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#674 - Scott Payne

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

3h 50m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

This episode features a conversation with retired FBI special agent Scott Payne, who discusses his 28-year career in law enforcement, including SWAT, vice narcotics, and deep undercover work targeting motorcycle gangs, drug cartels, and white supremacist accelerationist groups. Payne details the extreme physical and psychological toll of undercover operations, the nature of adrenaline dumps, and specific cases such as infiltrating the Outlaws motorcycle club and a domestic terrorist group known as the Base. Throughout the discussion, Payne explains the tradecraft, the rigorous vetting processes, and the personal sacrifices required to operate inside dangerous criminal organizations.

  • First responders and tactical operators experience high rates of divorce, suicide, and stress due to the physiological impact of repeated adrenaline dumps. 4:34
  • Undercover agents must carefully construct a background and personality profile that mirrors their targets to avoid blowing their cover. 1:05:22
  • Accelerationist groups reject traditional public protests in favor of decentralized, small-scale guerrilla tactics designed to accelerate societal collapse. 1:33:13
  • Law enforcement agencies maintain strict standards against lying during official inquiries, as deception can compromise an agent's ability to testify in court. 22:42

Chapters

  1. 0:53
    Early Life and Motivation for Law Enforcement

    Payne recounts his upbringing in South Carolina, early exposure to diverse social circles, and how these experiences shaped his decision to join the police force.

  2. 2:00
    Undercover Training and Early Assignments

    Payne explains the transition from sheriff’s office to FBI, detailing the undercover training, first assignments, and the challenges of blending in with criminal groups.

  3. 5:24
    Undercover Operations and Case Examples

    Payne shares specific undercover missions, from drug busts to intelligence gathering, illustrating the tactics and psychological demands of covert work.

  4. 21:48
    Closing Thoughts and Listener Takeaways

    Host wraps up the episode, highlights key lessons for listeners, and promotes sponsor messages before concluding.

  5. 26:11
    The FBI Academy and Physical Conditioning

    An overview of the rigorous five‑month FBI training program, including physical fitness, tactical instruction, and the intense environment at Quantico.

  6. 37:46
    Legal and Ethical Boundaries in Surveillance

    Discussion of the legal limits of surveillance technology, court orders, and the balance between operational effectiveness and constitutional rights.

  7. 41:47
    Podcast Intro and Sponsor Read

    The episode opens with Theo Von’s introduction and a brief sponsor advertisement for BlueChew.

  8. 42:31
    Undocumented Smuggling Case in McAllen

    The host recounts a six‑year case involving the smuggling of undocumented aliens across the Rio Grande, highlighting the extortion and kidnapping of a physically challenged sister.

  9. 43:18
    Moral Dilemmas in Border Enforcement

    Discussion shifts to the ethical challenges faced by law‑enforcement officers when dealing with illegal immigration and the line between protecting victims and enforcing the law.

  10. 48:26
    Undercover Operations and Informant Management

    The host explains how undercover agents recruit, manage, and protect informants, including the risks of entrapment and the importance of maintaining cover.

  11. 49:13
    The Complexity of Cartel Power Struggles

    The narrative delves into the shifting power dynamics among Mexican cartels, the vacuum created by leadership losses, and the resulting violence.

  12. 1:08:23
    The Risks of Romantic Entanglements in Undercover Work

    The host discusses policy violations and personal boundaries when undercover agents develop romantic relationships with informants or suspects.

  13. 1:10:54
    Biker Culture and One‑Percenters

    The conversation explores the meaning of “one‑percenter” in biker culture, its historical roots, and how undercover agents infiltrate these groups.

  14. 1:23:56
    The Odd Garage Encounter

    Theo recounts a bizarre visit to a garage where a woman’s bizarre behavior and drug‑like state set the tone for the episode’s surreal humor.

  15. 1:25:25
    From Pork Rinds to Torture Tales

    The conversation shifts to a wild story about a woman who claims to be into torture, leading to graphic and absurd anecdotes that keep the audience laughing.

  16. 1:29:48
    Odinism and White Supremacy Explained

    Theo dives into the history of Odinism, its modern neo‑pagan roots, and how it has been co‑opted by white supremacist groups.

  17. 1:35:27
    Undercover in the Accelerationist Base

    The host describes his infiltration of an accelerationist cell, detailing recruitment, training, and the psychological toll of living a double life.

  18. 1:39:00
    From Doxxing to Domestic Terrorism

    The narrative moves to the consequences of doxxing, the escalation of hate crimes, and the blurred line between extremist rhetoric and actionable violence.

  19. 1:40:00
    Drug Seizures and Border Violence

    The host recounts personal experiences with large drug seizures, the scale of operations, and the dangers faced by agents on the border.

  20. 1:55:07
    Reflections on Identity and Belonging

    The episode concludes with a philosophical conversation about belonging, isolation, and the human need for community, even in extremist circles.

  21. 2:00:00
    Undercover Training and Certification

    An overview of the FBI’s undercover academy, its rigorous training, and the psychological challenges of maintaining a covert identity.

  22. 2:06:26
    Early Pagan and White Supremacist Rituals

    The guest recounts attending pagan blots that were actually white supremacist gatherings, describing the rituals and symbols used.

  23. 2:07:51
    The White Supremacy Ideology and Threats

    The guest explains how the group’s extremist beliefs framed anti-fascist and non-white individuals as enemies, outlining their violent intentions.

  24. 2:13:03
    Operational Planning and Infiltration Tactics

    The conversation shifts to the undercover agent’s role in gathering intel, planning operations, and dealing with infiltration by federal agents.

  25. 2:36:51
    Wrap‑Up and Reflections

    The episode concludes with reflections on the case, the broader implications for law enforcement, and the host’s gratitude for the guest’s candidness.

