Law Enforcement Today
May 28, 2022
Hero, noun: “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”; “a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.”
Here at Law Enforcement Today we often bring you stories of heroes, seemingly ordinary mortals with exceptional, selfless achievements. Many, if not most, of those heroes are those who run toward certain danger without a second thought.
Anthony Sabio is just such a hero.
A veteran Hospital Corpsman of the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations, Sabio also served this great country in the U.S. Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency. After extensive experience in conflict areas in those capacities, Sabio now serves as an independent consultant and philanthropist, sharing his expertise in international security matters and working to help others in need.
It probably comes as no surprise, then, that Sabio pulled off an astounding and dangerous solo mission to rescue a boy from war-torn Ukraine, shortly after the Russian invasion.
Fifteen-year-old Ukrainian-American Timur McAlicher was living in Kyiv, Ukraine with his mother, while his father lived in the United States. McAlicher’s parents wanted their son to leave Ukraine for the U.S. after the invasion, but were having difficulty arranging for him to leave the country.
Sabio told Law Enforcement Today:
“His father was a citizen over here, and he was trying everything he can to get his son moved from Kyiv.”
After hearing of the boy’s plight, Sabio did not hesitate to act.
He told LET:
“When it came to me, the operation was kind of play it by ear, and from the time that I said, yes, I was going to go, I was boots on the ground within 12 hours.
“And then from there, I made the decision… to walk across the border and make my way to the boy and get him out.
“There was really no plan in effect. It was kind of something that I did ad hoc at the time. I utilized all my skills and training that was given to me in my time in the military and government service.”