Lieutenant Gary Haston has worked in law enforcement for more than twenty five (25) years with more than twenty (20) years working in the field of narcotics.  During that time he has been assigned to the Capitol Area Narcotics Task Force, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-Austin and is currently assigned as a supervisor with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Unit. Lieutenant Haston has worked as an undercover operator during complex conspiracy investigations on the state and federal level involving cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin distribution. In addition, Lieutenant Haston has been a successful highway interdiction officer seizing thousands of pounds of marijuana, hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine as well as seizing millions in currency and assets.

 

Lieutenant Haston currently holds a master license with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), has attended thousands of hours of training related to drug enforcement to include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Conspiracy and Complex Investigations School #35 and the DEA Clandestine Laboratory Certification School both in Quantico, Virginia.

 

Lieutenant Haston has received numerous commendations. In 1996 the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office and Mother’s Against Drunk Driving recognized Lieutenant Haston for arresting eighty six (86) Driving While Intoxicated suspects in one year in addition to the numerous drug arrests he encountered as a drug interdiction officer. In 1997, 1998 and 1999 the “Office of the Governor-Texas Narcotic Control Program” awarded Lieutenant Haston numerous commendations and named him “Interdiction Officer of the Year” in the Central Region of Texas for his work on Interstate Highways 10 and 35. In 1999 Lieutenant Haston received the Outstanding Service Medal from the “Office of the Governor” which was the highest recognition given by the Texas Narcotic Control Program. In 2004 and in 2009 Lieutenant Haston received commendations from the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of DEA’s Houston Field Division for his work on numerous federal conspiracy investigations including a Title III wire intercept on a smuggling operation responsible for importing thirty (30) kilograms of cocaine a month into the Austin, Texas area.  

 

In 1999 Lieutenant Haston completed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Instructor Certification Course in Austin, Texas.  After completing the instructor training Lieutenant Haston became a criminal interdiction instructor and later developed a course titled “Patrol’s Response to the Narcotic Unit” which trains patrol officers about narcotic enforcement and prepares them for “what to expect” when called by a narcotic unit during an investigation. The “Patrol’s Response” course has received extraordinary reviews and considered to be a “high pace” “energetic” and recommended class for all patrol officers,  not just those who seek narcotic arrest.   

 

Lieutenant Haston has instructed narcotic courses for hundreds of federal, state and local officers through the “Texas Narcotic Control Program” (TNCP), the “Regional Counter-Drug Training Academy (RCTA)”, the “Texas Narcotic Officers’ Association”, the United States Department of Transportation National Training Center- Drug Interdiction Assistance Program – ( DIAP), the El Paso Intelligence Center Federal Training Program (EPIC)  and the “Williamson County Sheriff’s Office”.  Sergeant Haston was the 2011-2012 President of the Texas Narcotic Officers’ Association (TNOA) which represents more than one thousand five hundred (1500) narcotic officers in the State of Texas and currently serves on the State Board.  

 

In 2010 Lieutenant Haston began coordination of State / Local and Federal Officers during “Interdiction Operations” for the South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in the greater Austin Metropolitan Area. Those operations include Interstate Highway Criminal Interdiction, Mexican/ American Commercial Bus / Amtrak Interdiction as well as Hotel/ Motel and Truck Stop Interdiction Methods.