Today, Justin shares riveting stories about the poisons and people that enabled several Soviet and Russian assassinations. From chemistry to radioactivity, learn about the way poison has captivated Russian power players since 1918. Hear of poison-coated bullets, the dangers of cyanide, and why we don't really know how many died at the hands of these methods. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Buy the book: here on Amazon Download the free eBook: The Clandestin...
Mar 07, 2022•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Alexandra Costa shares the story of her defection from the Soviet Union. Also known as Yelena Mitrokhina, Alexandra was wife to the first secretary of the Russian Embassy in the US. She discusses growing up in the USSR, the real dangers of defecting, and her treatment by both the FBI and the CIA. Ultimately, Alexandra chose a better future for herself and her children despite immense risk. From teaching Marxism to young communists to peacefully renouncing the Soviet Union and becoming and...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Luis Moreno gives a firsthand account of his experiences in Nicaragua. A prominent figure among The Contras, Luis survived unbearable violence and horrible tragedy. He gives insight on the practice of guerilla warfare, the reality of resistance, and the atrocities of war. Beginning his career in Nicaragua's Guardia Nacional as an officer, Luis describes the events that led him to escape at the end of the 1979 revolution and provides personal details on darker aspects of the counter-r...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Justin chats with former BBC senior reporter and producer, and now author, Trevor Barnes on the details of the Portland Spy Ring. This rare case involves stolen identities, money-hungry traitors, and more. When MI5 first discovered evidence and documents linking a Canadian man to espionage activities, they couldn't have expected what was to come. A combination of legal agents working via the embassy and illegal dead doubles, this complex KGB tale is more twisted than fiction. Connect...
Jan 24, 2022•2 hr 42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, prolific journalist Daniel Golden dives into espionage recruitment at universities around the world. Faculty, staff, and students alike are often approached by covert operators from both sides of a conflict or interest, particularly international students. Another key group includes professors and adjuncts who, while American citizens, may be immigrants or otherwise have ties to countries of interest. Dan relates a specific story regarding a Chinese-American professor in Florida who was a...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this solo episode, Justin dives into the story of three CIA men who survived against the odds in Havana, Cuba. As service technicians, their role was to set up surveillance equipment to monitor Castro's Cuba. The situation quickly turned sour, but all three agents stood their ground for almost three years before returning home without compromising their identities or the agency. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Buy the book: here on Amazon Support the sho...
Jan 03, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, prolific author and journalist Tim Tate shares the story of Polish Intelligence Officer Michael Goleniewski. A figure in James Angleton's complicated time with the CIA, Goleniewski was an expert counterintelligence agent who identified over a thousand Soviet Bloc spies across Europe and provided their details to the CIA and MI5. His complex story takes a rather interesting turn towards the end of his career when he claims to be the long-lost heir to Russia's final Czars, Alexei ...
Dec 27, 2021•2 hr 46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, author and scholar Brian McKnight delves into Chinese treatment of American prisoners of war during in Korea. Following the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1954, 23 American POWs refused repatriation to the United States. McKnight delves into what made them want to live in China--namely mandatory communist indoctrination while they were kept prisoner. By playing upon the reality of inequities these men faced while living in poverty under capitalism, Chinese soldiers were able to co...
Dec 20, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, journalist, author, and expert Jefferson Morley shares unique details on the life and career of one of of the most controversial CIA figures: James Angleton. Angleton was the CIA'S chief of counterintelligence for two decades, from 1954 to 1974. He's known for his unique connections to the Italian elite post World War II, his close relationship with Israel, and his obsession over a potential mole within the CIA. Angleton was a brilliant and complicated man, but at times his para...
Dec 13, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, author and journalist John Pomfret shares details about the true story of an interesting alliance involving Polish spies aiding the United States. After years of working against each other, ex-communist spies in Poland following a democratic election ended up working hand in hand with the country they'd been pinned against for most of the Cold War. Connect with John: johnpomfret.com Twitter: @JEPomfret Check out his book, From Warsaw with Love , here . https://www.amazon.com/Warsaw-L...
