◆ SpookStack

incidents, were carried out by common subjects (exact number unknown). The frequency of the robbéries, as well as the relatively confined area of the activity, led to a hypothesis that these subjects would carry out similar-style robberies in the near future and stage these heists in the same neighborhood. Prior to April 11, 1986, the Miami Office increased liaison with armored couriers and area banking officers. Local police departments also increased patrol coverage of institutions in the south Miami area. The Miami Office conducted random surveillances of armored car routes and scheduled deliveries and saturated the suspect area by quadrant assignment of personnel on dates considered probable robbery days. It was in the furtherance of this technique that Agents were assigned surveillance responsibilities in southwest Miami on April 11, 1966. _ “oncerning this robbery group, ami Division formulated a plan am of the bank and armored car @n attempt to spot the robbers Snend them. Based on a known modus * ys as a logical time to activate this plan. Survei & on two prior occasions had been unsuccessful in lo the subjects. The squad, utilizing 14 Special Agents, unde e supervision of SSA Gordon G. McNeill, on April 11, 1986, decided to set up in the area of four banks in the general southwest section of Miami, where all known prior activity was centered. This Special Agent complement included three Resident Agents from the Homestead Resident Agency (RA), since at least one of the robberies had occurred in their territory, which is adjacent to the Headquarters City territory in southwest Miami. All 14 participating Agents had received a briefing and instructions, and all were familiar with the backgrounds of each of the preceding robberies. Investigation in this matter had been closely coordinated with the Metropolitan- Dade County Police Force; however, no local officers participated in the April 11, 1986, surveillance activity. “Ba: the Reactive to place &@ robberies © en route to operandi, they #e Vehicles utilized were Bureau cars belonging to the squad and to the Homestead RA, and at least one of these vehicles had radio communications with Metro-Dade County Police radio. The Agents were armed with their sidearms and a number of the Agents had shoulder weapons. SA Edmundo Mireles, Jr., and SSA Gordon G. McNeill both had shotguns in their vehicles, Other = > oe oes ew a ere be het od Agents on the surveillance who were not involved in the shooting were armed with M-16 rifles and submachine guns. All weapons utilized were Bureau- issued or Bureau-approved weapons and all of the Agents were fully qualified with the weapons in their possession. :