Leonardo Silva on The James Breslo Show - 21 June 2022

GUEST OVERVIEW: Leonardo Silva served as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Resident Agent in Charge in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico from May 2008 until his retirement in January of 2015. As the Resident Agent in Charge, Mr. Silva’s duties entailed the oversight and coordination of complex investigations with Host Country counterparts of High Value Targets for apprehension and subsequent extradition to the United States. The Monterrey Resident Office’s areas of responsibility included the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and San Luis Potosi. During his tenure as the Resident Agent in Charge, Mr. Silva led and supervised various Priority Target Organization investigations, targeting both the Zeta and Gulf Cartels. As a result of these and other investigations, DEA Monterrey documented asset seizures totaling $26,527,406 and over 793 arrests, including 50 plaza bosses and 8 major accountants for the Zeta organization. Prior to his assignment in Monterrey, Mr. Silva served as the Enforcement Group Supervisor for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group, in McAllen Texas, from May 2004, until his arrival in Monterrey. In that capacity, Mr. Silva oversaw a diverse group of seventeen Law Enforcement Officers, which included six (6) DEA Agents and eleven (11) State and Local Law Enforcement officers from surrounding communities. During his tenure as Group Supervisor of the HIDTA group, Mr. Silva oversaw investigations which led to the seizure of over 40,000 kilograms of marijuana, 500 kilograms of cocaine, $5 million in assets and approximately 196 arrests. Furthermore, under Mr. Silva’s command, the McAllen DEA HIDTA Group initiated over 13 wire intercepts on significant Special operations, such as Operation Band of Brothers and Operation Puma. Five (5) of the wire intercepts conducted by the HIDTA group were conducted in conjunction with the Government of Mexico. Evidence obtained from the Government of Mexico wiretaps were used to prepare and initiate a United States wiretap, a first in the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Silva also served in the Guadalajara Resident Office from December of 2001 to May of 2004 where he led numerous investigations targeting organizations involved in methamphetamine production and the importation of precursor chemicals from China into Mexico. Mr. Silva also served as the lead investigator in the apprehension of international fugitive Otto Herrera Garcia in Mexico City. Mr. Silva began his career with DEA in February of 1987 as a member of Basic Agent Class 48 in Quantico Virginia. Upon graduation from Basic Agent Class 48, Mr. Silva was assigned to the McAllen District Office, where he performed numerous undercover assignments, prior to being assigned to the Guadalajara Resident office in 2001. Mr. Silva, a Texas native, graduated in December of 1985 from the University of Texas-Brownsville with a B.A. degree, in English and a minor in Psychology.