As FBI True Examines 'Operation Knockout' And 'Terror In Times Square,' Real-Life Agents Open Up About The Cases
Former FBI agents, investigators, and prosecutors spoke with CinemaBlend for FBI True's next episodes.
FBI True arrived in primetime on CBS this fall to revisit high-stakes cases from FBI history through the eyes of the law enforcement officers who were involved. Although the docuseries originally released streaming for Paramount+ subscribers, two never-before-seen installments will air soon the 2023 TV schedule. CinemaBlend spoke with the former FBI agents, investigators, and prosecutors who worked on the cases that will be covered the November 7 about their experiences.
"Operation Knockout" covers how the biggest anti-gang operation in U.S. history worked to take down a deadly gang in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, CA in 2005, and a sneak peek clip (seen above) previews the challenges the law enforcement agencies were facing. "Terror in Times Square" delves into the case of a bomb threat in New York City that had the country on alert back in 2010.
Read on for what the real-life investigators shared with me about their times working on these cases, starting with Hawaiian Gardens.
Operation Knockout: The Biggest Takedown
"Operation Knockout" tells the story of the task force led by the FBI to take down a Latino gang known for drug dealing, extortion, and hate-motivated attacks targeting African Americans. When Deputy Jerry Ortiz was tragically murdered shortly after getting married in 2005, the task force came together, comprised of more than forty federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
I spoke with retired FBI agent Maureen O'Connell, retired homicide investigator Gary Sloan, and former federal prosecutor Mike Lowe ahead of the FBI True installment airing on CBS, and I asked what it was like for them to revisit the case for the docuseries. Speaking first, Sloan shared:
One element of FBI True that sets it apart from other crime docuseries is the first-person perspectives of the agents and investigators as they talk to each other, rather than to a camera or an interviewer. As Gary Sloan pointed out, they told the story themselves, in their own words. Retired agent Maureen O'Connell agreed with him, and elaborated:
The task force made history in the United States, and revisiting Operation Knockout for FBI True nearly two decades after Deputy Ortiz's death brought out different kinds of emotions, as former federal prosecutor Mike Lowe pointed out:
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The work that went into Operation Knockout required the agents to deeply invest in their investigation and the people involved. Maureen O'Connell explained what was necessary to do their jobs:
While the operation took "its toll," according to the retired FBI agent, they had a very specific goal in why they wanted to tell the story on FBI True. Noting that even viewers who are familiar with the history-making case may not know Jerry Ortiz's name, I asked how important it was to them to be able to tell his story. O'Connell said:
The FBI True episode that covers Operation Knockout will air on CBS at 9 p.m. ET on November 7 to shed more light on Jerry Ortiz. Former homicide investigator Gary Sloan picked up on O'Connell's point and spoke about Ortiz's wife:
For more of the story of Hawaiian Gardens, Jerry Ortiz, and the massive task force that brought these three people together, be sure to tune in to FBI True on November 7 on CBS. The other half hour of the FBI True episode will be dedicated a potential catastrophe in Times Square with high stakes and a ticking clock from 2010.
Terror In Times Square: Chasing A Madman
"Terror in Times Square: Chasing a Madman" will examine the case of an attempted bombing in New York City and the resulting manhunt that required all hands on deck. The agents and law enforcement officers had to race to catch the would-be bomber and prevent the culprit from striking again.
I was able to speak with former New York Domestic Terrorism Squad Supervisory Special Agent Greg Ehrie, former Senior Special Agent Bomb Technician Peter Licata, and Associated Director of National Intelligence Rich Frankel for FBI True, and they shared what it was like for them to revisit the Times Square situation that was both high-stakes and high-profile in 2010. Greg Ehrie shared:
Former FBI agent Kristy Kottis joined the three men for "Terror in Times Square" as they shared their experiences in the case, and former agent Anne Beagan – who opened up about the "Boy in the Bunker" case – is an executive producer for FBI True. Pete Licata agreed with Greg Ehrie about the show, and continued:
The attempted bombing in Times Square occurred back in 2010, so plenty of time has passed since these agents were in the thick of the action of the case. Licata continued:
Apparently, it took the three men and Kristy Kottis very little time to fall back into their old camaraderie for the CBS docuseries. According to Rich Frankel, that actually caused an unexpected complication before the cameras even started rolling, since Kottis had been "an integral part of the team." Frankel explained:
Of course, there was plenty to talk about with the case that inspired "Terror in Times Square," which moved at an extremely fast pace. When I noted that 2010 wasn't actually that long ago but also wasn't too far off from the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City, the retired agents weighed in on how the timing of the incident affected how it was handled. Rich Frankel said:
Viewers will have to wait until "Terror in Times Square" airs on CBS on November 7 for the full story, but the JTTF had all hands on deck to face this potential catastrophe in New York City. Frankel continued:
The agents didn't initially know the scale of the threat that they were facing, which FBI True will delve into further with the full episode. Greg Ehrie shared the initial response to the incident:
In explaining the response to the bomb threat, Greg Ehrie also mentioned something that will sound familiar to fans of CBS' FBI, which recently hit a major milestone. The characters of the scripted show are often operating out of the JOC. The retired special agent said:
Tune in to CBS on Tuesday, November 7 starting at 9 p.m. ET for the next new episode of FBI True, with "Operation Knockout: The Biggest Takedown" at 9 p.m. ET and "Terror in Times Square: Chasing a Madman" at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can also revisit past episodes of the docuseries streaming with a subscription to Paramount+ now.
Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).