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A listener note, this episode contains adult content and is not suitable for everyone.

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In my 20-year career with the FBI, I was lucky enough to work on my share of high-profile cases.

These were cases that captured national attention and were on the news at night.

But the case that I consider to be the most important in my professional life garnered no press.

In fact, the story is very seldom told.

On June 6, 1996, we had received a hot tip from the Portland FBI office. There was a kidnapped that was being trafficked through the Oakland bus station, and we were being tasked to rescue him.

This is a dream for most FBI agents.

Well, most law enforcement officers in general

to be able to save someone's life,

especially a child's, and to make a difference in the world.

Hollywood would have you think that FBI agents rescue kidnapped victims all the time,

but the truth of the matter is that's simply not accurate at all.

Rescuing a kidnap victim is a rarity.

In more than 90% of non-custody-related abductions, the child

is molested and then soon released. But for the children that go missing for more than 24

hours, fewer than 50% ever make it home. In this particular case, the victim was an 11-year-old boy named Tony, but here was an

opportunity to prevent this kid from becoming a statistic.

This is the story of the most wonderful moment in my professional career.

...