The Team House

Giuseppe Weller recounts the little-known story of the Coast Guard’s Drug Interdiction Assist Team, which worked alongside the DEA in South America conducting riverine missions, training local forces, and helping destroy cocaine labs and airstrips. He also discusses Ranger School, hunting traffickers in Bolivia, the eventual shutdown of the unit, and how that experience led him into a career in un...

original air date - 01/19/24 Former CIA officer Luis Rueda reflects on a career that took him from fleeing Castro’s Cuba to covert operations in Central America, Grenada, the drug war, Iraq, and eventually serving as Chief of Station in New Delhi. He also breaks down the failures behind the Iraq War, the reality of intelligence work, and what decades in the CIA taught him about power, policy, and...

This episode breaks down the latest developments in the Iran conflict, including the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. munitions shortages, covert action, and growing unrest inside Iran. The group also discusses the CIA’s new Cuba task force, the strengths of European intelligence services, and why Ukraine may be in a stronger position than the headlines suggest. Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.pa...

Kenny Robertson reflects on his career from the Marine Corps and 101st Airborne to 5th Special Forces Group, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, and Ukraine. He also discusses the toll of years in combat, his struggles after leaving the military, and how psychedelic medicine led him to create Waypoint 6 to help other veterans. https://www.waypoint6.com/ https://www.instagra...

original airdate: 10/20/23 Mike Edwards recounts his journey from the conventional Army to the 75th Ranger Regiment and the Regimental Reconnaissance Company (RRC), sharing stories from combat in Iraq, clandestine reconnaissance missions, and years spent leading and training some of the military's most elite units. He also reflects on Project Exodus Relief, the challenges of transitioning out of t...

As reports of a much larger U.S. military campaign against Iran emerged, the Trump administration abruptly paused the strikes and shifted back toward diplomacy. We break down whether the threat of escalation was a negotiating strategy, why sanctions continue to fail, Iran's asymmetric advantages, dwindling U.S. missile stockpiles, and what happens next in one of the world's most dangerous conflict...

Jay Morton discusses his career in the British Parachute Regiment and the Special Air Service (SAS), including deployments to Afghanistan, the challenges of SAS selection, and the realities of life in one of the world's premier special operations units. He also reflects on his transition to civilian life, climbing Mount Everest, and the lessons he's carried with him since leaving the military. htt...

We sit down with former U.S. Navy submariner and defense analyst Thomas Shugart to examine the rapidly shifting military balance between the United States and China, from Taiwan invasion planning and shipbuilding to missile stockpiles and the future of Indo-Pacific deterrence. We also explore whether America is prepared for a prolonged conflict with China and why Beijing may be far closer to that...

We break down the latest phase of the U.S.-Iran war, from dwindling interceptor stockpiles and the fight over the Strait of Hormuz to Iran’s nuclear leverage and the limits of American military power. We also examine Ukraine’s attacks on Russian supply ships bound for Iran, growing anger across the Middle East, and whether smarter sanctions, covert action, and diplomacy can still bring the war to...

Luis Saucedo recounts his journey from the streets of Baghdad to high-value target raids in Afghanistan as a sniper in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He shares stories of brutal firefights, near-death experiences, and life inside one of America’s most elite combat units. Luis also reflects on the injury that ended his career, the difficult transition out of the military, and his new mission helping vet...

This week we trace four decades of American intelligence failure in Iran, from the 1953 CIA coup against Mossadegh through the 1979 embassy takeover that wiped out our human network overnight. Jonathan Hackett walks us through Stuxnet, the JCPOA, the 2019 rollup of our entire asset network, and why we're now dependent on Israeli intelligence to tell us what's happening underground. Support the sho...

This week we break down the collapsed ceasefire and week two of American strikes on Iran, from the deaths of US service members in Jordan to the Chinese navigation system suddenly making Iranian missiles far more accurate. We get into why the air campaign can't achieve its goals, the intelligence gaps limiting US targeting, Saudi Arabia's controversial nuclear agreement, and the vulnerability of G...

