Christopher Macolini's Blog

1   The first shot splintered the corner of the wooden booth above my left ear where I was sitting in the small restaurant and set me in motion. The second shot pierced my right thigh, stopping me dead in my tracks and throwing me to the floor. The third shot never came. I would… Continue reading The Hunter – First Chapters

In early 2008, our company was hired to provide protection for a movie that was being filmed in and around La Paz, Bolivia. This was a major motion picture with A-list stars and a director who had won an Oscar. Unlike other productions that we had worked on, this director was very low-key and brought… Continue reading Fun at the Movies

Mexico is famous for many things, two of which are its Mariachi music and tequila. And nowhere did these two items merge in the 1980’s more seamlessly than in the Plaza Garibaldi in downtown Mexico City.   Plaza Garibaldi is located in the historic district of downtown Mexico City. The plaza was known as Mexico… Continue reading Plaza Garibaldi, Mexico City

In the late 1980’s, I was on temporary assignment from the El Paso Intelligence Center to the DEA Lima Country Office in support of Operation Snowcap. Operation Snowcap was a joint-operation between DEA and the government of Peru to identify and destroy cocaine laboratories and clandestine airfields primarily in Peru’s Upper Huallaga Valley. I did two… Continue reading Welcome to Peru

Panama City – 1990   By February, things had calmed down significantly in Panama following the U.S. invasion , with most people back to work and resuming their everyday lives. As I was driving into the embassy one morning in my rental vehicle, I suddenly saw a taxi pull up next to me with a… Continue reading Never Pay a Police Officer

    In addition to being held-up with my wife at a restaurant in Argentina, I have only been held up one other time in my life in Lima, Peru.   I was invited to a friend’s birthday gathering back in Lima, so I stopped by the commissary at the U.S. Embassy and purchased a… Continue reading The day my life was worth only $40

Insurance fraud is a pervasive issue worldwide, but recent trends indicate a notable increase in fraudulent insurance claims filed by travelers in Latin America. This region, known for its vibrant culture and scenic destinations, has unfortunately become a hotspot for such deceptive activities. The complexities of international travel, coupled with the unique socio-economic conditions of… Continue reading Fraudulent Insurance Claims Filed by Travelers in Latin America: An Emerging Challenge

I learned to drive in Mexico City in 1979. At the time, I was 17 years of age and in high school in Mexico. Unlike in the U.S., driver’s education is not taught in high school in Mexico, or anywhere else in Latin America that I am aware of, for that matter. So, my parents… Continue reading Learning to Drive

While stationed at the El Paso Intelligence Center, I was assigned to the Tactical Support Unit which was involved in intercepting radio communication between traffickers in both Colombia and Peru. At the time, cellular telephones had only been out a short while and coverage was sporadic, especially in rural areas. Satellite phones were also very… Continue reading Never Underestimate your Opponent

  After completing the administrative on-boarding, and while awaiting to head off to DEA’s Basic Agent Training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, I was assigned to the Denver Field Division’s Group 2.    Group 2 consisted of 8 agents all involved in conducting major investigations against primarily cocaine and methamphetamine organizations. Like most… Continue reading First Weeks on the Job