Border Briefing: A History and Briefing on the Fight along our Southwest Border

This class is offered Monday only (2.5 hours) AM or PM

Debrief presented by: Mathew Thomas

Matt currently serves as the Chief Deputy for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona, serving as second-in-command for the agency. Matt has been employed with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for over 31 years, starting his career as a Detention Officer in 1993 and promoting through the ranks to his current position. He oversees and manages all operations for over 650 employees and volunteers in a county that covers over 5,400 square miles. Matt has served in Detention, Patrol, Traffic, Training, the Police Academy, Motors, Narcotics ( in an undercover capacity, both as a detective and as a sergeant, from street-level drug cases to largescale organized-crime cases in a cartel-infested environment), General Investigations and Anti-Smuggling. Matt also served 18 years on the Pinal Regional SWAT team as a member, team leader, and finishing as the team commander. Matt has held leadership positions for over 23 years of his career, is a graduate of Leadership in Police Organizations and the FBI National Academy, session 261. Matt is also a bestselling author, publishing his book Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels in late 2022. Matt’s book details the operations he was involved in against the infamous Sinaloa cartel in the Arizona deserts.

Class Description

This course will provide a background and history on the fight that American law enforcement has had against the Mexican cartels. The course will dive into the TTP's that LE had to develop and how they evolved to fight this battle. The course will move historically through the last decade of this problem, taking you to the current situation and issues. You will leave with a much better understanding of the facts and circumstances of the entire border problem in Southwest America.

Class Requirements

Class Location

Columbus Trade & Convention Center - Classroom 209

801 Front Avenue

Columbus, GA 31901