Ken McCloud
Ken McCloud spent more than 20 years with the elite Special Ops group before retiring in 2008, yet his exploits are largely unknown. His story offers a glimpse into the underworld where the fate of so many species hangs in the balance. "Not many special agents have the aptitude to work covertly," says Gary Mowad, former deputy chief of law enforcement for the USFWS. "Agents are often on their own, and it's dangerous work. You can imagine how bad it would be getting discovered in the middle of an operation with no backup. The 1978 Lybrand case launched an undercover career for McCloud that eventually landed him on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Ops team working long-term covert operations aimed at stopping the international smuggling of endangered species. As part of this select group, McCloud assumed false identities, operated fake businesses, was threatened and assaulted, and had contracts put out on his life, he learned to blend with his environment like a chameleon.
