Valley of Shadows, Episode 6: The Big Takedown

Pushkin Industries | February 9, 2026
Theme: How the search for a missing deputy exposed the Mojave’s meth epidemic, biker gangs, and widespread police corruption.

Episode Overview

In this gripping installment of "Valley of Shadows," hosts Haley Fox and Betsy Shepard trace the crescendo of Operation Silent Thunder, the multi-agency task force effort to take down Antelope Valley's major meth trafficking rings. The episode explores retired detective Darren Hager’s evolution from lawman to outcast as he stares down corruption within his own department, the personal and professional threats he faced, and the harrowing pressure-cooker environment culminating in an unprecedented coordinated drug raid. Through candid storytelling and vivid recollections, the episode highlights the connections between missing deputy Jon Aujay, local meth kingpins, and sheriff’s deputies alleged to be intertwined with the criminal underworld.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Darren Hager: From Cowboy to Reluctant Pariah

• The episode opens with Hager on his ranch, reflecting on his life after law enforcement, revealing vulnerabilities behind his tough exterior.
  • “We knew from day one the department was fighting us on everything on this… They didn't want us opening the right door to get this case solved.” —Darren Hager (05:29)
• Hager describes feeling isolated and obstructed by his own department, particularly after Detective Brandenburg’s independent investigation is stifled by higher-ups.

2. Operation Silent Thunder: A Herculean Task

• Initially formed to follow up on Aujay’s disappearance, Operation Silent Thunder’s scope broadens to dismantle six major drug rings.
• The episode introduces DEA Special Agent Kent Bailey, who joins reluctantly but becomes a pivotal ally:
  • “She used to call me her Terminator. So I was one of her casemakers.” —Kent Bailey (10:50)
• Surveillance work uncovers that many Sheriff’s Department phone numbers are tied to suspected criminals, suggesting widespread leaks.
  • “We'd go to kick down a door and the suspects were already waiting for us… that's how dangerous it got.” —Darren Hager (12:39)
• Hager faces clear physical threats, including a masked man lurking at his home, and moves into a DEA safehouse for his safety.

3. Unmasking Corruption: Cops, Collaborators, and Criminals

• Wiretap evidence reveals sheriff’s deputies, especially Rick Engels (nicknamed “Deputy Bigfoot”), are discussing criminal activity with meth traffickers.
  • “They call him Rick. You know Rick is doing this or Ingalls is gonna be pissed... like you're talking about another friend in the group…” —Darren Hager (20:01)
• A second homicide detective, Joe Holmes (dubbed “Joe Friday” by criminals), is brought in to work on Aujay’s case. Holmes’s relationship with suspects raises suspicion.
  • “I already put a handle on him. I named him Joe Friday.” —Tom Hinkle (22:19, as paraphrased by Hager)
  • “If Ingalls is dirty, I don't care if he's wearing a badge or not. I'll take him to jail. We're like, beautiful. That's all we asked for.” —Darren Hager (21:37)
• Persistent rumors swirl that the department's “code of silence” is protecting those involved:
  • “Everyone's heard of the code of silence. It does exist. It's not written down… but this case right here just shows 100% that there is a code of silence.” —Darren Hager (29:53)

4. High Stakes: The Hunt for the Weakest Link

• Jeff Sherry, a criminal associate, is identified as a potential informant with crucial knowledge about the Aujay case.
  • When rumors surface that he’s cooperating, deputies—allegedly led by Engels—begin to hunt for Sherry. Hager intervenes:
    • “My eyes, we saved his life because I really think deputies are gonna kill him. You know, it was just... I've never seen anything like it.” —Darren Hager (30:54)
• In custody, Sherry reveals that Hinkle and Engels operated with impunity, stealing chemicals for meth production and possibly implicated in Aujay’s death.
  • “The deputy was out jogging, running and found one of their labs and they, you know, killed the deputy… He said it with a little smile on his face and shit.” —Betsy Shepard relaying Sherry’s statement (35:12, 35:22)

5. Breakthroughs and a Massive Raid

• Operation Silent Thunder expands: wiretaps, raids, a constellation of agencies—Task force arrests explode.

