Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas. For years, many in law enforcement believed it was impossible. Crossing racial, cultural, and gang boundaries at the deepest level of a violent criminal organization was something most said simply could not be done. But one Texas police officer proved them all wrong. Available for <a href="https://www.letradio.com/police-they-said-it-could-not-be-done-undercover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website</a>, also on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/police-they-said-it-could-not-be-done-undercover-with/id1217923682?i=1000745117087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YtAQbhTp2dd7JFylq5Chs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/Ua3saXp-kiM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youtube</a> and most major Podcast networks.
Tegan Broadwater, a veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department, spent nearly two years embedded in one of the most dangerous Crips gangs operating in Fort Worth, Texas. What began as skepticism, and even laughter from colleagues, turned into one of the most successful undercover investigations the department had ever seen. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow">Facebook </a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/letradioshowpodcast/"> Instagram </a> , <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjwiley/"> LinkedIn </a> , <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow"> Medium</a> and other social media platforms.
“They told me flat out that it wouldn’t work,” Broadwater later said. “That I wouldn’t blend in, wouldn’t be accepted, and wouldn’t survive long enough to make a case. I took that personally.” Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like <a href="https://medium.com/@letradioshow" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Medium </a> , <a href="https://lawenforcementtalkradio.blogspot.com"> Blogspot </a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjwiley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Linkedin </a> .
A Mission Few Would Attempt
Undercover work, also known as a covert or clandestine operation, requires an officer to assume a false identity, gain trust, and quietly gather intelligence without ever revealing who they truly are. Unlike plainclothes policing, undercover operations demand total immersion, deception, and constant vigilance.
Broadwater’s assignment went even further.
“There’s undercover, and then there’s deep cover,” he explained. “Deep cover means you live a separate life. You don’t visit it, you become it.” Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas. Look for The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms.
His experience existed somewhere between traditional undercover work and deep cover. Pretending to be a high-end cocaine dealer, Broadwater infiltrated a violent Crips set responsible for drug trafficking, prostitution, and brutal violence that terrorized innocent residents. The risk was absolute.
“If you’re discovered, there’s no arrest,” he said. “There’s no backup. There’s just consequences.”
Two Years Inside the Fishbowl
What followed was a high-stakes, real-life cat-and-mouse game between Broadwater and M.D., a calculated drug lord with a street-level MBA and sharp instincts. Broadwater earned trust, navigated betrayal, and lived daily with the psychological strain of maintaining his cover.
“The stress doesn’t turn off,” he said. “You’re always acting, always watching, always measuring your words. Eventually, that pressure catches up to you.” Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas. Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other podcast platforms.
Over the course of the operation, Broadwater helped dismantle a major Crips network, leading to the arrest of 51 gang members. But the cost was high. The emotional toll of living among violent criminals, forming complex relationships, and witnessing generational cycles of crime ultimately led him to retire early from the Fort Worth Police Department.
“I didn’t leave because I was weak,” Broadwater said. “I left because the work changes you. And I knew it was time to choose my family, my health, and my future.”
From the Streets to the Page
Broadwater documented his experience in his book, Life in the Fishbowl – The Harrowing True Story of One Cop Who Took Down 51 of the Nation’s Most Notorious Crips. The book is both an action-packed account of undercover policing and a deeply reflective examination of America’s War on Drugs, gang culture, and more. Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website , Apple Podcasts , Spotify and most major podcast platforms.
“All book profits are donated to charities that mentor children of incarcerated parents,” Broadwater noted. “If we want real change, we have to break the cycle before it starts.”
The book has drawn praise from some of the most respected voices in law enforcement and beyond.
“For me there’s no more compelling reading than books written by cops who can write,” said Mike Levine, NY Times bestselling author of Deep Cover. “This is must-reading for every cop in or out of uniform.”
Former Apollo XVII Commander Gene Cernan called it “a gripping story of determination and courage,” while retired FBI Hostage Rescue Team Commander Danny O. Coulson described Broadwater as “the insider’s insider.”
More information about his work can be found at his website, see below, and his content is available on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and other major platforms
Beyond the Badge
Today, Tegan Broadwater continues to share his story through the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Podcasts, and News platforms, offering rare insight into undercover policing, stress, identity, and survival. His podcast and book are available through his website, where he focuses on education, mentorship, and reform. Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas. The episode can be found on The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Youtube and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and across most podcast platforms where listeners will find authentic law enforcement stories.
“They said it couldn’t be done,” Broadwater reflected. “But sometimes the impossible just needs someone willing to step into the fire and stay there long enough to change things.”
In the end, his story is not just about police work, it’s about courage, consequence, and the unseen cost of walking undercover into a world most people could never imagine.
Listeners can tune in on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show website, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most every major Podcast platform and follow updates on Facebook, Instagram, and other major News outlets. You can find the show on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, as well as read companion articles and updates on Medium, Blogspot, YouTube, and even IMDB.
Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band <a href="http://darkhorseflyer.com/"> Dark Horse Flyer. </a>
You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at <a href="mailto:Jay@letradio.com"> Jay@letradio.com </a> , or learn more about him <a href="https://www.letradio.com/p/about-john-j-jay-wiley/"> on their website </a> .
Stay connected with updates and future episodes by following the show on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, their website and other Social Media Platforms.
Interested in being a guest, sponsorship or advertising opportunities send an email to the host and producer of the show <a href="mailto:jay@lawenforcementtoday.com">jay@letradio.com</a>.
Listen to this special episode on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and most major podcast platforms.
Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PodcastZone1"> The Podcast Zone Facebook Page </a> , look for the one with the bright green logo.
Be sure to check out <a href="https://www.letradio.com/?utm_source=OmnystudioShowNotes"> our website </a> .
Be sure to follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/LETRadioShowPo1">X </a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/letradioshowpodcast/"> Instagram </a> , <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LawEnforcementTalkRadioShow/"> Facebook, </a> Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news.
Police, They Said It Could Not Be Done, Undercover With the Crips in Texas.
Attributions
<a href="https://teganbroadwater.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tegan Broadwater</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Fish-Bowl-infiltrated-notorious/dp/0615785182">Amazon</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_operation">Wikipedia</a>
<a href="https://www.unodc.org/cld/pt/education/tertiary/organized-crime/module-8/key-issues/special-investigative-techniques/undercover-operations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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