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In part two of this two-part episode, retired agents Vince Pankoke, Jr. and Tom Myers continue their review of Operation Dilido, a Group I Colombian Cali Cartel drug undercover investigation that relied on surveillance and wiretap coverage and led to seizure of 12 metal chlorine cylinders filled with millions of dollars of cocaine.
The case targeted one of the most prolific Cali Cartel drug subjects, Julio Cesar Correa aka Julio Fierro (Julio the Gun) and his Miami based lieutenant, Mario Hernando Emura-Jaramillo, aka Nando. Nando was the stepson of Max Mermelstein, an American pilot who, in the 1980s, smuggle tons of cocaine into the U.S. via air drops for the Medellin cartel.
The 16-month long investigation turned out to be a complex game of cat & mouse, with some of the most cunning and cautious drug traffickers Miami had ever encountered. It was one of the FBI’s most significant drug investigations of the 1990s.
Vince Pankoke was one of the Operation Dilido Colombian Cali Cartel case agents, along with retired agents Enrique (Henry) Mercadal and Martin Suarez. Tom Myers was a new agent assigned to assist on the case. Members of the investigation team received the U.S. Attorney’s Office Award and were nominated by the Miami Division for the Director’s Award.
Special Agent (Retired)
Vince Pankoke, Jr.
1/1988 – 11/2014
Vince Pankoke served in the FBI for 27 years. Throughout his FBI career, Vince worked many high-profile investigations to include drug organizations, like the Colombian Cali Cartel, Wall Street stock schemes, and the Kenyan Embassy bombing. After the 9/11 attacks, he was tasked with forming a squad of agents to exploit the cell phone records of the 12 hijackers that were living and operating in South Florida. The squad’s exploitation of these records gained critical intelligence as to the hijackers’ movements, funding, and associates after arriving in the US.
Later in his career, Vince was assigned to the Undercover Backstopping Group and became a certified undercover agent where he managed, supported, and served as both a primary and supporting undercover agent for many high-profile cases.
His undercover assignments were both in the US and Europe, including the Wall Street Sky Capital stock fraud case depicted on the television series, American Greed. He was also one of the primary undercover agents in one of the most successful identity theft ring cases ever prosecuted in the US.
During his FBI career, Vince received numerous national and international awards for his investigative efforts, including the National Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Award, Director’s Award finalist, U.S. Attorney’s Office Awards, and the Colombian DAS Director’s Award.
Vince is a certified FBI instructor for major case investigations, wiretaps, telephone record analysis, and undercover operations.
After his retirement from the FBI, Dutch National Police colleagues referred Vince to become the Director of Investigation for the Anne Frank Cold Case Investigation, which was featured this past January on the CBS news program, 60 Minutes.
Vince developed a cold case team protocol including recruiting subject matter experts, team member selection, identifying investigative initiatives, directing archival research, and applying modern investigative techniques, which included profiling, testimonial reconstruction, and artificial intelligence.
At the conclusion of the investigation in 2021, Vince assisted author Rosemary Sullivan in the writing of the detailed story about the cold case team’s investigation, The Betrayal of Anne Frank.
Since the conclusion of the Anne Frank project, Vince has continued to be involved in presenting educational programs regarding his investigative perspective on Anne Frank and the Holocaust in The Netherlands, to school children, civic groups, and synagogues around South Florida.
Special Agent (Retired)
Tom Meyers
4/2/95 – 6/30/20
Tom Myers served in the FBI for 25-years. Assigned primarily to the Miami and Baltimore Divisions, he worked forensics most of his career, usually in a leadership role on the Evidence Response Team (ERT).
Tom managed the Baltimore ERT, the WMD/HAZMAT ERT, and the FBI mission to the Dover Air Force Base – Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES). He also coordinated the deployment of many USERT forensic dive team missions in the Maryland and Delaware area.
He and his team implemented highly successful trials, testing, and liaison partnership with the Maryland State Police’s Human Remains Dog (HRD) unit for a multi-faceted HR recovery process. During his career, Tom also worked as a photography instructor, acquiring one of the team’s first scanner systems, which was used at mass casualty and major events.
Tom previously served as the DHS Liaison and briefer to the Secretary of DHS, Supervisor of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Counter Terrorism Watch Commander at both the DHS National Operations Center and the FBI’s CT Watch.
Since his retirement, Tom continues to work in a variety of forensic mediums such as crime historian, cold case investigator, consultant, and film producer; but his primary goal remains to aid in solving murders, recovering and identifying victims, developing new technology and processes. Tom recently completed work as a creator consultant and on-screen advisor for the forensic processes used in an investigative journalism documentary Under the Radar – Secrets of a Swedish Serial Killer (2024), a joint US/Nordic production. Currently, he is working for the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement.
Listen to more FBI Retired Case File Review episodes about Miami drug investigations:
319: Mario Tariche and Raquel Cicini – Cocaine Cowboys, Operation RECOIL (Part 1)
320: Mario Tariche and Raquel Cicini – Cocaine Cowboys, Operation RECOIL (Part 2)
224: Rich Garcia – Miami Vice, Colombian Cartel Undercover Sting
271: Anthony Velazquez – Miami Police and Customs Inspector Corruption
The following are links to articles about the Colombian Cali Cartel, Operation Dilido Group I investigation and case related images:
Sun-Sentinel – 10/13/95: Agents seize cocaine
Miaim Herald – 10/13/95: FBI seizes nearly 2 tons of cocaine; 11 arrested
Miaim Herald – Missing drug baron led two lives
Miaim Herald – Body in Colombia may be Miami-based drug lord
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – 11/20/2017: Retired FBI agent heads international team trying to solve World War II mystery
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – 11/21/2017: The Next Page – The storied career of retired FBI agent Vince Pankoke
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