Elaine Beck 0:11
Hi everyone. I’m Elaine Beck, and this is my show. It’s not about us, and I’m always so pleased to come and share with you the good news that God has given us, even though we’re living in trying times and in times where we all feel like we’re being attacked, because we are in many ways. We know that God is in control, and we know that it’s he, that it’s him, that we serve. And what a wonderful thing that is. And today, we’re going to talk about something that is near and dear to all of our hearts, but is a very tough subject to talk about. And we have a very special guest, and his name is Victor. I’m going to say it Avila. Avila and he is just a wonderful young man who has dedicated his life to some great things. Victor, say hello and share with my audience what it is that you do

Victor Avila 1:19
well. Thank you so much for having Elaine today. I’m a retired special agent with Homeland Security Investigations under ice. I have worked my entire adult life in the law enforcement capacity at all levels, at the county level, state level. I’m from, born and raised in Texas, and at the federal level and also at the international level, working outside of the United States as a US diplomat in Mexico and Europe, really trying to defend our way of life here in America as and I agree with you, we are in a very trying times, and so a lot of people Know me about what had happened to me in Mexico, and so you mentioned God and and so I am here by His grace. Amen, shot three times my partner was lost and and killed in a line of duty next to me while we worked in Mexico. So this is very personal to me, this is the journey that I have endured after this is personal, not just for me, but for our country, to try and be part of the solution to get us back where we can really be able to provide for our children and our grandchildren.

Elaine Beck 2:37
Well, first I want to thank you for serving the way you have and for all that you do. And I want to say something to my audience in this you know, Victor just said that he takes it personally. I want you to ask yourself during this interview and after and all the days ahead, how personal is this to you? How personal is the troubles that are being brought on by all of these things that are happening in our country and around our country that are killing our people. How personal Do you want to take it? And when you take it personally, what should you do about it. So Victor, tell us more about, you know, the job that you are doing and what you do now.

Victor Avila 3:27
Yeah, so I’m a, I’m a, you know, I worked and investigated very, very different many, many different types of criminal offenses from drug trafficking. I’m a subject matter expert in human trafficking investigations, I rescued counties women and children from these horrific crimes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. I did that a lot as well, from Mexico into the United States. HSI, Homeland Security Investigations. For people don’t know, we have a jurisdiction to investigate these violations that have a Nexus or to our border. If it touches our border, we have the the jurisdiction to investigate that. A lot of commercial fraud, a lot of the pharmaceuticals, counterfeits, everything comes through there that is illicit, that’s trying to enter our country. We’re trying to stop that and and and even once it’s here, we’re trying to, you know, investigate these individuals and bring them to justice. And so that’s what I did in my career. I medically retired after the shooting. The shooting happened in 2011 I medically retired in 2015 but the fight is not over. I have continued to do a lot of things. I wrote a book about my experience. I wanted to tell people what I had been through before, during and especially the shooting that I went through in Mexico. And I wrote a book titled Agent Under Fire, a murder and a manifesto. And. That took me to kind of start kind of giving back. I just wanted to give back with my expertise, with everything that’s happening, not just border security, but my book took on a kind of a as I went across the country, started going across the country, speaking to a lot of groups, my book took on a different meaning of being under fire. In my case, I was under literally under fire of bullets. But a lot of us in our lives are under fire. At work, are under fire in our marriage, are under fire financially, with our relationship with God, and so I talked about that, that there’s always a solution, and the reason why there’s a solution is because we’re alive and because and we will today. And so that brings a smile to my face, to be able to be able to give back and and to contribute in not just a lot of people sometimes think, you know, in the bigger picture, like the federal government, and then I’m talking about your community. I’m talking about getting back locally, which I absolutely

