Welcome back for the conclusion of my interview with Marine, FBI Special Agent, and HRT Operator Rob D’Amico.

Rob D’Amico has over thirty-six years of federal government service—ten years in the United States Marine Corps and nearly twenty-seven with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is the founder and principal consultant for Sierra One Consulting. 

Rob began a life of service when he enlisted as a US Marine during college at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and, after obtaining his bachelor's degree, was commissioned as an officer and served his first overseas tour in the first Gulf War. His work on reconnaissance missions with the Marine Corps paved the way for Rob’s long and successful career with the FBI. After four years based out of the Bureau’s Miami, Florida field office, apprehending the most violent felons of South Florida as a member of a multi-agency violent crime fugitive task force, Rob transitioned into deep undercover work against the most notorious U.S. and Italian-based organized crime families.

Rob was among the few selected to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, in which he served as a sniper and was first deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rob’s career with and beyond the HRT team placed him at each pivotal step in the resolution of kidnapping and hostile detention matters. He has worked on every facet of operations—negotiating hostage releases and exchanges, operating under the highest pressure against pirates, negotiators, warlords, leaders of terrorist networks, as well as with ambassadors, generals, foreign ministers, and non-government organizations. 

From being deep undercover, going after the mob, to dealing with Somali pirates, Rob has had a career that movies are literally made of.

Today’s episode, we go deep into a hostage rescue operation on the high seas, dealing with Somali pirates!

In today’s episode, we discuss:

·      The difference between HRT and SWAT in the FBI? 

·      What attributes should HRT operators have?

·      What does HRT training look like?

·      The hijacking of the American SV Quest by Somali pirates and Rob's mission as an FBI HRT operator embedded with Navy SEALs regarding this mission.

·      Four United States citizens on board and 19 pirates.

·      The ultimate conclusion to the kidnapping?

·      Jurisdiction issues and maintaining and processing a floating crime scene that was in danger of sinking.

·      Going onto Somali soil to investigate and make arrests?

·      The strain on his family during this and other operations like this. How did Rob deal with it? What is his advice to someone about to do something similar to this work?

·      Retirement, how difficult was it to walk away from all of this? How did he cope/adjust?

All of this and more on today’s episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.

Visit Rob at his website!

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Check out my newest book, The Good Collar (Michael Quinn Vigilante Justice Series Book 1)!!!!!

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