OSI finds more than ‘bad guys’

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Yvonne Conde
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
They are commonly perceived as undercover agents in black hats and trench coats, but the agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 410 here are capable of much more than investigating the “bad guys” on base.

Special agents also maintain close liaisons with local authorities to ensure the protection of Air Force people and operations, said Tim Peterson, special agent in charge.

“We work with just about every agency out there,” he said. “All federal, state and local agencies, including the border patrol, the sheriff’s department and city police department because, a lot of times, the things that affect the Del Rio (Texas) community can affect the installation and (vice versa).”

With the Mexican border nearby, Border Patrol officers and OSI agents often call on each other for support, he said.

In a recent incident, Border Patrol officers found three Brazilian women illegally crossing into the United States. They called the Laughlin OSI for assistance to find a Portuguese translator.

“When I received the call … I was surprised, excited and nervous all at the same time.” said 2nd Lt. Aaron Wiley, a 47th Operations Support Squadron transition student who is fluent in Portuguese. “It felt good to have a skill that could contribute to the cause, so I was eager to help. I have been searching for ways to use my ability to speak Portuguese.”

After talking with Border Patrol officers and OSI agents, Wiley translated for them.

“The Border Patrol (officers) mentioned that it is uncommon to see Brazilians try to make their way through Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, (across the border from Del Rio) so I assisted by asking questions on how the detainees were being smuggled into the United States,” he said. “In the end, we were able to put together a picture of how they got to the states, how they met and arranged for the smuggling.”

While Laughlin Air Force Base officials have always worked with the Border Patrol, OSI agents and Border Patrol officers have developed a closer liaison lately because of increased national security, according to Special Agent Ivan Vivas.

“After Sept. 11, our priorities have somewhat shifted,” he said. “Right now our No. 1 priority is counterintelligence and anti-terrorism.”

While their prime focus is who and what is crossing the Mexican border into the United States, the agents continue with fraud and criminal investigations tied to the Air Force. The cases include individuals stealing from the government, homicides, sexual assaults and narcotics.

“That’s just a small portion of what we do,” said Vivas. “It’s unlimited. Just imagine us as a little FBI agency for the Air Force.”

Generally, OSI investigations last 90 days. Then officials provide the appropriate authorities with information so they may decide if an individual is guilty of the allegations.

“We’re the impartial fact-finders on base who perform investigations,” said Peterson. “A lot of people think we’re out to bust people all the time and get people in trouble. They don’t realize that we disprove just as many cases as we prove.”

The agents are capable of gathering and processing information into facts in numerous ways.

“We have special agents in many different areas who are capable of providing support for different investigative operations, such as forensics and counterintelligence,” said Vivas.

Although the agents normally perform their investigations during office hours, Vivas said he rarely sees nine-hour workdays.

“It’s not because I’m forced to be here; it’s because I love my job and become so involved in what I’m doing,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to get closure after working a case for weeks and sometimes months. There’s nothing more satisfying than putting bad guys away.”