Deep in the Shadows: Undercover in the Ruthless World of Human Smuggling

“You have a lot of enemies, Hipólito. I heard rumors in jail that some of the people you busted are going to try to kill you, so you better watch yourself.” U.S. Special Agent Hipólito Acosta had put lots of thugs in jail, but the death threat from an imprisoned convict was still a shock.

Acosta recounts his often-dangerous exploits as a law enforcement agent over more than 30 years, which frequently included going undercover as a human smuggler or an undocumented immigrant. He targeted thos...