Elaine Beck 6:09
yes, yeah, yeah, you know, I could listen to you for hours. I can see that I love your story. I’m going to get your book. I’m not good at reading right now because my time is short, but I listen while I do things, and so praise God, they came up with audio books. I hope you have it in audio so it’s just a wonderful thing what you’re doing. I’m sorry you had to go through the tragedy. But you know, isn’t that how we all become strong? Isn’t that how we all learn, isn’t it how we all, you know, grow in the Lord and get closer to him? Is when we have to face the fact that you know, when you said that, you know your partner was killed, you know that tragedy alone would move most people’s mountains and make them realize how tenuous their life was. But then to be been shot as well, and to have the medical issues that you did and what you went through to heal. Healing isn’t always about the body, as a matter of fact, it’s probably the least tragic part of it. It’s the healing of the mind. It’s the healing of accepting that you know when you’re out there in the world and the darkness starts to surround you. It’s healing and coming back to the light and staying strong in God’s word. And I can see just by your, your great attitude and your your smiles, as you say. And you made me smile, for sure.

Victor Avila 7:58
Well, you gave me chills right now, because I went through very dark days. I went through very dark years after, it was a very it wasn’t you might see me speak about it very freely today, but it wasn’t like that at the very beginning. It took a lot of time, it took a lot of prayer. It took a lot of from my family, and I’m very fortunate that they, my wife and my children were able to kind of, you know, just stick with me, because there were some trying times. Right, absolutely right, the physical stuff that was the easy part, right? It’s the you kind of learn how to deal with that. It’s the mentally, the PTSD, the other traumas that come, that stay and linger and and so I always share to other people that if I could go through something as traumatic as that was, because this was a horrible, horrible, violent event and, and so you don’t have to go through this type of trauma. I read so many books, I became very familiar with the different types of traumas out there. And so if I can do it, I know that you can do it by having the faith. And you know what something that you said that caught my my ear right now, because it was about it did change me. Life will tell you, my family will tell you, but it changed me for the better. It made me a better person. I’m a flawed man, but let me tell you, I I learned a lot. I used to be very, very concerned about things that I shouldn’t have been concerned about all my life. I sweat the small stuff, right? Not anymore, I worry and about the things that I can control now, not about the things that I couldn’t. And that was one of the biggest challenges for me as a coming from a very disciplined background. I grew up in a very disciplined, you know, Hispanic household. And and with a lot of faith in God, and I’m a black belt in karate, so I love that structure, right, right? And structure was taken away from me, that’s right, all of a sudden, I didn’t know how to deal with that, because I was in control. How could I not plan and what I wanted to happen couldn’t happen because it wasn’t in my hands, it was in God’s and and so it I learned to understand that, and it really has made my life and that of my family is a lot better.

Elaine Beck 10:31
Well, let me share something with you. You’re right. Everybody has their own trauma that they go through, and I totally am a believer in the fact that God uses that trauma and those hard times, however you want to put it Okay, those difficulties, to make us better people. But the way I put it now that God gave me is I used to say, you know, I went through all those trying times so that I could become the person I am. But now I say it this way, and you’ll pick this up. I went through all those things so that I could become the woman God wanted me to be. You are now the man that God wants you to be, and he will continue to grow you till the day you leave this earth and go home to be with him as well. I,

Victor Avila 11:31
I love that Elaine and and you know what the hardest struggle was that I didn’t know what that was. I didn’t know what I’ve been in law enforcement all my life, and all of a sudden, one day, I was not going to be that anymore, right? And I really struggled with that my identity, because law enforcement is one of those careers that just it’s an identity that sticks with you, whether at work or even in my whole time. This is victory. Yeah, he carries a gun and a badge, even when my my family saw me that way, it’s a very big thing about your life that it identifies you, right? Well, all of a sudden that was taken away, and I had to realize that that was more than just what when my career was I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a son, I’m a brother. Many things that you’re absolutely right. But it wasn’t automatic. It was very difficult to find out. Well, what did it what is that? I started going on the news, I started doing things. I wrote a book, for crying out loud, that I never thought in my life I’d be an author,

Elaine Beck 12:33
right? Right? Yes,

Victor Avila 12:34
yes, absolutely God had a and he still does have a different plan for me,

