Larry Perez — Instructor Profile

About Larry Perez

Special Agent (SA) Lawrence Perez began his career in public service in 2000. SA Perez served as a Correctional Officer (CO) for two years before being promoted to a Correctional Probation Officer (CPO). After serving three years as a CPO, SA Perez received his Law Enforcement Certificate in 2005. SA Perez began his law enforcement career as a SA with the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (ABT) in various locations throughout the State. SA Perez conducted a number of undercover narcotics operations during the first two years, and was eventually assigned as a Task Force Officer (TFO) for the Alachua County High Intensity Drug Task Area (HIDTA) initiative. SA Perez continued to conduct a variety of state and federal narcotics investigations until the initiative was disbanded in 2008. One of these investigations resulted in the dismantling of a marijuana grow house operation inside the residence of an employee of the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) in the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit.

Through his work at the Alachua County HIDTA initiative, SA Perez worked closely with agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). In 2008, SA Perez began his career with FDLE as a SA assigned to the Jacksonville Regional Operations Center (JROC). SA Perez continued to work a variety of narcotics investigations while assigned to the JROC, to include methamphetamine and heroin cases. In 2010, SA Perez transferred to the Gainesville Field Office (GFO) where SA Perez joined the Marion County HIDTA initiative as a TFO. Once again, SA Perez continued to conduct a variety of state and federal narcotics investigations alongside the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the Ocala Police Department (OPD), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). SA Perez also became heavily involved in the investigation into the illegal sale of prescription controlled substances as part of then Governor Rick Scott’s Pill Mill initiative.

After serving in the Marion County HIDTA, SA Perez transferred to the FDLE Live Oak Field Office (LOFO), where SA Perez is currently assigned. SA Perez continued to conduct a variety of investigations, including federal international drug smuggling investigations, public integrity cases, financial crimes, violent crimes, sex crimes, and computer related crimes. SA Perez also assisted with training agents in the FDLE Special Agent Training Academy (SATC) in the Surveillance and In-Custody Death Investigation portions of the academy. SA Perez also assisted with teaching a narcotics investigation Basic Recruit class in Alachua County.

SA Perez currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) in Criminal Justice and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Miami. In addition, SA Perez has received narcotics training from a variety of sources during the course of his career, to include the FDLE SATC, the DEA Narcotics Investigations School, HIDTA sponsored classes regarding money laundering, Mexican Drug Cartels, and prescription controlled substances investigations.