Cartel Traps
Cartel Traps: Two-Day Hands-On Hidden Compartment Training
This intensive two-day program equips law enforcement officers with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills for identifying and searching vehicles equipped with concealed compartments. The course moves beyond classroom instruction to provide real-world experience working with actual trap cars.
Day One covers the complete classroom curriculum, introducing participants to a systematic approach for conducting vehicle inspections. Officers learn to identify and clear natural voids, recognize signs of tooling and tampering, detect non-factory modifications, perform depth and dimensional verification, and spot indicators commonly associated with hidden compartments. The instruction incorporates hundreds of real-world examples, photographs, videos, and documented case studies demonstrating concealment techniques found throughout various vehicle locations.
Day Two focuses entirely on practical application. Participants work in teams rotating through multiple stations where they search vehicles containing actual hidden compartments. Using techniques acquired during classroom instruction, officers must locate compartments hidden in floors, rocker panels, firewalls, dashboards, roofs, battery compartments, tires, and additional locations. Additional exercises require officers to methodically clear a vehicle's natural voids and locate simulated contraband, emphasizing comprehensive search methodology rather than merely knowing where traps are located.
The training objective centers on teaching officers how to find hidden compartments rather than simply showing them examples. Upon completion, participants possess the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to recognize non-factory modifications, identify concealment indicators, clear vehicle voids, and execute more proficient vehicle searches during field operations.
Instructor: Jeremy Bedingfield
Course Details:
- Dates: September 21–22, 2026
- Location: San Diego, CA (San Diego County, ZIP 92123)
- Duration: 16 hours
- Cost: $599.00
- Categories: Criminal Interdiction, Hidden Compartments, Vehicle Search
- Restrictions: Training limited to sworn law enforcement personnel
Clear the voids. Know what factory looks like. Stop missing traps.