Nov 29, 2021•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, author and former special forces officer Greg Walker shares the little-known story of a David Baez, a green beret defector. Baez was a Nicaraguan national whose father was killed by U.S.-backed President Samosa after voicing his displeasure with inequalities that had risen under Samosa's rule. After immigrating the U.S. and joining the Army (and then Special Forces), Baez found himself in El Salvador watching the country he served try to re-institute the rule of a dynasty that had do...
Nov 22, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, author and renowned journalist Blaine Harden tells the unique story of Donald Nichols, a young intelligence officer operating in Korea. Nichols was known for being big, powerful, and morally ambiguous--but his accomplishments in Korea are virtually unknown. From warning General McArthur and the U.S. Army of the incoming Korean War (to no avail) to being falsely diagnosed with schizophrenia and undergoing electroshock therapy at the hands of the Air Force, Nichols lived a life full of surp...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Justin sits down solo to discuss Operation Jaque. This noteworthy mission took place in Colombia, where the local military managed to rescue 15 hostages from the extremist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC was known for its ruthlessness, and past rescue missions had resulted in death or injury for all but one hostage. In this unique situation, strategy percolated from the bottom of the ranks to the top, and the hostages (two of whom were Americans and a third a former Co...
Nov 08, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, hear from author and counterintelligence professional Aden Magee. Aden discusses how Cold War espionage began in a relatively friendly manner and evolved into the high stakes stories we know today. Initial "liaison tours" served as methods of intelligence collection as tensions rose between the USSR and the other Allied powers. As boundaries on restricted areas were drawn, tours became more and more dangerous with the risk of Soviet or East German detention, vehicle ramming, and...
Nov 01, 2021•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, hear about the real experiences of Cold War pilots from expert Robert Hopkins III. Through a combination of personal experience as an overflight pilot, intense research, and varying interviews he shares the reality of aerial Cold War reconnaissance. From the infamous U2 incident of 1960 to stories the public has hardly heard, Robert provides an inside look into the lives and missions of pilots and aerial teams during one of the tensest eras of US history. Connect with Robert: Twitter: @Co...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, hear from author, crisis manager, and public relations expert Eric Dezenhall about one of the strangest friendships in Cold War history. Jack Platt and Gennady Vasilenko forged a strong brotherly connection despite their respective loyalties to the CIA and the KGB. They shared a love of shooting and a thirst for adventure, but one of their greatest feats is revealing the FBI's most notorious double agent: Robert Hanssen. Listen to hear stories of Jack and Gennady's misadventures...
Oct 18, 2021•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Dr. Serhii Plokhy shares the story of KGB assassin Bogdan Stashinsky. Stashinsky is best known for assassinating a man on a bridge using a gun that contained a poison pellet as opposed to a bullet, ultimately killing his target in a way that appeared to be natural causes. Following his defection, his case involved a highly publicized assassination trial in 1962. Thanks to his honesty, Soviet leaders were finally implicated in many of the killings they had ordered and the KGB was put under...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Mason, Peter Mason. Today, guest Dr. Richard Wooldridge dives into the interesting lives of talented MI6 agents Prudence and Peter Mason. Part of a specialized unit called the Baker Team that sought to even the score with war criminals who had faced no repercussions following World War II, Peter Mason was literally licensed by the British government to kill. Speculation suggests that Peter--who knew Ian Fleming himself--is the chief inspiration for the most famous fictional intelligenc...
Sep 28, 2021•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, Justin tells the story of former KGB officer Nikolai Evgenievich Khokhlov. Starting his career as a vaudeville performer before being recruited by pre-KGB Russian intelligence, Nikolai was highly skilled, and lived an incredible life. Hear all about his story from assassinating world leaders to testifying about the true cruelty of the KGB on national television. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Buy the book: here on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-...