• In August 2001, over 200 officers hit 23 locations simultaneously, targeting labs, safehouses, and homes.

  • “We rolled out with 23 different search warrant teams. Bailey, the Terminator, DEA, FBI, SWAT, you know, and then simultaneously hit these doors across the valley.” —Kent Bailey (38:32)

• Sting reveals the extent of biker and white supremacist involvement. Smuggling methods include hiding meth in hollow car parts.

  • “It just looks like a solid piece of aluminum… pried it off, full of Ziploc freezer bags with dope...” —Darren Hager (39:41)

• The operation results in arrests of nearly 300 people, six major meth cells shut down, 16 labs dismantled, massive seizures of drugs, cash, weapons, and explosives.

6. The Tom Hinkle Raid: God of Meth, Uncracked

• Tom Hinkle, dubbed “God,” is finally in custody, but his compound’s secret underground meth bunker eludes law enforcement, in part due to concealment tactics.

  • “We knew there was an underground bunker, but we never found it… We had NASA and the Air Force base giving us things like that, you know, where they can fly over and see voids in the ground... but with the ceramic toilets, you don't get to see that.” —Darren Hager (42:57, 43:22)

• Agent Bailey directly asks Hinkle about Deputy Aujay’s fate:

  • “I’ll have to take that one with me to the grave.” —Tom Hinkle (via Bailey, 44:30)
  • The episode ends with hints that the next chapter will focus on investigators confronting Hinkle and Engels about their roles in Aujay’s disappearance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• How bad was Antelope Valley?
  “What a shithole.” —Kent Bailey's blunt first impression (08:36)
• Leaked info within law enforcement:
  “Half of the number, probably more than that... came back to sheriff’s stations off of bad guys’ telephones.” —Darren Hager (11:41)
• On the code of silence:
  “There's certain deputies or law enforcement that say, hey, if you're guilty of especially murder and drug dealing and stuff like that, you shouldn't be carrying the badge. So you're fair game just like every other bad guy that's doing it. So that's the way I feel. And some cops feel that way. And some cops turned a blind eye because they don't want to be a snitch.” —Darren Hager (29:53)
• Meth smuggling ingenuity:
  “It just looks like a solid piece of aluminum... pried it off, full of Ziploc freezer bags with dope.” —Darren Hager (39:41)
• On closing in on the untouchables:
  “We took down five out of six cells that nobody else could. These are names that I knew for 15 years that nobody could get to jail, and we took them all to jail. Federally.” —Darren Hager (44:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Meet Darren Hager’s Post-Law Enforcement Life — Ranch scenes, background (02:56–04:51)
• Hager Describes Roadblocks & Pushback from Sheriff's Department (05:03–06:21)
• Operation Silent Thunder Launches; Bailey’s Introduction (07:44–08:54)
• Department Corruption Exposed Through Wiretaps (11:13–12:54)
• Masked Home Intruder; Personal Threats Escalate (13:20–13:59)
• Wiretaps Connect Engels, Hinkle, and Holmes (20:01–23:25)
• Code of Silence and Isolation (29:53–30:54)
• Jeff Sherry's Testimony on Hinkle and Engels (33:49–35:22)
• Major Raid Planning and Execution (38:32–41:37)
• Hinkle Compound Raid, Hidden Bunker Theory (42:57–44:17)
• Hinkle's Interrogation; "To the Grave" Moment (44:30–45:32)

Final Thoughts

Episode 6 delivers on the promise of both dramatic, true-crime storytelling and eye-opening investigative journalism. The corruption tangled around the Aujay case, as revealed through wiretaps and long-overdue law enforcement action, is laid bare. Listeners walk away with a cliffhanger—Hinkle may be in custody, but what really happened to Deputy John Aujay remains just out of reach, as the "God of Meth" offers only silence.

“I’ll have to take that one with me to the grave.”
— Tom Hinkle on Deputy Aujay’s disappearance (44:30)