The FBI Bomb Tech Who Chased Terrorists Worldwide | Steve Lazarus | Ep. 400

Mar 7, 2026

Steve Lazarus, retired FBI agent and bomb technician turned thriller author. He recounts infiltrating 1990s militias, hunting Eric Rudolph, and leading Boston Marathon and Watertown bomb investigations. He also talks about overseas explosive forensics in Iraq and Afghanistan, nuclear-risk planning, and his shift from federal work to writing the Bryce Chandler novels.

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ANECDOTE

How A Dealer Built 30 Fake Identities From Birth Records

A narcotics mule led Lazarus to a dealer who used 30 stolen identities created from mismatched birth/death records.
The dealer requested birth certificates for dead children born in one state and died in another, then obtained full IDs and driver's licenses.

ADVICE

Don't Rely On Paper IDs Because Biometrics Break Fakes

Expect identity fraud to be far harder today due to biometrics, facial recognition, and DNA databases; avoid relying on paper-only proof.
Lazarus notes systems now link facial scans and prints across visits, preventing repeated alias travel.

ADVICE

Red Team Explosives Detection To Close Gaps

Continuously red-team detection tech to stay ahead of evolving explosive threats by building devices to defeat current defenses and then improving detectors.
Lazarus describes the TDAC approach in Huntsville: simulate adversary methods, fix gaps, and iterate on defenses.

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