Secret Service Agent “In the Line of Fire”

FBI Agents in Sopranos

FBI Agent Seeley Booth in “Bones”

DEA Agent Hank Schraeder in “Breaking Bad”

FBI, DEA and Homeland Security agents are jumping into a drug probe down in Fort Lauderdale that’s targeting two bothers who are former race drivers, the Associated Press reports.

The news agency reports that the agents on Monday raided the Fort Lauderdale offices Monday of World Jet Inc., which is controlled by brothers Don and Bill Whittington. They had raced in the Indianapolis 500 and other tracks.

AP reports that a DEA search warrant affidavit states that authorities suspect the brothers were leasing aircraft to cocaine cartels, and laundering drug-related profits.

secret service photo

The U.S. Supreme Court will step into a very interesting issue involving the U.S. Secret SErvice.

Bloomberg news reports that the court will consider whether Secret Service agents can be sued for keeping protesters blocks away from the president during public appearances.

Bloomberg says the case comes down to security issues versus free speech.

Bloomberg writes:

Seven Bush critics say the Secret Service showed favoritism toward the former president’s supporters during his October 2004 campaign stop inJacksonville, Oregon. The seven people say that, unlike pro-Bush demonstrators, they were forced to move two blocks from the hotel where the president was dining. A federal appeals court let their claims against two agents go forward.

Todd Jones

Over the years, ATF, like other federal agencies, has had its scandals and controversies and challenges getting respect. It has battled the National Rifle Association, had to deal with morale issues and public criticism from within.

NPR’s Carrie Johnson reports that the agency’s new leader B. Todd Jones,the former U.S. Attorney from Minnesota, is now taking on the challenge of steering the ship to calm waters.

After years of having failing to get a permanent director, Todd is now the permanent guy.

“There’s a sort of collective sigh of relief that not another person’s going to show up here for a bit,” Jones tells. “You know, they had five acting directors in the seven-year span since they made it subject to Senate confirmation, which is difficult for any organization to build momentum or have continuity.”

He’s had to deal with the fallout of the failed “Fast and Furious” undercover operation.

Johnson writes:

By all accounts since then, Jones has cleaned house at the ATF. He replaced virtually all of the top managers at headquarters and put nearly two dozen new agents in charge of field offices around the country. Over the next five years, some of the ATF’s most experienced agents — about 40 percent of the workforce — will be retiring. So the time to focus on the future and groom young talent, Jones says, is now.

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