  26. 2:42:57
    Psychological Support for Undercover Agents

    The discussion turns to the FBI’s Safeguard program and the importance of psychological assessment for agents in high‑risk undercover roles.

Highlights

  • 6:13

    Friend's Line of Duty Deathstory

    A speaker reflects on how a lack of tactical training led to the fatal shooting of a fellow officer in Greenville, highlighting the dangers of tunnel vision and rushing into volatile situations.

  • 15:28

    Applying to the FBIstory

    A guest explains how a recommendation from a sergeant led him to apply to the FBI and request New York City as his first field office before joining the academy in 1998.

  • 20:29

    Psychological Testing Integrityinsight

    The guest describes taking the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory during the federal application process and the importance of consistency when facing hundreds of repetitive behavioral questions.

  • 42:01

    Rescuing Kidnapped Sistersstory

    The guest recounts a high-pressure investigation in Texas involving human smuggling, extortion, and a kidnapped five-year-old child that ultimately led to a successful rescue operation.

  • 56:55

    Operation Fast and Furiousdata

    The discussion covers the controversial federal gun-walking operation that allowed illicit firearms to reach Mexican cartels, resulting in lost weapons and the tragic death of a border patrol agent.

  • 1:33:07

    Accelerationism Explainedinsight

    The guest details the ideology of accelerationist groups, which reject political processes and instead seek to provoke societal collapse through targeted guerrilla warfare and infrastructure attacks.

  • 1:46:47

    Meeting the Base in Georgiastory

    The guest describes a tense initial face-to-face meeting with members of the Base in Rome, Georgia, where a member used a frequency detector that nearly discovered an operative's GPS tracker.

  • 3:13:06

    Strip Search in a Basementstory

    The guest recounts a harrowing moment during his two-year infiltration of the Outlaws motorcycle club where members took him into a cellar and subjected him to a strip search to check for recording devices while he wore active wires.

Quotes

  • “I had a nice chat with today's guest, Mr. Scott Payne.”
    Unnamed speaker · 0:31
  • “If you're not a cop, you don't think this way or know it, but you just see so much trauma and stuff and you get desensitized, sorta.”
    Unnamed speaker · 4:10
  • “The better physical shape you're in, the quicker you'll recover from those adrenaline dumps.”
    Unnamed speaker · 9:20
  • “The truth has to, the truth is the only way to get there.”
    Unnamed speaker · 23:00
  • “Um, I had a case, uh, in, in McAllen, Texas, where I was at for six and a half years.”
    Unnamed speaker · 41:47
  • “and they left her in the brush to dry, to die.”
    Unnamed speaker · 42:35
  • “And in my mind, I think that's truly a victim.”
    Unnamed speaker · 43:10
  • “And of course, we're all crying, like all the, all the grown men.”
    Unnamed speaker · 45:30
  • “If I released a kilo of cocaine into the streets and it came from me, an FBI agent,”
    Unnamed speaker · 56:27
  • “Oh, you can cook up a little bit of that skin, you can grill you up a little bowl of it.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:24:32
  • Moonpay 23:48–24:44
  • BetterHelp 24:52–25:56
  • BlueChew 46:03–47:02
  • Manscaped 47:08–48:12

About this episode

Scott Payne is a retired FBI special agent who spent 28 years in law enforcement, often going undercover with extremist groups. He is the co-author of “Code Name Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover To Expose America’s Nazis”. Scott joins Theo to explore the secretive world of FBI training, the mechanics of online radicalization, and a brush with the occult during a neo-Nazi infiltration. Scott Payne: https://www.instagram.com/scottpaynebigcountry/?hl=en Scott’s book: “Code Name Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover To Expose America’s Nazis”: https://bit.ly/4woNDQt ------------------------------------------------- Tour Dates! https://theovon.com/tour New Merch: https://www.theovonstore.com ------------------------------------------------- Sponsored By: Celsius: Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors. #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit https://amzn.to/3HbAtPJ Moonpay: https://moonpay.onelink.me/O2ia/t34p5kxg Blue Chew: Discover your options at http://BlueChew.com! Buy two months and get the third for FREE with promo code THEO. Better Help: This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. See if BetterHelp is right for you at http://BetterHelp.com/Theo Manscaped: Thanks to MANSCAPED for sponsoring today’s video! Get The Beard Hedger Plus for 15% OFF + Free Shipping with code “THEO” at http://Manscaped.com! Perplexity AI: Ask anything at https://pplx.ai/theo Watch on Spotify. Spotify subscribers get fewer ads on our episodes. ------------------------------------------------- Music: “Shine” by Bishop Gunn Bishop Gunn - Shine ------------------------------------------------ Submit your funny videos, TikToks, questions and topics you'd like to hear on the podcast to: [email protected] Hit the Hotline: 985-664-9503 Video Hotline for Theo Upload here: https://www.theovon.com/fan-upload Mail stuff to: ATTN: TPW PO BOX 40137 Nashville TN 37204 ------------------------------------------------ Find Theo: Website: https://theovon.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/theovon Facebook: https://facebook.com/theovon Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thispastweekend X: https://twitter.com/theovon YouTube: https://youtube.com/theovon Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoVonClips Shorts Channel: https://bit.ly/3ClUj8z ------------------------------------------------ Producer: Zach https://www.instagram.com/zachdpowers Producer: Trevyn https://www.instagram.com/trevyn.s/ Producer: Nick https://www.instagram.com/realnickdavis/ Producer: Andrew https://www.instagram.com/bleachmediaofficial/ Producer: Halston https://www.instagram.com/halstonrays/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
3:50:56

48,872 words · 2 speakers

Topics

  • FBI
  • Outlaws
  • SWAT
  • Quantico
  • McAllen
  • Boston
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Charleston
  • ATF

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