Cartel Traps

Cartel Traps: Hidden Compartment Training

This intensive eight-hour classroom program equips law enforcement officers with essential skills and knowledge for conducting thorough and effective vehicle inspections. Participants will move beyond standard search procedures to master techniques for identifying concealed compartments and hidden storage areas throughout vehicles.

The curriculum covers systematic methods for examining natural voids found in vehicles, recognizing signs of aftermarket alterations, and detecting advanced concealment systems used to hide illegal drugs, cash, firearms, and other contraband. Officers will study tooling marks, tampering evidence, dimensional variations, non-factory construction, and both electronic and manual access mechanisms that indicate hidden compartments.

The training addresses concealment locations across the entire vehicle, including flooring, firewalls, rocker panels, instrument panels, center consoles, roof sections, trunk areas, cargo spaces, engine compartments, and other frequently exploited areas. Instructional materials include real-world photographs, instructional videos, actual case examples, and detailed examinations of vehicles with trap compartments to provide practical, field-applicable knowledge.

Instructor: Jeremy Bedingfield

Date: April 12, 2027

Duration: 8 hours

Location: Des Moines, IA 50313 (Polk County)

Cost: $299.00

Categories: Criminal Interdiction, Hidden Compartments, Vehicle Search

This training is restricted to sworn law enforcement personnel only.