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Hipolito Acosta tells his stories that put this life on the fringe in his book The Shadow Catcher. For much of his 30-year career he worked as an unde...
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Hipolito -- spent much of his thirty year career working as an undercover agent for immigration and naturalization.
-- tells many of the stories in his new book -- shadow catcher.
-- -- infiltrated dozens of human smuggling operations over the years.
-- recently gave Fox News Latino a tour of some of those locations in El Paso, Texas.
Hipolito -- -- whose friends call him holy spent much of his career undercover.
Posing as a human smuggler and a smuggling victim.
I did a lot of those cases that have never been done before one -- going to Mexico by himself will back up.
I would never allow them.
Working for the -- immigration and naturalization services.
-- risked his life to uncover one of the largest human smuggling operations -- agency's history.
What was the scariest thing you ever experienced and.
Career.
Well I think in in the trunk of a car where did I get hit by one of the smugglers and I don't have put in the trunk of a car with a young kid from El Salvador.
Where I had no control.
Because smoke was coming -- to the in into the trunk of the car night I thought for sure we're going to die.
Here in El Paso police infiltrated a human smuggling operation.
It was operated by the -- -- -- family who had spent up to ten years smuggling humans from Mexico into the US and this home.
Only a football field's distance from Thea dad want -- police acted as a Mexican national working to get smuggled to Chicago.
We went on to the river the strip down to our underwear and got into the river which that I had extremely fast burns I actually thought that I was going to be able to make their cross.
I was successful again across.
Police spent three days in a bedroom in the -- house with others waiting to be smuggled Chicago in the back of the U haul truck.
Really concern me because I realize that I would not be traveling in a van bro has some control I would be in the back where U -- -- no idea where we're going who was behind -- I could not contact with anybody they would have to put up with -- control -- -- conditions who -- in -- along the way.
Fully convinced the driver to -- and drive portions of the trip they were getting close to their destinations.
And it was time for -- to call for baca.
But when we -- at a convenience store to get gas I went inside to use the bathroom because by the time I'm the driver when I mean side.
This -- -- in a store I got the Paper napkins and on this -- can I wrote a message to my wife.
And her telephone number and I went up to the clerk.
And I told -- on the federal agents can you please call this number and tell my wife that I'm here he -- the clerk to relay the message to his wife.
Who then pass it onto his -- The next day.
About ten minutes.
From the time that I estimated that we will be arriving at the standard station.
We actually arrived the -- -- -- where there nine arrests were made for those involved in the operation.
But Jose -- had fled.
But I have made a promise that if Medina was -- the United States I would find him.
Four years later it was a random occurrence that -- with spot and at a park blocks away from the Medina house.
I walked over and I sat down next to Medina and and I -- -- you can -- And he said we wouldn't have wants to them and now I said I'm reported -- of -- on the federation -- too -- to Chicago for years ago -- -- -- -- for -- -- Police kept his promise justice would be served.
Police says he's proud to have served his country throughout his thirty year career he -- hundreds of people involved in criminal activity.
Or who were in the US illegally.
Now his three sons have followed their father's path and become agents themselves.
This -- -- catcher will hit shelves this Tuesday in El Paso, Texas I'm Patrick Manning Fox News -- -- now.
