Passionate, assertive, principled, Hugo Rodriguez is the founder of Hugo Rodriguez & Associates, a boutique law firm in Miami, Florida, dedicated to the representation of those criminally accused by the United States government, individuals subject to international extraditions, corporate compliance with federal regulations for foreign nationals, foreign corporations, and U.S. corporations related to Money Laundering and Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) regulations, and other ancillary complex civil litigation.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Colombia recognized Mr. Rodriguez as an expert in U.S. federal criminal law, practices, and procedures.  He was acknowledged and testified as an expert on the subjects of individual due process rights, federal law enforcement practices and procedures, federal prosecution of foreign nationals, individual liberties under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, individual rights before and after detention and arrest, due process rights post-extradition and post-indictment, and individual criminal liability under federal drug, money laundering, and conspiracy laws.  His presentation and testimony extended over a period of two days.  In re: Exclusion of Carlos Mario Jimenez Naranjo from Justice and Peace Process and Benefits, Colombian Law 975 of 2005 (Justice and Peace Supreme Court, Bogota, Colombia) (2014).

Recently, he was selected by the United States District Court in the District of Arizona, as the only private lawyer to instruct discriminating police officers and command staff of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on the laws of arrest, police practices and procedures.  Melendres, et al. v. Sheriff Arpaio, et al., Case No. 07-02513-GMS (D. Ariz.). 

BACKGROUND

In 1987, he retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (“FBI”) as an FBI Agent and Legal Advisor. As the Legal Advisor, he provided tactical advice to all other Federal law enforcement agencies as to arrests, searches, and seizures.  While an Agent, I worked closely with other federal agents with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and National Services (“INS”), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and others.

At that time, he was also responsible for all legal training for many municipal, state, and federal line and command level law enforcement personnel. His presentations and training included the laws of arrest, search and seizure, police and federal law enforcement practices and procedures, federal civil rights violations, investigations of federal agents and police misconduct, civil rights violations pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983.  He has also collaborated in developing policies and procedures for federal agents in the handling of arrests, confessions, and informants.

Interestingly, Mr. Rodriguez was the FBI’s first undercover “hit man” in murder-for-hire schemes and one of the first undercover in Money Laundering cases.

With over 40 years of experience in the criminal justice system, as a federal agent/legal advisor and a criminal defense lawyer, his extensive experience is the basis of his comprehensive knowledge and understanding of how to effectively dissect criminal investigations facilitating the defense of those unjustly charged.

Given his unique background and experience, he is well-known nationally and internationally for my insider knowledge of Federal law enforcement techniques, policy, practices and procedures.  A featured lecturer and instructor throughout the United States, Central and South America, and Europe, his presentations have been to judges, prosecutors, and criminal defense lawyers.  He is a frequent lecturer for Continuing Legal Education, (“CLE”) for State and Federal Bar Associations throughout the United States.  Among some of the subjects presented are Federal law enforcement techniques, investigations, informants, money laundering, money laundering investigations and federal law enforcement practices and procedures.

As a criminal defense lawyer, Mr. Rodriguez has represented over 500 clients in the Southern District of Florida and other districts throughout the United States.

Perhaps, one of his most significant legal accomplishments was the successful prosecution of allegations of systemic institutional civil rights violations of Hispanic FBI Agents by the U.S. Department of Justice.  In this nationwide class action, I represented over 300 FBI Agents who triumphantly indicted the FBI for its systemic institutional discrimination of Hispanics.  Perez v. FBI, 714 F. Supp. 1414 (W.D. Tex. 1989).

BAR ADMISSIONS

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

State Bar of Florida; State Bar of New Mexico

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor, Seton Hall University, School of Law, Newark, NJ (1980)

Masters Public Admin., Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (1976)

Bachelor of Arts, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (1972)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Hugo Rodriguez & Associates, Miami Beach, FL (2001 to present)

• Trial attorney practicing in international, federal and state criminal defense, civil rights and complex litigation.

Federal Public Defender, S.D. Fla., Miami, FL (1990 to 2001)

• Lead Counsel in high profile and complex criminal trials;
• Trained and supervised assistant federal public defenders and investigators.

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent; Legal Advisor 1973-1987

LECTURER TRIAL ADVOCACY

Nat’l Crim. Defense College, Mercer School of Law, Macon, GA

Institute of Crim. Advocacy, Cal. Western School of Law, San Diego, CA

Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Cardozo School of Law, New York City, NY

CJA Trial Practice Training, Admin. Office of Courts, Washington, DC

• Professor in trial advocacy training at Nat’l Crim. Defense College and other institutions for over 20 years.
• Trial advocacy training involves role-playing and interactive scenarios of fundamental trial techniques, including opening statements, direct and cross examination, admission of evidence, legal objections, and closing arguments. Demonstrations of those trial techniques and more traditional lectures on substantive and procedural criminal issues, including Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment laws as applied to detention, arrest, search warrants, search incident to arrest, and other issues related to investigatory detention.
• Numerous State Bar Association, CLE Programs.
• Featured lecturer and instructor around the United States, Central and South America, and Europe for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and criminal defense attorneys as an expert in Federal trial practice, Federal law enforcement techniques, Federal Civil Rights.
• Legal Programs in Europe, Central and South America to various legal seminars.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Frequent legal consultant for national and local television programs, appearing regularly on Univision, Telemundo, CNN, CNN en Español and Nancy Grace. In the past, I have also appeared on 48 Hours, Ted Koppel, Geraldo, O’Reilly and Nightline.