Apparently ‘Walking Dead’ Star Laurie Holden Is A Bad-Ass In Real Life As Well

Laurie Holden, best known for playing Andrea on AMC's The Walking Dead, isn't just a major bad-ass on television. While we could argue semantics about her character on the show versus in the books, but she's clearly overqualified for the role of bad-ass. You see, Laurie was part of a top secret sting operation used to break up an illegal sex trade ring in Colombia. 

According to ABC News (link below), Laurie was a part of Operation Underground Railroad, an organization founded and led by former CIA & Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard.

Ballard’s team features a ragtag group of volunteers, some off-the-books operatives and one former Navy SEAL, but many just regular civilians. There are two CrossFit instructors from Utah, a door-to-door salesman, and even Hollywood actress Laurie Holden, who starred in “The Walking Dead.”

For months, the group put together a massive sting operation in cooperation with Colombian authorities. They each had an elaborate cover story. Ballard’s story was that he was the best man in a wedding back in the U.S. and was looking to hire several underage prostitutes for a big bachelor party in Cartagena. The cover was meant to lure the sex traffickers into a setup so that Ballard and his team could rescue the girls, many of whom were under 18.

Center stage for the Cartagena raid was a multi-million dollar mansion the group rented for the “bachelor party.” Visual and audio evidence is crucial for investigators to be able to prosecute the traffickers. Thomas and his team wired the entire house with hidden cameras for sound and tape.

On the day of the party, Ballard’s team got the house ready. They even hung a sign outside with balloons, like a teenager’s birthday party, so the traffickers wouldn’t seem out of place bringing young girls into the house. Once the girls arrived, Holden’s job was to keep them occupied by the pool area while Ballard and the undercover officers worked to catch the traffickers on tape exchanging money. Colombian authorities quietly hid, waiting for Ballard’s go sign to move in and bust the party.

Then the sex traffickers started to arrive with the girls. Unaware that hidden cameras are rolling or that police were waiting, Bronschidle, one of the sex traffickers, talked up one of the girls, who he said was 14 and was ready for “everything.” Ballard, still undercover in his role as the best man, waited for him to make the move that would put him away in prison and save the girls.

Holy shit, man. That's a great story on so many levels, so much so that it pains me to write this next sentence. Holden can next be seen in the comedy sequel Dumb and Dumber To, scheduled to be released next month.

Via ABC News