SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN INTERDICTION COP?

Here’s How I Did It — And How You Can Too

Step 1: Become a Sworn Police Officer

You can’t skip this part. Like all of us, I started by going through the academy, getting certified, and hitting the streets in uniform. You need that badge before anything else. That’s your ticket in.

Step 2: Put in the Patrol Time

Interdiction work isn’t entry-level. It starts with years of patrol. Out there, shift after shift, I learned to read people—body language, eye movement, nervous ticks. You get a feel for who’s just speeding and who’s hiding something. You’ll learn how to make clean, legal stops and how to keep yourself safe doing it. It’s in patrol where your instincts get sharpened.

Step 3: Specialize and Train Like Hell

Once I knew interdiction was my path, I sought every bit of training I could get my hands on. That included:

• Behavioral Cues: Picking up on deception, spotting the signs of trafficking or drug runs—it’s an art and a science.

• High-Risk Stops & Searches: I trained hard to safely search vehicles, spot aftermarket compartments, and find what’s not supposed to be there—all while staying inside the legal lines.

• Search & Seizure Law: You have to know your case law. If your stop doesn’t hold up in court, your bust doesn’t mean a thing.

• Field Interviews: I honed the skill of asking the right questions, the right way. The side of the road is a gold mine for information—if you know how to dig.

Step 4: Get on the Right Team (Shift)

Eventually, I earned a spot on our agency’s K9 Unit which I transpired into an interdiction team. It wasn’t handed to me. My numbers, instincts, and training made me a strong candidate. At From there, the game changes. You’re not just stopping cars—you’re going after organized criminal networks. I’ve worked with federal task forces, helped take down major trafficking routes, and pulled millions in contraband off the highways.

You don’t need a title or a tactical vest patch to do the work:

I did some of my best interdiction cases while still working patrol. It’s about mindset, not assignment. If you’re driven, well-trained, and observant, you can start making an impact today—right from your squad car.

Captain Andrew Prisco:

Was one of those leaders who recognized effort without a political agenda. He saw that hard work, executed with integrity and without chasing clout, was worth more than any title. That kind of recognition doesn’t come from chasing spotlight—it comes from chasing results.

And when you do the work the right way—consistently, legally, without ego—people notice.

Bottom Line:

Interdiction isn’t a job—it’s a calling. It takes patience, persistence, and a constant hunger to learn. But if you’re wired for it, there’s no better feeling than pulling a load off the road and knowing you just dealt a serious blow to organized crime.

Mark "Oakley" Elsaid

Blacksand Tactical