Intelligence is the strategic resource that focuses investigations, law enforcement, governmental policy changes, and conservation funding.
Former FBI & CIA agents, law enforcement professionals, top crime analysts, cyber expert, and undercover field agents form our Wildlife Crime Division.
The need for delicate undercover operations and the production of high-quality actionable intelligence prompted EAL to create the Wildlife Crime Division (WCD), a distinct team of highly experienced intelligence, law enforcement, and cybersecurity experts. The team includes former FBI and CIA agents, law enforcement professionals, top crime analysts, undercover field agents, and it is directed by EAL’s Executive Director, Andrea Crosta.
The work performed by the WDC is often covert and potentially dangerous, therefore the identities of much of the team cannot be shared publicly.
A subset of the WCD includes:
- Andrea Crosta – EAL’s Executive Director with over 30 years of experience in conservation and over 17 years in high-end security technology and services, homeland security, anti-piracy, investigations, and risk management.
- “Marco” – The FBI’s most effective Undercover Operator in the history of the agency. Marco’s undercover work resulted in the largest number of successful convictions in the FBI Undercover Program. After 30 years in the FBI, Marco is now a member of EAL’s WCD.
- “Robert” – CIA undercover Operations Officer for 25 years. Robert has deep operational experience in the U.S., Europe, Central America, South America and the Middle East. Robert personally developed, managed, and carried a multitude of operations during his career that lead to the capture of several high-profile terrorists, and the effective dismantling of terrorist networks.
- Chiara Talerico – Chiara is the main crime analyst at Elephant Action League. She is skilled in analyzing raw intelligence coming from the field, studying crime patterns and modus operandi, geographical crimes mapping and database management. She holds a Masters of Law with a specialization in international criminal law from the University of Pisa and a Master’s of Science in Countering Organized Crime and Terrorism from UCL.
- “Arturo” – He is a top web intelligence professional and cybersecurity expert.
The WCD runs the intelligence-gathering operations, including in the cyberspace, manages dozens of sources around the world, and undertakes the collection and analysis of information in support of the investigations, as well as dissemination to government agencies and partners.
The Division functions somewhat separately from the rest of EAL’s operations, both physically and in terms of information sharing. The nature of its work, the need to function clandestinely in its tasks and missions around the globe, requires this separation. This anonymity, along with the diverse expertise of the team, allows the WCD to work alongside or integrate with conservation projects run by other NGOs.
