensinternationalrescuefoundation.org/ Here is the link to some of their recent cases-https://www.childrensinternationalrescuefoundation.org/post/2-csam-web-studios-eliminated Here is the link to the Libertas International website- libertasfreedom.org