328: Tom Blades and Jim Weber – Undercover Bikers, Murder-For-Hire

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In this episode, retired FBI agent Tom Blades and retired Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent Jim Weber review an undercover case involving a member of the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel who wanted to hire someone to kidnap, torture, and murder a drug rival and his child as an act of retaliation. Jim went undercover as a biker willing to accept the murder-for-hire assignment. Tom posed as his associate.

At the time of the investigation and their roles posing as undercover bikers, Tom supervised the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in St. Louis, Missouri, and Jim was a Task Force Officer (TFO) assigned the task force.

Tom Blades

Special Agent (Retired)

8/1988 – 4/2022

Tom Blades served in the FBI for 34. He worked both as a field investigator and then later as a supervisor for the Violent Gangs and Drug squad. For 32 years of his career, he operated in an undercover capacity in a variety of domestic and international.

As a field investigator, he conducted numerous investigations involving drug trafficking organizations, child abductions, domestic and international terrorism matters and was the team leader for an Organized Crime Task Force targeting members of the Sicilian Mafia.

As a supervisor, he managed a multi-agency Task Force made up of over 50 FBI agents and Task Force Officers targeting drug trafficking organizations. Tom was also the Evidence Response Team supervisor and the Undercover Coordinator for the office.

Tom is the recipient of multiple Distinguished Service Awards from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and two Federal Executive Awards for Team Excellence. He also served nine years as a SWAT team operator, Crisis/Hostage Negotiator, and a member of the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

Tom is currently affiliated with Streetwise360 Law Enforcement Instruction and Media Consulting, where he has been tasked with exploring international training opportunities with an emphasis on Confidential Informant development, Transnational Gang investigations and Undercover Operations investigations.

Jim Weber

Special Agent HSI (Retired)

Jim Weber served twenty-two years as a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Along with his experience working as a state investigator and sheriff’s deputy, he has more than thirty years of law enforcement experience. Jim worked as a TFO with the FBI for twelve years in St. Louis, Missouri. During that time, Jim had lengthy assignments to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, as well as the Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force. While with the FBI, Jim worked a variety of investigations as both a case agent and as an undercover operative.

Jim has extensive training and investigative experience in international narcotics smuggling and trafficking, financial crimes, child exploitation, cybercrimes, transnational gangs, human rights violations and war crimes, human smuggling, human trafficking, identity and benefits fraud, terrorism and national security, undercover investigations, and weapons trafficking. He is also a certified gang specialist with extensive training and experience focusing on the crimes and violent activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, and street gangs.

Currently, a Professor of Criminal Justice and a Law Enforcement Academy Instructor at a Community College outside of St. Louis, Missouri and the founder and owner of Streetwise360 Law Enforcement Instruction and Media Consulting. His company currently provides specialized law enforcement training on specialized topics, such as confidential informant development and utilization, prison gangs, transnational gangs, interviewing techniques, long and short-term narcotics investigations, organized crime, surveillance tactics and long and short-term undercover investigations.

Jim recently started and hosts the Right to Remain Silent Podcast, a pro- law enforcement themed podcast. Each episode is a detailed discussion and conversation with both current and retired law enforcement officers and military personnel discussing their most fascinating and interesting investigations, cases, and incidents.