By Edelia J. Carthan, Ed.D.
President and CEO
I recently found myself watching The Infiltrator on Netflix, starring one of my favorite actors, Bryan Cranston. You might know Cranston from his iconic role as Walter White in Breaking Bad or as Hal, the hilarious dad in Malcolm in the Middle. In The Infiltrator, based on a true story, he plays federal agent Robert Mazur, who goes undercover in 1986 to infiltrate the Colombian drug trafficking network led by none other than Pablo Escobar. It’s an intense depiction of the risks agents take when they go undercover—a high-stakes dance on the knife's edge, with false identities, dangerous alliances, and the constant threat of exposure.
This isn’t just a story from the past; infiltration is a tactic we’ve seen used time and again, sometimes with a different motive, sometimes against different kinds of targets. We know all too well about the FBI's history of infiltration—whether it was the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panther Party, or even individuals like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Federal agents were assigned to my father, Dr. Eddie James Carthan, and countless others, all in a mission to disrupt movements that demanded justice and equality. The movie reminded me just how easily the machinery of surveillance and infiltration can be turned against those who stand for their communities.
Fast forward to today, here we are in Jackson, Mississippi—the Blackest city in the state, steeped in history and resilience. And now, yet again, the headlines are filled with stories of undercover operations, but this time it’s not just about resistance movements. Recent indictments have rocked Jackson, bringing down elected officials who thought they were untouchable. The question looms: What made these officials believe they could get away with such blatant misuse of power? In a city that’s always been under scrutiny, what made them think they weren't being watched?
Maybe it’s the sense of invincibility that power often brings. Watching The Infiltrator, I couldn’t help but reflect on the parallels—how people who think they can outsmart the system eventually fall into the very traps they lay for others. The city of Jackson has long been a beacon for African Americans in Mississippi, a hub of culture, leadership, and strength. But even here, corruption and greed can take root, making people forget who they represent and the people they serve.
The world of infiltration isn’t just about the good guys and the bad guys. The Infiltrator portrays how the lines blur—how the mission to bring down crime can take on shades of gray when the agents themselves struggle to maintain their integrity and their true selves. In Jackson, the situation is no less complex. Those who sought power forgot the lessons of history: that those in power, especially in a city like this, are always being observed—if not by the law, then by the people they claim to serve.
I wonder sometimes if I’m the only one still in class—Life Class. It's as if we’re being tested, and the lessons are out there, from history to movies, just waiting to be absorbed. But are we paying attention? Are we taking notes, learning from the past, or just repeating the mistakes we’ve seen play out on screen and in real life?
There’s a quote from the film that really struck me: “The infiltrator always has a plan, but it's never quite what you think it is.” It feels like a warning to us here in Jackson—a reminder that when you think no one is looking, there’s always a plan being hatched somewhere, and it’s never quite what you expect. If these officials had been paying attention, maybe they’d have realized that in a city like Jackson, there’s no escaping accountability—whether from an undercover operation or from the community itself.
The FBI can legally conduct undercover operations and infiltration under several laws and internal guidelines, such as:
Title 28, U.S. Code (§ 533), for general investigative authority.
The Attorney General's Guidelines on FBI Undercover Operations.
The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act for communication surveillance.
FISA for counterterrorism activities.
Title III of the Wiretap Act for electronic surveillance.
The legality of FBI undercover operations is contingent on adherence to the above legal frameworks and ensuring that civil rights and due process are not violated. Judicial oversight, internal reviews, and procedural requirements are crucial elements that make such operations permissible under federal law.
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