Sep 20, 2021•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, author and journalist Toby Harnden provides timely reflection on the events leading up to and following the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. Hear unique details on the CIA mission launched to avenge those lost, as well as an interesting comparison between the current state of global politics and the very beginning of the war on terror. Connect with Toby: www.tobyharnden.com Twitter: @tobyharnden Check out Toby's book, First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Missio...
Sep 13, 2021•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dr. Eric Haseltine (self-proclaimed neuroscientist gone bad) tells the story of NSA agent Charles Gandy. Gandy was part of an uncharacteristic collaboration between the CIA and the NSA to find out what was happening in Cold War-era Moscow. Secret information was constantly ending up in Soviet hands, and assets were compromised left and right. It's a true tale of American hubris (and psychology) Haseltine believes we can learn from today. There may be people out there who ar...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Fred Burton shares details on the Cold War-era murder of an Israeli diplomat, Colonel Joe Alon, in the US. Fred is a former special agent and current executive director for the center for protective intelligence at ONTIC. Hear him share his personal connections to the case as well as what it took to finally solve who pulled the trigger. Connect with Fred: officialfredburton.com Twitter: @fred_burton IG: @officialfredburton Fred's book, Chasing Shadows here on Amazon. https://www....
Aug 30, 2021•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Author and BBC reporter Helena Merriman shares the story of the covert construction of the Berlin Wall, and the way it tore families apart. Hear heartbreaking accounts of "orphaned" children whose parents were alive and well on the other side, lovers separated, and the desperate measures East German citizens took in attempts to escape oppression. How many were able to flee? Helana's book, Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall https...
Aug 23, 2021•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lee Gossett (friend of Spycraft 101 alumnus Neil Hansen) shares his experience from starting his flight career as a smoke jumper fighting remote forest firs to flying for Air America, the CIA's secret airline, in Laos. Lee shares stories about friends who passed and what it was like flying above Laos and Vietnam. Do you know the difference between hard rice and soft rice? (Hint: one isn't actually rice.) Check out Lee's book: Smoke Jumper to Global Pilot: a True Odyssey here . htt...
Aug 16, 2021•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast What you do if you found the man responsible for sharing classified Navy secrets with the Chinese government? Former FBI agent James Gaylord shares his story. From covert house searches to arresting Chinese spies at the airport tune in to this episode to hear what it's really like working counterterrorism for the FBI. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Buy the book: here on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, David E. Hoffman goes into detail on the long-running espionage of Russian radar scientist, Adolf Tolkachev. Tolkachev was so determined to bring down the USSR that he approached the CIA in Moscow himself and risked his life to bring the US hundreds of secret documents that would prove invaluable. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Support the show...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Jack Barsky tells of his time working against the US as a KGB spy. From dangerous situations and being followed by the FBI to the lie he told to 'retire' from the KGB, hear about Jack's work firsthand. His daughter, Chelsea, shares a unique perspective on what it's like to be a 'spy kid' in the real world. Chelsea's documentary: https://play.aetv.com/specials/the-spy-who-raised-me/full-special Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this solo episode, hear Justin tell the story of nazi hold out and eventual ally spy, Klaus Barbie. From WWII atrocities to giving up his own ex-SS colleagues and trying to take down the USSR, Barbie's life was continuously complicated thanks to his intelligence expertise and unique skills. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon: Spycraft 101 Support the show...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, author and journalist Steven Emerson shares inside information on covert military operation abroad during the Cold War era. Hear of covert organizations and secret missions you never knew happened, with unique details on the Screaming Eagles to Green Berets to Operation Eagle Claw. Have you ever heard of the Yellow Fruit Organization? Find Steven's Book, Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era , here . Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraf...
Jul 05, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Spycraft 101, Tim Tyler shares details of the CIA's involvement in Iran following World War II. From constitutional action mistaken for coups to non-lethal missions after the Islamic fundamentalist revolution, Tim provides important background and context on events that still affect the global political climate today. Tim's books: Find The Decline and Fall of the Shah here . Find A History of Panama 1502-2002 here. Connect with Spycraft 101: IG: @spycraft101 Patreon:...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
