👉 Host: Jeff Hopeck. To learn more about my work and the conversations I care about, find me at   @HeyDadCanWe  

On this gripping episode of Interesting Humans, former Fort Worth police officer Tegan Broadwater pulls listeners into the shadowy world of deep-cover law enforcement, where every conversation could be his last and every decision carried life-or-death consequences. Tasked with infiltrating a violent street gang during the FBI’s “Operation Fishbowl,” Broadwater assumed the identity of a high-level cocaine dealer and stepped into a reality where trust was currency—and suspicion was lethal. 

Moving through darkened neighborhoods guarded by lookouts, barred doors, and armed enforcers, he navigated tense drug deals, surprise confrontations, and moments where a single misstep could have exposed him. In one chilling encounter, a deal nearly spiraled into violence when a shotgun was leveled at him before he could prove he belonged. 

For nearly two years, Broadwater lived a double life, balancing family, fear, and the relentless pressure of maintaining his cover while methodically working his way up the gang’s hierarchy. His efforts ultimately led to 51 federal indictments, dismantling a network responsible for violence and instability in the community. 

Yet the mission left him with lasting moral weight—forcing him to confront not only crime, but the human cost on families and neighborhoods caught inside the “fishbowl.”

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To learn more about my work and the conversations I care about, find me at @hey_dad_can_we