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WFO Cuban Spy Case on 60 Minutes
CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday May 19, 2024, at 7:00 PM, will highlight the WFO spy Cuban spy case. Retired WFO SA Pete Lapp is a contributor. For decades, prolific Cuban spies working in the US government, serving in high-profile positions with top security clearances, evaded American intelligence officials. Correspondent Cecilia Vega reports on the stories of two of these undercover agents – former US Ambassador Manuel Rocha and one-time Pentagon official Ana Montes.
SA Peter Lapp authored a book – Queen of Cuba – published in 2023 should you be interested in reading further about this case.
A Legacy in Law Enforcement: A Mother’s and Son’s Journeys to the FBI
FBI Special Agent Kevin Vázquez has been part of the FBI extended family since his mom, Supervisory Special Agent Marilyn Santos, joined the Bureau when he was a kid. Their interconnected journeys highlight a shared dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to justice.
Santos started her career with the IRS before joining the FBI as a special agent in 2006. As a mother of three young children navigating the challenges of single parenthood, her path to law enforcement was born out of a conviction to make an impact.
“I had two main goals: to serve my country and provide for my children,” said Santos. “The Bureau offered me a way to do both.”
Santos’ first assignment as a new agent was with the Miami Field Office, where she and her kids relocated to from their home in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I was a divorced mother, with three young children, in an unknown state, with a new job—it was very challenging,” said Santos. “But I knew that as long as we were together, we were going to accomplish great things.”
Nearly two decades later—with the help of coworkers she now calls family—Santos has delivered on her promise to herself, her kids, and to her country. While in Miami, Santos worked on drug and international terrorism investigations and was awarded the Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award before relocating back to San Juan.
In 2010, the FBI launched Operation Guard Shack, a massive public corruption takedown in San Juan that led to more than 130 arrests. Nearly 1,000 FBI personnel from 50 of the FBI’s 56 field offices supported the takedown—including Santos, who was a case agent as part of the Police Corruption Squad.
According to Santos, being a public servant requires an immense sacrifice, but her career with the FBI has allowed her the opportunity to help others, to seek justice, and, most importantly, to set an example for her children.
“I had two main goals: to serve my country and provide for my children.”
Supervisory Special Agent Marilyn Santos
Growing Up in an FBI Family
Strict. That is how Vázquez recalls his household growing up. And he was no stranger to sacrifice himself—often taking on the role of both older brother and caretaker for his younger siblings while his mom worked long hours.
“As I got older, I realized what kind of work my mom was doing and the sacrifices involved,” said Vázquez. “I’m really proud of the work she’s done as a successful agent. It’s been an inspiration for my own career.”
In 2011, Vázquez traveled to Washington, D.C., to see his mom receive the Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement. Vázquez said it was the first time he recognized the scope of the FBI’s mission, and the critical and personal impact his mom’s work was having.
Continuing a Legacy of Law Enforcement
Vázquez’s journey started with the FBI Honors Internship Program. “Through all my experiences and the people I met,” he said, “I quickly realized I wanted a career with the Bureau, and it became my goal to become a special agent.”
As an intern, Vázquez work on multiple squads—counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and cyber—before accepting a full-time administrative position as an operational support technician where he did anything and everything for three years.
“I got really involved in a lot of different areas because I wanted to take it all in and learn as much as I could,” Vázquez said. “I learned a lot about the foundation of how everything runs.”
“I quickly realized I wanted a career with the Bureau, and it became my goal to become a special agent.”
Special Agent Kevin Vazquez
Vázquez then spent four years as an intelligence analyst and gained critical experience as part of the FBI San Juan Field Office. Seeking out new work opportunities across the FBI, a curiosity for learning, and the support of his colleagues prepared him for his next role as a special agent.
“I wanted to be an FBI special agent because that’s what I saw growing up through my mom’s example,” said Vázquez. “It’s also the agency I wanted to give back to for everything that it gave to me.”
In 2022, Vázquez passed the FBI’s special agent application process.
“I was really happy for him,” said Santos. “I knew he really wanted to do this, and he went into it knowing the sacrifices and knowing the hard work, the long hours, everything that’s entailed in becoming an agent, and that made me super proud.”
When it was time for Vázquez to attend the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, for the intensive Basic Field Training Course, Santos had mixed feelings.
“I was concerned. I was scared. He was still my boy. I had experienced it, and I knew how hard it was,” said Santos. “I had to just realize that this is his calling, and I knew that he is meant to accomplish great things.”
The years of sacrifice and dedication paid off in August 2023 when Vázquez reached his goal of graduating as a special agent with the FBI—and receiving his badge and credentials from his mom.
“I remember the day of the graduation,” said Santos. “I was looking his way and felt tears coming out of my eyes. As he was walking on the stage, and I was walking to him, I knew right then and there that everything was going to be fine.”
Now, after 17 years as a special agent, Santos has a new title at work: Kevin’s mom. And she loves it.
“I just feel an immense sense of gratitude, and I’m so happy for him,” said Santos. “And I know that he’s going to accomplish even greater things than I have accomplished because he cares, he knows what the mission is, and he does it with passion and with commitment.”
Their paths converged in a poignant moment in September 2023, as they found themselves side by side on a joint operation with Vázquez—a symbolic passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
“It requires a lot of commitment, but I wouldn’t change what I do,” said Santos. “When I look back, I will do it all over again because it matters. Even if it is only for one person, it does matter. We are touching lives, we’re helping, and that is something that no one can take away from you.”
DOJ OIG Issues Results of a Congressionally Required 120-Day Review
FBI Statement
“We thank the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General for its review. The FBI has said numerous times that the intelligence product did not meet our exacting standards and was quickly removed from FBI systems. We also have said there was no intent or actions taken to investigate Catholics or anyone based on religion; this was confirmed by the findings of the OIG. The FBI’s mission is to protect our communities from potential threats while simultaneously upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans. We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices.”
Senior Fraud Awareness Day
The FBI is marking May 15th Senior Fraud Awareness Day with a public awareness effort to help older Americans and their families identify and avoid scams & schemes that target the elderly. As part of this effort, the FBI has produced a public service announcement featuring former FBI Director William Webster, now 98-years-old, as he tells of his encounter with a potential fraudster. We ask that you share this information in your community with those who may be vulnerable or who may be a caregiver of someone who is. The video and more information can be found here.
How significant is the problem of Elder Abuse?
Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme, including romance, lottery, and sweepstakes scams, to name a few. Criminals will gain their targets’ trust and may communicate with them directly via computer, phone, mail; or indirectly through the TV and radio. Once successful, scammers are likely to keep a scheme going because of the prospect of significant financial gain.
Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite. They also usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit—all of which make them attractive to scammers.
Additionally, seniors may be less inclined to report fraud because they don’t know how, or they may be too ashamed at having been scammed. They might also be concerned that their relatives will lose confidence in their abilities to manage their own financial affairs. When an elderly victim does report a crime, they may be unable to supply detailed information to investigators.
With the elderly population growing and seniors racking up more than $3 billion in losses annually, elder fraud is likely to be a growing problem.
What to do if you or someone you know is a victim of Elder Fraud
If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact your local FBI field officeand request to speak to a Duty Agent or submit a tip online. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3.
Education Grant Application
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Application for an education Grant
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