Frank and Hector began working together in late 2000. At the time, Frank was assigned to the Career Criminal Section of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau, tracking repeat offenders through signal classifications, while Hector had just transferred in from Robbery, where he had grown tired of working in a “Robbery Clearinghouse” that pursued the same suspects repeatedly. They had crossed paths before and stood out in a career field largely staffed by women, sharing many of the same analytical and observational skills as those who had set the standard for investigative,
intelligence, strategic, and tactical analysis.
That year, Hector was assigned to the Bureau’s Gang Unit, serving as the sole analyst for gang intelligence and investigations for the Miami-Dade Police Department and the county’s 37 municipalities. He also coordinated the Multi-Gang Task Force during one of its most productive periods, resulting in significant arrests. They worked together until 2003, when the Criminal Intelligence Bureau split into the Homeland Security Bureau and the newly formed Strategic and Specialized Investigations Bureau. Frank transferred to Homeland Security, becoming a founding member of the Southeast Florida Fusion Center and the most senior analyst in the bureau, a key resource for all homeland-related matters.
In 2006, Hector transferred to the Professional Compliance Bureau’s Criminal Conspiracy Section (Internal Affairs), a unit focused on criminal investigations of corrupt
officers. Although they were no longer assigned to the same units, they maintained a close friendship, meeting regularly over the years — a connection now spanning nearly 25 years. Hector remained in Criminal Conspiracy until late 2012, when he moved to the Fusion Center to work with Frank again. Over their careers, they earned more than 150 letters and certificates of commendation, graduated from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Analyst Academy, and were recognized as subject matter experts in their respective areas. They also served as a valuable source of institutional knowledge for the department.
Hector retired in 2021. Frank continues to train and mentor the next generation of analysts, applying the same precision, discipline, and standards that defined both of their careers.