SPYCRAFT 101

In this episode, Justin describes espionage activity in the decades-long race to the stars between the United States and the Soviet Union. The two superpowers devoted significant time, resources, and manpower to outshining each other in technological advancement in aerospace. So much occurred in this time period that it would be impossible to cover it all in one episode, so Justin highlights parti...

This week, Justin chats with investigative editor, veteran reporter, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and author Michael Sallah. Michael tells the story of William Morgan, an ex-paratrooper who went to Cuba in 1957 to help revolution efforts against then-dictator  Fulgencio Batista. Morgan worked alongside the likes of Che Guevara, leading an entire guerilla himself. When the revolution ended and C...

Today, Justin sits down with legendary CIA case officer and author Robert Baer. Robert served all over the world between the late 1970s and late 1990s, spending much of his time in the middle east. He has written several nonfiction books about his experiences, including See No Evil, the book that inspired the 2005 film Syriana , for which he helped write the screenplay. George Clooney's character...

In this special episode of Spycraft 101, Justin answers questions listeners have submitted on Instagram. Tune in to hear stories of espionage in New Zealand, highly-successful operations, weapons and gadgets (including the fake scrotum concealment device), and more. If you submitted a question that wasn't answered, look out for our next Q & A episode. Connect with Spycraft 101: Check out Justin's...

This week, Justin returns with retired CIA paramilitary operations officer, Felix Rodriguez. Felix took part in many of the pivotal events of the Cold War from covert action against Fidel Castro in Cuba to operations in the Vietnam War and Laos to supporting to the Contras in Nicaragua. Today, Felix shares Che Guevara's failures as well as stories of Felix's time spent in Vietnam and Nicaragua. He...

In this episode, Justin sits down with retired CIA paramilitary operations officer, Felix Rodriguez. Felix took part in many of the pivotal events of the Cold War from covert action against Fidel Castro in Cuba to operations in the Vietnam War and Laos to supporting to the Contras in Nicaragua. Most famously, he was one of two Cubans that took part in the hunt for Che Guevara in Bolivia. Today, Fe...

This week, Justin sits down with journalist Chris Carola. Chris spent many years following the story of Jack Wilpers, one of the last surviving men on a team of World War II soldiers that captured Hideki Tojo, prime minister of Japan during WWII and a convicted war criminal. Jack was difficult to get ahold of, but Chris never backed down. Hear about Jack's interesting upbringing, his journey to co...

Today, Justin sits down with Terry McIntosh. Terry enlisted in the army at age 17, and joined special forces at age 18. He soon became one of the youngest men to wear a green beret in Vietnam. Terry was involved in the infamous Green Beret Affair, in which a Vietnamese double agent was identified and killed by his special forces team. Terry shares his journey to special forces, his experiences in...

Today, Justin chats with writer, academic, and engineer George Bearfield. George is the grandson of Jaroslav Bublík, one of the last men to parachute into Bohemia and Moravia (now Czechoslovakia) in World War II. Jaroslav and his cousin Josef conducted espionage operations in the region while it was occupied by Nazi Germany until Josef was famously killed in Prague soon after assassinating German...

This week, Justin chats with Enrique "Ric" Prado, a retired case officer and Paramilitary operative of the CIA.  Ric is also the author of his memoir, Black Ops.  Ric dives into his career, from fleeing the Peter Pan Project and his home country of Cuba to serving in Nicaragua with the Contras, including past guest Mike Lima AKA Luis Moreno.  Soon after his time in Latin America and a few years in...

This week, Justin sits down with John Capello, former Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and air attache and founder and president of the Halyard Mission Foundation. The mission itself involved rescuing over 500 US airmen from occupied Serbia in WWII with the help of Serbian nationals.  John shares his own experiences as an air attache in Israel and Serbia. Each country posed difference challenges and a...

In this episode, Justin reflects on the one-year anniversary of the Spycraft 101 Podcast. He details the history of Spycraft 101 from book ideas to the Instagram account finally the podcast, and gives shoutouts to those who have helped him along the way. Tune in for this special anniversary retrospective from your favorite espionage enthusiast. Previous episodes mentioned this week: Episode 01 - T...

This week Justin chats with author and former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor Jim Hawes. Jim served in Vietnam and worked with the CIA in the Congo to counter the spread of communist  ideals and anti-western rebel activities. Today, Jim tells his story and shares details of his experiences, from becoming a SEAL and early in the life of the program to his role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident and finall...

This week Justin sits down with author and Historian Dr. Kate Vigurs. Kate shares the story of the women hired by Britain's Special Operations Executive, a mysterious organization that operated during World War II to conduct sabotage, reconnaissance, and espionage missions in occupied Europe. These brave women had to prove themselves as strong and worthy of dangerous work to compete with their mal...

This week, Justin sits down with author, professor, historian and former intelligence analyst for the state department and the CIA, Dr. Mark Stout.  Today, Mark shares his research on a mysterious early US intelligence entity known as the Pond. The Pond was a secret organization operating between 1942 and 1955, though its existence wasn't formally acknowledged by the US government until 2001. Head...

Today, Justin sits down with business expert, university instructor, and author Mark Pruett. Mark dives into the world of Russia's stamp men--counterintelligence heroes hailed for their victories and honored for their work by having their faces immortalized on national postage. Mark tells the true stories of the heinous acts these Cheka (secret police) committed, covers their unfortunate endings,...

Today, Justin chats with Janet Ray. Janet lost her father, Pete Ray, when his plane was shot down by Cuban defenses in the invasion of the Bay of Pigs, an effort to retake Cuba from Castro. Met with lies and secrecy from the US government, Janet spent years finding answers on what happened to father as well as other men who didn't come home--including fighting to have their remains returned from C...

Tune back in for part two of Justin's interview with former diplomat and former non-commission officer in the United States Marine Corps, Shane Partlow. In this installment, Shane gets into the nitty gritty of Ukraine's 2014 Maidan Revolution, following the Euromaidan protests against former president Viktor Yanukovych. He discusses efforts to stay hidden at protests and rallies as well as what ha...

This week Justin chats with former diplomat and former non-commission officer in the United States Marine Corps, Shane Partlow. Shane was an assistant defense attache in the Ukraine during their 2014 Maidan Revolution, following the Euromaidan protests against former president Viktor Yanukovych. Shane recounts the events that led to violence, corruption within the central government, and his own e...

Today, Justin describes research on an intelligence agency unique to one of the countries that makes up the former Soviet Bloc: Czechoslovakia's Státní Bezpečnost, also know as the StB. Hear stories of StB success from the 1940s to the 1980s, including suppression of rebellion and scuffles with MI6 and the CIA. Brutal and shockingly effective, the StB was one of Western intelligence's most formida...

Today, author Ian Townsend shares the harrowing story of young Dickie Manson. Along with his mother, stepfather, uncle, and a family friend, Dickie was convicted as a spy and executed in during World War II. When the Australian government could not reinforce its troops in Rabaul, New Guinea, it left over a thousand Australian citizens behind, many of whom were tried for espionage by the Japanese....

Today, Justin interviews educator and author Jonathan Gill on the riveting tale of Boris Morros. A refugee of the Bolshevik Revolution turned film producer in the Golden Age of Hollywood, Boris was a mysterious and remarkable man. While many details of his life are thought to be exaggerated and the absolute truth remains unclear, Boris led a unique and eventful life. He became a Soviet spy during...

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: @spycr...

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....

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...