Stefano Ritondale

The Mexicans, when we did it, they had one officer and I think it was like 30 NCOs. They sent you the E-5 Mafia. E-5, E-6, and so we were two officers and two NCOs for the Army side. They had one captain, like 30 NCOs, and I think like four soldiers being ready to get promoted. we had to completely change everything because we're like, wow, these guys get it.

They understand the importance of the NCO. They still have a ways to go. There's some for it. But there's like, OK, wow, they understand the NCOs matter. And so we really wanted to push more to the NCOs to kind of give a lot of the classes to show, hey, you're on the right path. And training them, these guys were very professional.

They understand the importance of the NCO. They still have a ways to go. There's some for it. But there's like, OK, wow, they understand the NCOs matter. And so we really wanted to push more to the NCOs to kind of give a lot of the classes to show, hey, you're on the right path. And training them, these guys were very professional.

They understand the importance of the NCO. They still have a ways to go. There's some for it. But there's like, OK, wow, they understand the NCOs matter. And so we really wanted to push more to the NCOs to kind of give a lot of the classes to show, hey, you're on the right path. And training them, these guys were very professional.

I mean, they've been fighting the Mexican cartels for, at that point when I was there, over 10 years. This was 2018, so 12 years since 2006. They understood. They kind of got it. And they were interested, actually, in a lot of the things that we learned from Iraq, Afghanistan, specifically like IEDs, react to an ambush in an urban environment. Those were the things they were wanting.

I mean, they've been fighting the Mexican cartels for, at that point when I was there, over 10 years. This was 2018, so 12 years since 2006. They understood. They kind of got it. And they were interested, actually, in a lot of the things that we learned from Iraq, Afghanistan, specifically like IEDs, react to an ambush in an urban environment. Those were the things they were wanting.

I mean, they've been fighting the Mexican cartels for, at that point when I was there, over 10 years. This was 2018, so 12 years since 2006. They understood. They kind of got it. And they were interested, actually, in a lot of the things that we learned from Iraq, Afghanistan, specifically like IEDs, react to an ambush in an urban environment. Those were the things they were wanting.

And other of the things that we had originally planned to train them on, like riot control and all that. I mean, these guys were experts. They could teach us. And we're like, all right, we're going to remove that from the curriculum. Let's focus on what you guys want. And so I had that.

And other of the things that we had originally planned to train them on, like riot control and all that. I mean, these guys were experts. They could teach us. And we're like, all right, we're going to remove that from the curriculum. Let's focus on what you guys want. And so I had that.

And other of the things that we had originally planned to train them on, like riot control and all that. I mean, these guys were experts. They could teach us. And we're like, all right, we're going to remove that from the curriculum. Let's focus on what you guys want. And so I had that.

And then in 2018, when President Trump and during his first administration ordered the deployment to the border, I went to the border. So I was in San Diego under an actually an SP Magtaf. We fell under a Marine SP Magtaf. We were like, I think it's the ground component on the threat. I think there's like a ground. logistics and engineers. I think that's our air component.

And then in 2018, when President Trump and during his first administration ordered the deployment to the border, I went to the border. So I was in San Diego under an actually an SP Magtaf. We fell under a Marine SP Magtaf. We were like, I think it's the ground component on the threat. I think there's like a ground. logistics and engineers. I think that's our air component.

And then in 2018, when President Trump and during his first administration ordered the deployment to the border, I went to the border. So I was in San Diego under an actually an SP Magtaf. We fell under a Marine SP Magtaf. We were like, I think it's the ground component on the threat. I think there's like a ground. logistics and engineers. I think that's our air component.

I think that's kind of the basic constructs in SP MagTef. Sorry to my Marines if I get it wrong, but we were kind of the ground, the MPs, and we were there to provide protection to the Marines who were the engineers who were reinforcing the border.

I think that's kind of the basic constructs in SP MagTef. Sorry to my Marines if I get it wrong, but we were kind of the ground, the MPs, and we were there to provide protection to the Marines who were the engineers who were reinforcing the border.

I think that's kind of the basic constructs in SP MagTef. Sorry to my Marines if I get it wrong, but we were kind of the ground, the MPs, and we were there to provide protection to the Marines who were the engineers who were reinforcing the border.

No, literally like Imperial Beach. Okay. Straight down. I mean, that was our area. So those ports of entries in that area was our responsibility. And this was during the first caravan. So we tracked them because... You know, they sent the military kind of across the border because there was this one specific caravan that they were monitoring.

No, literally like Imperial Beach. Okay. Straight down. I mean, that was our area. So those ports of entries in that area was our responsibility. And this was during the first caravan. So we tracked them because... You know, they sent the military kind of across the border because there was this one specific caravan that they were monitoring.

No, literally like Imperial Beach. Okay. Straight down. I mean, that was our area. So those ports of entries in that area was our responsibility. And this was during the first caravan. So we tracked them because... You know, they sent the military kind of across the border because there was this one specific caravan that they were monitoring.

And then the caravan took the western route and went to San Diego. So it was, you know, we were the ones that that were there when that happened. So between my deployment to Mexico, my time at the border. and having an understanding of like OSINT and open source intelligence and doing it how the military leveraged it, how we did it and it kind of became a professional passion of mine.