Paul Chavez began his law enforcement career with the Albuquerque Police Department in 1985 and spent his early years working patrol and narcotics. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1989, Lieutenant in 1992 and to Captain in 1998. He ended his career with APD as the Deputy Chief in charge of the Field Services Bureau with over 600 personnel under his command. During his career, he did three tours in the Narcotics Section; first as a Detective and twice as a Lieutenant which gave him significant experience managing narcotics operations, inter-agency task forces and intelligence operations.

After his retirement in 2006, Mr. Chavez spent seven years as the Director of Intelligence for the New Mexico Investigative Support Center; the intelligence arm of the Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA), New Mexico Region. In this capacity, Mr. Chavez managed two intelligence centers in Albuquerque and Las Cruces New Mexico. It was during this assignment that Mr. Chavez became familiar with the Mexican drug cartel system, transnational criminal organizations and the American criminal groups with which they operate.

Mr. Chavez has extensive experience in law enforcement instruction on such topics as narcotics enforcement, police intelligence operations, field force tactics and transnational criminal organizations. He has also been published in Law and Order Magazine and The New Mexico Lawman Magazine. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from New Mexico State University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. He is also a graduate of the 201st Session of the FBI National Academy.