CHAPTER 12
IT WAS WELL PAST MIDNIGHT in Las Vegas when Anderson zeroed in on his new suspect, Diego. Working in the white-collar crimes division, his investigations bogged down when they collided with violent criminals. His desperation led to a Vegas bureau-wide email requesting help on a potential gang member known as Diego. A quick response by a colleague who investigated gang-related activity yielded a solid lead. He even texted a photo of the suspect along with some other information that might be helpful for gaining leverage in questioning him.
Thirty minutes later, Anderson and Gant were banging on the door of Diego’s apartment. They arrested him for murder and didn’t wait to interrogate him.
“I know what you did today, Diego, and I know why you did it,” Anderson started. “But what I really want to know is who you’re working for?”
“Trust me, man. You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, I think you’re wrong about that. Now, who are you working for?”
“I’d rather go to jail. You don’t rat out this guy.”
“Oh, don’t worry. You’re going to jail either way. But I guess you don’t care about your wife and kids going back to Nicaragua either. Just put them on a plane with no daddy and let them rot in their crime-infested hell hole.”
“Hey, man. You leave my family alone. They didn’t do anything.”
“You tell me who you’re working for and I will. Otherwise, your kids will grow up calling some other man ‘daddy.’ ”
“OK, OK. Just promise me you’ll leave them alone.”
“Start talking.”
“A week ago, this guy asked me to deliver three briefcases of money to a guy named Gil. They told me to come back on Tuesday and collect something for him and to give him another briefcase with money.”
“Did this guy have a name?”
“Yes. His name was Javier.”
“Do you know who Javier works for?”
“Yeah. Rumor is he works for the Hernandez family.”
“The Hernandez family? The one from Juarez?”
“Yeah. That’s the one. When they ask you to do something, you don’t say no or else it will be the last thing you say.”
Nobody said a word the rest of the ride back to the FBI offices. Anderson wanted to know how his investigation had gone from a white crime to one being directed by one of the most dangerous cartels in the western hemisphere.