6 May 2019 _ PopularMechanics.com
P O P ULA R
What we’re up to beyond these pages
Paul LeRoux smuggled
drugs, contracted killers,
and was one of the world’s
biggest arms dealers. We
talked to two DEA agents
on his case and the journal-
ist who documented how he
was brought to justice.
Jacqueline Detwiler, host
and senior writer: Elaine,
how did you find this story?
Elaine Shannon, author: I
was in Afghanistan track-
ing the heroin trade and
heard about this guy, a
renegade tech mogul who
was “disrupting” organized
crime—in the Silicon Valley
sense. I knew I had to chase
the story, and along the way
I found these gentlemen.
Jacqui: When you’re hunt-
ing somebody like this, how
movie-like does it get?
Lou Milione, DEA team
leader, retired: You get a
glimpse into who somebody
really is, because they don’t
know you’re listening. And
then you can exploit the
weaknesses that you see.
Tommy Cindric, DEA case
agent, retired: A guy who
had known LeRoux in the
past infiltrated. But he
never sent one email with-
out it going through myself
and my partner.
Lou: It’s a seduction, a
manipulation, based upon
the law. You try to pull them
in and make them vulner-
able to prosecution and
arrest. That sounds terrible,
but it’s legal treachery.
Elaine: Before Lou was in
the DEA, he was an actor.
You’ve seen him in movies.
Lou: That’s...a wild
overstatement.
Jacqui: Does he want you
to tell us this?
Elaine: Well, it helped set
up these scenarios. And
Tommy was a cop; he has
an uncanny ability to read
minds.
Jacqui: To convince people
to tell you what you want?
Elaine:Right. What is it
that this very, very rich man
wants? What would make
him come out of his lair, to
some place where he could
be arrested?If you guessed “the DEA
asked nicely,” please queue
the Most Useful Podcast
Ever on Stitcher, Spotify, or
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LAW-ABIDING
INTERVIEW EVER
We talk to the team behind a new book
that chronicles the DEA’s efforts to take
down a notorious cybercriminal.THE PODCAST“That was
the end of
climbing on
the roof.”
BONUS MATERIAL