How Border Patrol Special Ops captured 'The Devil in the Ozarks'

EL PASO, TEXAS (NewsNation) — As a national U.S. Border Patrol cause assigned to an elite tactical portion made his mode up a rain-soaked wooded ridge adjacent wherever Grant Hardin, known arsenic "The Devil successful the Ozarks," had escaped an Arkansas authorities situation astir 2 weeks before, his caput started to race.

NewsNation exclusively spoke with 2 agents successful the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, oregon BORTAC, who captured Grant Hardin successful June. NewsNation is not naming the agents to support their identities.

Less than 24 hours into the manhunt for the constabulary chief-turned-escaped prisoner, the cause figured if Hardin wasn't successful this spot of agrarian wilderness, helium apt wasn't far. Part of a 20-member BORTAC squad that was dispatched from their location basal astatine Fort Bliss successful El Paso, the cause approached the crest of the elevation and spotted a muddied, shirtless antheral matching Hardin's description.

The cause called retired and identified himself arsenic instrumentality enforcement, mounting disconnected a intelligence crippled of feline and mouse. Would Hardin run? Would helium fight?

Spotting the national agent, Hardin jumped to his feet and began to run. The cause gave pursuit for astir 30 oregon 40 yards earlier Hardin mislaid his footing, mounting the signifier for a fugitive capture that authorities and section instrumentality enforcement and country residents alike had been eagerly awaiting.

“There’s an constituent of God’s grace oregon luck oregon immoderate you privation to telephone it,” the arresting cause told NewsNation. “It conscionable goes backmost to perseverance.  But information beryllium told, I was beauteous friggin’ stoked to spot him.”

How BORTAC agents started the hunt for Grant Hardin

The "Devil successful the Ozarks" had been connected the tally for 12 days earlier the manager of the Arkansas Department of Corrections contacted BORTAC. The call, similar galore requests for assistance that travel into the portion from authorities and section agencies, began a furious concatenation of events astir BORTAC's headquarters.

By now, moving manpower rapidly from 1 spot to different has go modular signifier for BORTAC's concatenation of events.

Less than 24 hours aft they arrived successful Arkansas from an migration enforcement cognition successful northeast Texas, the 2 partnering BORTAC agents were positioned successful the wooded country adjacent wherever Hardin had past been spotted by Arkansas Department of Corrections officers, astir 200 yards from the North Central Unit authorities situation successful Calico Rock.

The agents tried to enactment themselves successful the shoes of Hardin, who was convicted connected rape and execution charges, knowing that a 30-year instrumentality enforcement seasoned knew however investigators think. The BORTAC strategy progressive a bid of unknowns, including whether Hardin was equipped and what helium whitethorn person recovered successful the woods oregon stolen that helium could usage for protection.

Escaped captive Grant Hardin is apprehended by a BORTAC agent, ending a astir two-week hunt for the ex-sheriff known arsenic "The Devil successful the Ozarks." (Photo courtesy of BORTAC)

Given the clip that had passed, astir authorities and section authorities figured the ex-police chief, with a moving cognition of Arkansas' agrarian setting, had covered plentifulness of crushed contempt the conditions. With the remainder of the BORTAC squad dispersed astir the country wherever the expansive hunt was centered, the 2 partners worked the perimeter adjacent to wherever Hardin had escaped.

Using basal skills learned aboriginal successful their Border Patrol training, the agents worked to found the absorption Hardin was moving. Although authorities and section authorities had utilized their ain investigative methods to hunt for Hardin, BORTAC's grooming that focuses connected "real-world" scenarios successful unsafe environments places agents connected a antithetic level, BORTAC's National Cmdr. Christopher Voss told NewsNation.

Now, it appeared, BORTAC's committedness to mounting its agents isolated from others seemed to beryllium paying off. Searching a hilly information of wilderness, the 2 agents decided to divided up.

As the cause who archetypal encountered Hardin moved up the hill, helium silently began to commune to himself, “God, assistance maine to find this dude.”

BORTAC agents physique their hunt program for Grant Hardin

Before they arrived successful Arkansas, real-time accusation provided to BORTAC agents and quality portion members had provided clues. The agents told NewsNation the rainfall that had fallen connected 10 of the 12 days Hardin was escaped had fixed him a chiseled advantage.

The rainfall had caused section rivers to emergence and had turned the agrarian woodlands into a swampy mess, making it hard for investigators and K-9 units to way Hardin.

With truthful galore officers and agents already engaged, the BORTAC squad was divided into teams. Some agents were assigned to analyse the astir caller reports of Hardin sightings, portion others were instructed to look into the latest tips that had been phoned successful by acrophobic citizens.

But for these 2 peculiar agents, moving that country that was truthful adjacent to the situation and yet truthful acold from the country astir investigators believed Hardin to beryllium raised the stakes.

“This is what we bid for, this is what we spell done a enactment process for, and this is the telephone we want,” 1 of the agents progressive successful Hardin's seizure told NewsNation. “We privation to beryllium enactment into positions wherever we tin get immoderate of the worst criminals disconnected the streets and bring these communities immoderate normalcy back.”

Grant Hardin escapes prison; BORTAC gets the telephone to articulation the search

Hardin escaped situation May 25 by impersonating a corrections serviceman and walking retired the beforehand gate.

A situation defender opened a secured obstruction for Hardin, freeing him into the adjacent wilderness. Initially, the manhunt had been conducted by section and authorities authorities, who utilized their ain methods to hunt for clues and for Hardin.

But 12 days in, BORTAC officials received connection that a portion — which located escaped Pennsylvania convict Danelo Cavalcante successful 2023 and had been credited with the fatal shooting of the gunman who killed 19 students and 2 teachers astatine Robb Elementary School successful Uvalde, Texas, successful 2022 — was being requested.

Officials told NewsNation a squad of 20 BORTAC members, comprised of agents representing the unit's tactical, hunt and rescue, aerial and marine and investigative units, was called successful to assistance with the search. Less than 24 hours aft the squad arrived, the cause credited with capturing Hardin had apprehended the escaped captive connected the wooded hillside.

Grant Hardin, murderer and rapist, escaped from an Arkansas situation astir 2 weeks ago. A Border Patrol Special Operations radical deployed to assistance successful the manhunt and tracked him down little than 2 miles from the prison. Hardin was turned implicit to Arkansas State Police unharmed. (Photo courtesy of BORTAC)

Once his spouse arrived, the 2 agents contacted different instrumentality enforcement, informing authorities that the 13-day hunt had drawn to a close.

In that moment, the 2 partners locked eyes successful relief. "Dude, we got him," 1 said to the other.

Voss, the BORTAC commander, and the agents progressive successful locating the escaped convict praised the enactment of different investigators who had spent the erstwhile 13 days pursuing leads and reports of imaginable sightings.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the enactment of local, authorities and national authorities, whose enactment allowed residents crossed the authorities to "breathe a suspiration of relief."

When credited with making the capture, Voss pushed the spotlight disconnected his agents.

"At the extremity of the day, nary of these operations get done by 1 portion oregon 1 group," Voss said. "It's 100% a squad effort, and truthful we conscionable acceptable into that squad and supply worth wherever we tin supply value."

Asked to picture what it meant to alert chap instrumentality enforcement officers that Hardin had been captured, 1 BORTAC cause replied, adding helium would gladly unpaid for different mission.

“We were arsenic excited arsenic we could beryllium to fto everyone other cognize it was over,” the cause told NewsNation. “That full assemblage could beryllium astatine ease.”

"I don't anticipation anyone escapes from prison, but hopefully, if they do, we get the telephone again," helium said.