We speak with retired Green Beret Dave Harris about his path from the 82nd Airborne to 3rd Special Forces Group, including deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa. We also get into Special Forces selection, crisis-response missions, CQB training, and how he transitioned into training law enforcement after leaving the Army. Today's Sponsors: GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house...

We break down the renewed fighting with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and whether the U.S. has any realistic military or diplomatic path forward. We also get into NATO, Ukraine’s air defense needs, the defense industrial base, and why America keeps spending more while producing less. Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Marc's new article: https://engelsbergidea...

We speak with retired FBI agent Wayne Barnes about his career in counterintelligence, from undercover work with the Black Panthers and a hidden Nixon assassination plot to debriefing Cold War defectors and recruiting Soviet intelligence officers. We also dig into his book A Traitor in the FBI, the hunt for a Russian mole inside the Bureau, and the tradecraft, deception, and lucky breaks that shape...

Jack Murphy joins us to break down his new High Side investigation into JSOC’s planned mission to recover highly enriched uranium from Iran, a raid some insiders compared to “Eagle Claw 2.0.” He explains why the operation would have required far more than a small special operations team, the risks of fighting in a CBRN environment, and why the mission may have been too dangerous to greenlight. The...

We break down Ukraine’s deep strike campaign inside Russia, the fight over Crimea, and whether Moscow’s war machine is starting to crack under pressure. We also get into the NATO summit, Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy process, Iran’s reconstitution after the ceasefire, and the growing split between the U.S. and Europe. Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Marc'...

We speak with journalist Colin Freeman about covering wars from Iraq and Somalia to Ukraine, including his own kidnapping by Somali pirates and the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. We also dig into his book The Mad and the Brave, the foreign volunteers who joined Ukraine’s International Legion, and the chaos, courage, and darker realities they faced on the front lines. Colin's book: htt...

original air date 12/1/23 Michael Vickers joins us to discuss his path from 10th Special Forces Group to the CIA, including Cold War missions, Berlin tradecraft, Grenada, Beirut, and Ground Branch. We also get into the covert war in Afghanistan, the Reagan Doctrine, working with foreign partners like Pakistan and China, and how the U.S. helped drive the Soviet Union out by all means available. Gra...

This week we break down the collapse of the Iran ceasefire talks, the escalating tit-for-tat strikes between Tehran and Washington, the fight over the Strait of Hormuz, and why the current MOU may be far more fragile than it appears. We also dive into the war in Ukraine, Russia's growing military and economic problems, the future of NATO support, and what these developments could mean for the broa...

Brad Colbert, retired Marine Force Recon veteran and one of the real Marines behind Generation Kill, joins us to talk about his path into the Corps, recon selection, 9/11 while forward deployed, Camp Rhino, and the early days of the war in Afghanistan. We also get into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, how recon Marines were used as shock troops, his Royal Marines exchange, HBO’s Generation Kill, and the...

We break down the Iran MOU, the fight over the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon’s role in the deal, and why the panel sees the agreement as a major strategic win for Tehran and a serious problem for Washington. We also dig into Iran’s nuclear program, Hezbollah, U.S. military messaging, bad battle-damage assessments, and whether the United States still has any real leverage left in the next 60 days of ne...

Stephanie Rotolo joins us to talk about her path from Mortuary Affairs and MP work to joining the Cultural Support Team program and deploying to Afghanistan with Special Operations Forces. She breaks down CST selection, working with Afghan female tactical platoons, going out on missions with ODAs, and how those experiences shaped her later work in Civil Affairs across West Africa. Find Stephanie h...

original airdate - 7/21/23 Frank retired from ATF in 2014 after 25 years of service, most of it as a Supervisory Special Agent focused on complex investigations and undercover operations. He personally infiltrated three outlaw motorcycle gangs and supported undercover operations targeting the Outlaws MC, Hells Angels MC, Pagans MC, Warlocks MC, and others while also serving in leadership roles acr...

We break down the latest Iran deal rumors, the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon, and whether any new agreement can realistically improve on the JCPOA. We also dig into broader U.S. foreign policy failures, the risks around Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, and the national security implications of Anthropic, AI export controls, and the emerging AI arms race. GhostBed ⬇️ https:...