According to the book description of
RatSnakes: Cheating Death by
Living A Lie: Inside the Explosive
World of ATF's Undercover Agents and
How We Changed the Game, "Get
ready to infiltrate the dangerous,
secret world of criminals and cover
identities by way of the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives (ATF)—where the world’s
greatest undercover agents are known
as RatSnakes.
RatSnakes are rarely, if ever, visible
to the public they move among and risk
their lives to protect. In fact,
because of their cover personas,
they’re often assumed to be members of
the clandestine criminal world they
investigate. Real undercover work is a
far cry from the sexy, candy-colored
world you’ve seen in movies.
Vincent A. Cefalu would know. He spent
30 years as an ATF undercover
operative, in assignments ranging from
the Symbionese Liberation Army to
Asian organized crime. He has
infiltrated notorious outlaw
motorcycle gangs as well as splinter
groups of the Ku Klux Klan, and in
RatSnakes he provides an up-close look
at the organization and the operatives
with whom he risked his life.
In this heart-pounding thrill-ride,
Cefalu takes readers on a tour of what
it’s like to confront death on a daily
basis. En route, he gives us a look at
the on-the-job techniques of kicking
in doors, orchestrating “street
theater” to ensnare criminals, and
making high-stakes gun buys. His
irreverent, explicit stories from the
inside are a mix of danger and
unexpected hilarity that will have
readers laughing one minute and then
biting their nails when things break
bad.
Immersive and brutal, RatSnakes offers
an in-depth look into the lives of an
elite group of men and women who
volunteer to do things most couldn’t
stomach.