Photo By 1st Lt. Brianne Roudebush | Chuck Rosenberg, the acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration,...... read more read more
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – For the first time, the Drug Enforcement Administration invited outside entities to attend their Basic Intelligence Research Specialist Academy. Staff Sgt. Bryan Ricablanca, a case support analyst with the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force was the first military member to attend the school.
Ricablanca, who supports the Los Angeles DEA Field Division, was asked if he would be interested in attending the course and immediately jumped at the opportunity.
Since all DEA analysts attend the course, Ricablanca said having the same training allows him to better support the agency.
“Personally, I thought it would be beneficial for my own career development, but I also believe I will be more of an asset to Counterdrug,” Ricablanca said. “As far as the case work goes, it gave me more knowledge and skills and understanding of how the cases move from initiation to the courtroom process.”
The course, which was held Sept. 19 - Nov. 19 at the DEA Training Facility in Quantico, VA., focused heavily on procedures and case construction techniques.
“The best part was understanding law and courtroom procedures,” Ricablanca said. “They actually had us do a mock courtroom … and gave us tips on how to act in court and explain reports properly.”
Although as a member of CDTF, Ricablanca would not be called to court, he said the training gave him a better understanding of how to gather information for case construction.
From a training standpoint, Capt. Ruel Fuentecilla, the Counterdrug District Los Angeles officer in charge, said. “Most of [CDTF’s intelligence courses] are one or two weeks, so nothing compares to a nine-week agency course.”
Not only will Ricablanca “be able to apply what he learned at the BIRS Academy in the case support he provides,” but his attendance in the course “also strengthens our relationship with our [law enforcement] partners because we are all invested in the success of the analyst,” Staff Sgt. Lindsay Sandoval, the CDLA intelligence noncommissioned officer in charge, said.
Sandoval also said it bolsters CDTF’s reputation among agencies by showing they hire quality members.
Ricablanca has 15 years of military service under his belt - eight as a Marine and six as a human intelligence collector in the Cal Guard with the 250th Military Intelligence Battalion, Company B. He has attended multiple specialized schools including the Joint Analyst Interrogator Collaboration Course and the Joint Human Intelligence Analysis and Targeting Course.
Despite his background, Ricablanca said the BIRS course was challenging and very demanding. He was among a group of highly intelligent and competent individuals. Of the 27 graduates, half had intelligence experience and 16 had graduate degrees.
As it stands, the plan is to continue to send CDTF analysts who support the DEA to this school whenever possible.
“The agencies we support see that commitment to send someone to a nine week academy and helps to solidify our current relationship,” Fuentecilla said. “It proves that we are ‘all in’ when it comes to supporting their mission.”
Sgt. 1st Class Crisoforo Ruiz, the CDTF intelligence NCOIC added that additional schools “are just going to make the analysts that much better.”
“Training is key,” Ruiz said. “As long as we can continue to have that at the top of our list, we will be a better force every day and that’s what it all comes down to - being able to help out the law enforcement agency and continue making those seizures and making a difference.”
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2016 13:11 |
| Story ID: | 218132 |
| Location: | LOS ANGELES, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 849 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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