- 31 Years in Law Enforcement Leadership: With over three decades in law enforcement, Matt brings a wealth of experience and insight into effective policing strategies, organizational leadership, crisis management, culture change, wellness and resiliency.
- SWAT Team Expertise: Matt has served 18 years on the SWAT team, including 5 years as the commanding officer, demonstrating my ability to lead elite teams in high-stakes, high-pressure situations.
- Second-in-Command (COO) Experience: As the 2nd in command of a law enforcement agency, Matt oversaw critical operations and strategic initiatives, mirroring the responsibilities of a Chief Operating Officer in the private sector.
- Renowned Speaker and Instructor: Matt has a proven track record in speaking and teaching law enforcement professionals and civilians alike, sharing my knowledge on leadership, tactical operations, crisis management, culture change, and wellness and resiliency.
- Author and Subject Matter Expert: Matt authored a book on combating the cartels, showcasing my in-depth understanding of organized crime and my ability to convey complex topics to diverse audiences.
- Featured on 60 Days In
BIO: Matt currently serves as the Chief Deputy for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona. Matt is the Sheriff’s Executive Officer, serving as second-in-command for the agency. He oversees and manages all operations for over 650 employees and volunteers in a county that covers over 5,400 square miles and has an approximate population of 500,000. Matt has been employed with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for over 30 years, starting his career as a Detention Officer in 1993 and promoting through the ranks to his current position.
Matt has served in several positions, including Detention, Patrol, Traffic, Training, the Police Academy, Motors, Narcotics, General Investigations and Anti-Smuggling. While assigned to the Narcotics Unit, Matt has worked in an undercover capacity, both as a detective and as a sergeant. He has worked and supervised narcotics cases, including everything from street-level drug cases to largescale organized-crime cases in a cartel-infested environment. Matt also served 18 years on the Pinal Regional SWAT team as a member, team leader, and finishing as the team commander. He is a graduate of Leadership in Police Organizations and the FBI National Academy, session 261. Matt is also a bestselling author, publishing his book Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels in late 2022. Matt’s book details the operations he was involved in against the infamous Sinaloa cartel in the Arizona deserts.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Interceptors is an exhilarating ride and front-row seat into the dangerous and harrowing work of law enforcement on America's southern border.
Author Matthew Thomas pulls back the curtain and takes the reader on a rarely seen, eye-witness journey.
Spanning over 29 years, Matthew's law enforcement career and immersive life in the Hispanic culture is an eye-opening, honest, and unprecedented look into the ruthless activities of dangerous cartel activity on our southern doorstep.
From patrol to undercover work with gangs and drugs, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) to an interdiction team created to thwart, disrupt, and dismantle cartel activities, Matthew has a unique first-hand perspective not covered by the media or found within the politically charged rhetoric of warring political parties.
Interceptors will keep readers on the edge of their seats in a page-turning, binge-worthy read about drug smuggling, human trafficking, and the unspeakable brutality of the Sinaloa cartel.
Buckle up; it's one hell of a ride!
TESTIMONIALS
“Chief Deputy Matthew Thomas has one hell of a story to tell about his life and work. Lucky for us, he’s taking us along for the ride.” — Katie Pavlich - NY Times Best Selling Author: Fast and Furious, Fox News Contributor, Editor Townhall.com
Katie Pavlich
"Matt's experience and knowledge is a big reason he is my Executive Officer. This is a must read if you want to know the truth in our battle against the cartels here in Pinal county" — Sheriff Mark Lamb, The American Sheriff, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Mark Lamb
“The border is bloody and deadly. To understand what is going on, you need the groundtruth; you need insight from those that work this deadly area day in and day out. Matt Thomas lived these stories. Thomas weaves a story of the border reality as nobody else can. From the eyes of a career law enforcer, Thomas gives the reader a glimpse into the world only seen by a sparse few. Thomas has the groundtruth.” - Dr.Jason Piccolo, former DHS Supervisor and Special Agent, host of The Protectors Podcast TM
Dr. Jason Piccolo
"Matt Thomas is the quintessential "operator," and I've enjoyed observing him as a great leader. "Interceptors" is the real thing, and so is Matt. He nails it. Been there, done that, and now I can buy the "T-shirt;" too! It's a great read!" - Ron Colburn, National Deputy Chief (Retired), U.S. Border Patrol Former Director for Law Enforcement, EOP, The White House
BORTAC Class #1
Ron Colburn
VIDEOS
SPEECH TOPICS
Matt has been a speaker or taught at many different types of events throughout the US to include the Georgia FBINAA, Minnesota State Association of Narcotics Investigators, Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association, Arizona Narcotics Investigators Association, Arizona Gang Investigators Association, Colorado Drug Investigators Association, National Institute for Jail Operations and many other law enforcement conferences and numerous corporate events.
- LEADERSHIP
- ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
- OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
- HIGH-RISK OPERATIONAL PLANNING
- SPECIALTY UNIT SUPERVISION/LEADERSHIP
- HIGH FUNCTIONING LEADERSHIP IN ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTS
