Retired ICE Agent | The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller

Eric Balliet spent 25 years with the Department of Homeland Security - first with the CBP and then with ICE - arresting dozens of human traffickers, smugglers, and child predators. He led the wiretap strategy that resulted in the arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán—not once, but twice—and was named Federal Law Enforcement Association's Agent of the Year.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

- His time as a border patrol agent 

- His investigation into violent militia groups operating on the U.S.- Mexico border

- The wiretap operations targeting the Sinaloa Cartel that led to El Chapo's arrest – twice

- What it's really like hunting the world's most dangerous criminals

- His warnings about Trump's immigration raids and excessive use of force by ICE

- Why a massive ICE hiring surge has put untrained and unqualified agents on America's streets

- How resources are being diverted from real homeland security threats 

- Why he decided to speak out and how that has impacted his life

This is a rare inside look at federal law enforcement from someone who isn't afraid to tell the truth about what's gone wrong.

ABOUT THE HIDDEN THIRD: From Emmy and Peabody Award–winning journalist Mariana van Zeller comes THE HIDDEN THIRD, a weekly dive into the underground markets that quietly power a third of the global economy. Every episode, Mariana sits down with people who know these worlds firsthand - the hustlers, smugglers, scammers, kingpins, and those trying to shut them down. The series reveals how they function, why they endure, and the profound ways they impact us all.

THE HIDDEN THIRD:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoCiI8nJacn8gDiHxr6aQGA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehiddenthirdpodcast

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-third/id1845989117

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n1BBoj3BgVuEYaiZ6SotF

MARIANA:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariana_vanzeller

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz

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