Nature's Secret Service

Ed Newcomer

A weekly true crime podcast that puts you in the room with the men and women of wildlife law enforcement who protect our planet's wild animals and plants from the greedy hands of poachers and wildlife traffickers. Visit www.naturessecretservice.com for more information.

  1. Season 2 Finale - The Prosecutors

    JAN 6

    Season 2 Finale - The Prosecutors

    The number and quality of investigations, arrests, and cases mean nothing without good prosecutors willing to file charges and move forward with trials when necessary. For more than 20 years, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles) has maintained a unit of prosecutors who are dedicated to handling cases involving environmental crime. Sit down with Ed for his discussion with Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA's) Matt O'Brien, Dennis Mitchell, and Mark Williams, three of the most experienced federal wildlife prosecutors in the country, to talk about some of their favorite cases and to learn about how the US Attorney's Office works with agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This is the final episode of Season 2 of Nature's Secret Service. Get ready for Season 3, which will premiere in early 2026.

    1h 17m
  2. A Night on Patrol

    2025-12-30

    A Night on Patrol

    Get ready to go on patrol in Los Angeles with Ed the Fed and Captain Michele Budish of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Get a feel for what it's like to work the front line with a hard charging game warden. Will it be a night of non-stop action and excitement or routine patrol work? You'll find out as you join us for ... A Night on Patrol.

    50 min
  3. AMBUSH!

    2025-12-23

    AMBUSH!

    In 1962, USFWS Agent Vic Blasevic was ambushed by poachers and shot twice at close range. Join Ed and retired Special Agent Jerry Smith as they talk about who Vic was, what he was like, and how he survived those harrowing events on a dark and cold Illinois cornfield. CORRECTION - This episode references the Central Flyway but should have referenced the Mississippi Flyway.

    37 min
  4. The Untouchables

    2025-12-16

    The Untouchables

    Did you know that the very first federal law enforcement officer to ever conduct undercover work was a US Fish and Wildlife Service officer? It makes sense because the US Fish and Wildlife Service is among the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. Join Ed and his guest Mark Madison, historian for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to hear about the earliest Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement pioneers.

    58 min
  5. Wildlife Officer Jeff Babauta - Gator Country!

    2025-12-09

    Wildlife Officer Jeff Babauta - Gator Country!

    Forty years after US Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Marie Palladini took on alligator skin traffickers, Wildlife Officer Jeff Babauta of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was back at it trying to tackle illegal shenanigans associated with the American alligator. In his case, though, Jeff is onto widespread laundering of wild caught alligator eggs and hatchlings, an illegal business that can rack up hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars in profits for traffickers. The practice seriously hampers alligator conservation and can have dramatic impacts on alligator nesting success from year to year.

    1h 11m
  6. Lt. George Wilson - Operation Red Dawn

    2025-12-02

    Lt. George Wilson - Operation Red Dawn

    Lt. George Wilson spent 36 years working as a law enforcement officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and recently retired as the lieutenant overseeing the FWC's statewide investigations unit. Since his retirement, George has been consulting with a private organization known as Exulans (www.exulans.net) that provides training and investigative support to emerging countries through a contract with WildAid. George and the Exulans team recently worked to help the nation of Bahamas crack down on illegal charter fishing in Bahamian waters by US based charter boat captains. George is a top-notch investigator who thinks out of the box and now he's sharing that knowledge around the world. Watch for more episodes of Nature's Secret Service with George as he and Ed had many successful joint projects during their careers.

    55 min
  7. Captain Dan Brinson - Don't be Shellfish, Ed!

    2025-11-25

    Captain Dan Brinson - Don't be Shellfish, Ed!

    Meet Captain Dan Brinson, previously with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police. Dan was an important influence on Ed, as well as a role model and mentor. Sit in on Ed's wide-ranging conversation with Dan about everything from officer discretion to the role wildlife officers can sometimes play in protecting the public from unseen safety threats. In Ed's opinion, Dan is one of the most intelligent and most ethical wildlife law enforcement officers ever to wear a badge and carry a gun. Tune in and find out why. By the end of the episode, we bet you'll agree.

    1h 6m
  8. Bryan Christy - The Lizard King

    2025-11-18

    Bryan Christy - The Lizard King

    Join Ed for his conversation with Bryan Christy as they talk about the world of the reptile trade and reptile trafficking. Christy is the author of The Lizard King, a book that chronicles the origins and history of a reptile supply company known as Strictly Reptiles and its controversial owners Ray and Mike Van Nostrand. Bryan and Ed will talk about the late Charles "Chip" Bepler, a US Fish and Wildlife Service special agent who spent years pursuing and making a case against Strictly and Mike Van Nostrand. The story will open your eyes to the seedy underbelly of the world of "pet" reptiles and even surprise you as it exposes the intense rivalry between criminal and lawman, all-the-while telling the true story of the personal lives and emotions driving the two adversaries hell bent on defeating each other.

    1h 9m
See All (32)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A weekly true crime podcast that puts you in the room with the men and women of wildlife law enforcement who protect our planet's wild animals and plants from the greedy hands of poachers and wildlife traffickers. Visit www.naturessecretservice.com for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Newcomer
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ed Newcomer 2024
  • Show Website
    Nature's Secret Service

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