Hunting LeRoux

The Inside Story of the DEA Takedown of a Criminal Genius and His Empire

By: Elaine Shannon

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

With an introduction by four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Michael Mann.

The story of Paul LeRoux, the twisted genius entrepreneur and cold-blooded killer who brought revolutionary innovation to international crime, and the exclusive inside story of how the DEA’s elite, secretive 960 Group brought him down.

Paul LeRoux was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. After a first career as a pioneering cybersecurity entrepreneur, he plunged into the dark side, using his extraordinary talents to develop a disruptive new business model for transnational organized crime. Along the way, he created a mercenary force of ex-US and NATO sharpshooters to carry out contract murders for his own pleasure and profit. The criminal empire he built was Cartel 4.0, utilizing the gig economy and the tools of the digital age: encrypted mobile devices, cloud sharing, and novel money-laundering techniques. LeRoux’s businesses, cyber-linked by his own dark worldwide web, stretched from Southeast Asia across the Middle East and Africa to Brazil; they generated hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of arms, drugs, chemicals, bombs, missile technology, and murder. He dealt with rogue nations - Iran and North Korea - as well as the Chinese Triads, Somali pirates, Serb mafia, outlaw bikers, militants, corrupt African and Asian officials, and coup-plotters.

Initially, LeRoux appeared as a ghost image on law enforcement and intelligence radar, an inexplicable presence in the middle of a variety of criminal endeavors. He was Netflix to Blockbuster, Spotify to Tower Records. A bold disruptor, his methods brought international crime into the age of innovation, making his operations barely detectable and LeRoux nearly invisible. But he gained the attention of a small band of bold, unorthodox DEA agents, whose brief was tracking down drug- and arms-trafficking kingpins who contributed to war and global instability. The 960 Group, an element of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, had launched some of the most complex, coordinated, and dangerous operations in the agency’s history. They used unorthodox methods and undercover informants to penetrate LeRoux’s inner circle and bring him down.

For five years, Elaine Shannon immersed herself in LeRoux’s shadowy world. She gained exclusive access to the agents and players, including undercover operatives who looked LeRoux in the eye on a daily basis. Shannon takes us on a shocking tour of this dark frontier, going deep into the operations and the mind of a singularly visionary and frightening figure - Escobar and Victor Bout and Jeff Bezos rolled into one.

Hunting LeRoux introduces a new breed of criminal spawned by the savage, greed-exalting underside of the age of innovation - and a new kind of true-crime story. It is a look into the future - a future that is dark.

©2019 Elaine Shannon (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Good true crime listen

If you like listening to true crime you'll like this listen. I would of liked to hear from the kingpin himself.

This book was very interesting

i liked this book was interesting to read about a international criminal it took me a few chapters to get into it but really enjoyed it

Inside the Mind & Personalities of Criminal Masterminds

This book is unique in letting the reader hear the conversations of the actors in an international criminal ring. Their background, habits, and traits are also woven into the story. The reader not only is presented with the structure and working of this criminal web but also the personalities of those who built it and how they came together to do so. The book shows you the answer to questions such as : What kind of person does this ? How do they get together? How do they do it?

Amazing story

Amazing story about the audacity of someone’s willingness to commit crimes, and after getting caught having no contrition. Would give five stars, but the seemed rushed toward the end of the book.

A true evil enterprising giant

Monstrous amount of fact gathering time spent in order to present intriguing facts about a historic mastermind. Ability to dodge law enforcement at top level for so long is impressive. Genious!

entertaining and unsettling

Are you listening Netfix? Much of the story sounds too perfectly dramatic, almost script-like almost unbelievable. The author is gearing for a miniseries without a doubt. I'd watch it :)

Real Life Bond Villain

The story was absolutely riveting. It's surprising that Paul LaRoux's story did not receive more attention, especially juxtaposed to Victor Bout's (AKA Nicolas Cage's character in the movie Lord of War). The story borders on too fantastic for fiction; and the writer does an excellent job of weaving together the many facets of his enterprise.The narration was excellent, even in comparison to a lot of the excellent narration in audiobooks today. Highly recommend.

Riveting take down of a mastermind

The world has some truly evil people, glad he was caught by the DEA. Leroux had an incredible empire of evil deeds. It is fascinating to hear all the different players and their angles in this story.

Masterful

An excellent listen and a glimpse into a criminal mastermind. It really makes you wonder and gives you an understanding of those people who are successful and notorious. I would give this book as many stars as possible

Excellent.

Well worth the money! I can highly recommend. A real page-turner...international intrigue and scope..great learning experience.