Elaine Beck 12:39
that’s right. And you know, even at my age now, I’m going through something new again. You know, we, we always. I love the way the Bible puts it that there’s a season for everything, you know, a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance. Those are all things that God says we will experience, not just the good, but with it, the tears in the morning and the trials, another thing that the Bible says, one of the first verses God ever get gave me, and I’ve shared this a million times, that there will always be trials, not occasionally, not once in a while, but always. So today it may be that you get a flat tire. Today it may be that you get shocked today. It may be as simple as you know you find out one of your kids did something you’re that they should. They’re not proud of there’s just everything it’s we’re continually being asked to lean on God. And what a great ask it is. Every time I feel like I have gotten over the next hurdle with God’s help, I understand why I lean on Him, because He is the only answer. Can you tell us, I’m afraid we’re running out of time time we’ve gotten so philosophical here, but I think it’s a good thing. I want to do another show with you. I want to know more about your story. I know that my audience does. But for now, what word would you leave my audience with today that

Victor Avila 14:44
I guess I could tell you that there’s always a solution in life to everything. Yes, as dark as it might seem, the there is that light at the end of the tunnel, even though you might not see it, it does exist. And. And obviously you have to have God in your life to guide you through that. I tell people that because I’m very politically involved and everything else in this very dark earth that we lived in this world, a lot of evil that I’ve seen with my own eyes,

Elaine Beck 15:21
oh yeah, I can only imagine.

Victor Avila 15:25
and I want people to know that you need to just have some awareness, be aware. And by having that awareness in God and in your life and yes, in your community, yes, and maybe in the political world a little bit, just become a little bit aware, and that’ll make you become involved in ways that you would never thought that you would be involved and and then I think that would make a huge difference, especially in the trying times that we’re in right now, because we’re going to need everyone. We’re going to need everyone that’s a believer that that absolutely with a lot of love and a lot of passion. Yeah,

Elaine Beck 16:03
a very good summation. I really, I really love that. So I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t give you an opportunity to share about your book again, and if there’s any way that people can reach out to you, if they have any questions or anything that’s up to you, but I want to give you that opportunity and let everybody know again with your if you agree to it, I would love to have you on and do another show. So tell them about your book.

Victor Avila 16:35
The book is Agent Under Fire, a murder and a manifesto. You can find it on Amazon. You could actually go to my own website, Agent Under firebook.com, you could order it through there as well, and you could read more about me. You can follow me on social media. I’m on x at Victor Avila TX. I’m on if you find me at Victor Avila, you will see me. If you Google me, I do post a lot and keep up up to date. I travel a lot and try to bring you a perspective of what’s happening. One thing that I do will always tell you is the truth and and will share to you sometimes, in belief systems, you know, especially in the political world, I will tell you how it is. That way you’ll be able to make the proper decision. And so follow me on there. You can visit me on these websites. There’s another website that I have is Victor Avila speaks.com and check it out there too. And I could come to your account and share my story personally as well.

Elaine Beck 17:38
I would love that you are always welcome. We can make arrangements for that we you know, it’s hard to put a lifetime in a 15 minute show and and they, they’re generally 15 to 20 minutes, but I will tell you that I want to thank you for your service to our country. Thank you. I want to tell you that you know you’re you’re asking the audience to to be brave and stand and do the right thing, and all of us to be involved is important, and that my whole life, since, for six years now, has been about a visit that I had from the Lord. And my life is surrounded by everything’s about God and my country, and so I too am very politically involved. I’m sure we could have some wonderful, long conversation, and I’m looking forward to it, so God bless you. God bless you. Thank you, and for all my audience, you know that I always pray for you and that we always mention Wayne. We are not enemies.com. Go to we are not enemies.com. And learn about praying for our enemies, which God has asked us to do in His scripture. Please understand that we love you here. We’re here to serve God. We’re here to spread the light. So have a blessed week and know that we’re always praying for you. Thank you.