Vincent A. Cefalu - RatSnakes: Cheating Death by Living a Lie: Inside the Explosive World of ATF’s Undercover Agents and How We Changed the Game

Table of Contents

Praise for RatSnakes

Cefalu bares all and lays out the gritty and true life of an undercover agent and the workings of the ATF. A must-read for law enforcement and the public.

Joe Pistone, former undercover FBI agent, alias Donnie Brasco

The law enforcement undercover community is limited to those who are born with the ability to take on some of the most dangerous, up close and personal assignments. In that select group, Vince Cefalu is one who stands out because of his bravery and his ability to walk undetected among the most hardened criminals.

Joaquin Jack Garcia, former undercover FBI agent and New York Times bestselling author of Making Jack Falcone

Vincent Cefalu is the real deal. In RatSnakes, he takes us on a wild ride through his dark world of paranoia, danger, fear, hard living, hard drinking, and the chase. In the end, its a gripping story revealing how some of our most effective federal undercover agents earn their chops, make their living, and work to protect their fellow Americans in ways that usually go unrecognized.

Sharyl Attkisson, host of Full Measure and former CBS investigative correspondent

Retired ATF undercover agent Vince Cefalu has created a read thats going to leave readers with their mouths open. If youve never used the terms, oh my god, holy shit, or what the f*&%$, Ratsnakes is going to introduce you to a new emotional feeling. Its not just about real world undercover operations; its about the people and the agencies willing to operate behind enemy lines.

William Queen, ATF special agent (retired) and NewYork Times bestselling author of Under and Alone

With each page, Vincent Cefalu brings the heart-pounding reality of the street and tough undercover work to life. If youre looking for a read you wont be able to put down, this is it.

Katie Pavlich, New York Times bestselling author of Fast and Furious, journalist, and editor of Townhall.com

Copyright 2019 by Vincent A. Cefalu

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise stated, all photos are courtesy of the authorss personal collection.

BenBella Books, Inc.

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Dallas, TX 75231

www.benbellabooks.com

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First E-Book Edition: May 2019

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Cefalu, Vincent A., author.

Title: Ratsnakes : cheating death by living a lie... inside the explosive world of ATFs undercover agents and how we changed the game / Vincent A. Cefalu.

Description: Dallas, TX : BenBella Books, Inc., [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018058142 (print) | LCCN 2019001375 (ebook) | ISBN 9781948836258 (electronic) | ISBN 9781946885968 (trade cloth : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Cefalu, Vincent A. | United States. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and FirearmsOfficials and employeesBiography. | Law enforcementUnited StatesBiography.

Classification: LCC HV8144.B87 (ebook) | LCC HV8144.B87 C44 2019 (print) | DDC 363.2092 [B] dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018058142

Editing by Laurel Leigh

Copyediting by Scott Calamar

Proofreading by Lisa Story and Cape Cod Compositors, Inc.

Text composition by PerfecType, Nashville, TN

Cover design by Brian Barth

Printed by Lake Book Manufacturing

Distributed to the trade by Two Rivers Distribution, an Ingram brand www.tworiversdistribution.com

A true dedication for this book would require fifty or more pages. To say I have been blessed to serve with the best our country has to offer would be an understatement.

To my mom and dad, who never left my side, I love you and miss you.

To my wife, my ex-wives, and my children, who willingly backed the life I chose, I love you.

To every state, local, and federal cop Ive ever served with, Semper Fi, this book is about and for you.

Finally, to the country that allowed a seemingly average kid to rise from his youthful foolishness to live his dream, I LOVE YOU. God bless America.

CONTENTS

I f you believe what you see on television, undercover police work seems to be a glamorous occupation: pretty girls, plenty to drink, top-end cars, and lots of glitzy living. Written by one of the nations premier undercover operatives, RatSnakes obliterates that Hollywood myth by taking you into the real world of undercover! You will learn what it takes to volunteer and be a member of this exclusive club of RatSnakes.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE, most commonly referred to as ATF) is charged with the enforcement of our nations firearm, alcohol, and explosives laws. While the alcohol side of ATF is mostly regulatory in operation, the firearms and explosives agents deal with the worst of the worst criminals. Where you find guns and explosives, you find drugsa lethal combination!

In order to root out the vilest of the criminal element, unfortunately, good men and women must enter that dirty, grimy, underground world. Obviously, this is extremely dangerous work, and it also takes a toll on the agents and their families. Undercover work puts a strain on family relations that is unmatched, even in the military.

Vincent A. Cefalu pulls back the curtain on this profane, vulgar, and violent ecosphere. In this book, you will meet some of the top undercover agents in the United States, probably even in the world. Vince shares many of their stories with you. He also shares the ineptness of some of the, as he calls them, empty suits within the management chain at ATF: bosses more interested in their own selfish self-promotion than the reputations or the safety of the undercover agents who do the dirty work and make the arrests.

For example, you would think an agent who has been unlawfully ordered to install a wiretap has two choices. One, they can implement the wiretap and subject themselves to the laws governing the misuse of wiretaps; or, two, they can go up the chain of command to make their superiors aware of the unlawfulness of the tap. A normal person would expect upper management to discipline the commander making the order and, at the least, shake the agents hand and say thank you. That didnt happen! In one instance, the agent received direct discipline, a bad report was put in his file, and, worst of all, he was taken off the streets and condemned to a small office with nothing to do. This is but one sample of the corruptness of many in the middle-management levels at ATF.

Please do not interpret this as a condemnation of ATF, as the organization contains thousands of top-notch street agents and good management people. To the contrary, ATF is charged with the most difficult laws in our land to enforce. Overall, they do a good job. However, Congress has neglected its oversight duties and allowed bad practices to establish themselves.