A former Valley gang member rebuilds his life, gets sober, and ends up fighting cartels in Zacatecas for $600 a month, only to discover that law, discipline, and compassion matter as much as courage. We trace the hard turns—attempted murder charges, county time, Russia, Mexico, beheadings, law school—and the steady lesson about accountability and humanity.
• growing up around gangs in San Fernando Valley and early violence
• attempted murder case, county year, GED, and sobriety
• repeated rejections from the Marines and turning toward service anyway
• aerospace career as bridge to Mexico and persistence with security agencies
• cartels, city shutdowns, convoy operations, and CQB realities
• training, weapons, and the quiet rules that shape force
• trauma, loss, and resisting numbness in a low-intensity conflict
• borders, migration, and learning empathy from being stuck without papers
• studying law to recover due process and protect the presumption of innocence
• redemption, purpose, and choosing to show up
Love you. Keep pushing forward.
