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SPYCRAFT 101

History Podcasts

Welcome to your clandestine classroom.

Location:

United States

Description:

Welcome to your clandestine classroom.

Language:

English


Episodes
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237. [ARCHIVE] From Forest Fires to CIA Resuppliers with Lee Gossett

3/2/2026
This week, Spycraft 101 returns to the archives to say goodbye to one of our earliest guests. Lee Gossett got his start as a smoke jumper with the US Forest Service in the late 1950s and later served with Air America and Continental Air Services during the Secret War in Laos. He worked and flew all over the world for the Central Intelligence Agency and various special operations units. He appeared twice on the podcast. Although these interviews were recorded several years ago, Lee and Justin stayed in touch on at least a monthly basis, and he's been a regular listener since that time. He was a friend as well, and we'll miss him. But we're grateful that we had the chance to get to know him in the first place. Rest in peace, Lee. Check out Lee's book, Smoke Jumper to Global Pilot: a True Odyssey, here. https://www.amazon.com/Smokejumper-Global-Pilot-True-Odyssey/dp/0578614715 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:00:48:19

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236. Surviving Chinese Skies: The Hainan Island Incident with Shane Osborn

2/23/2026
This week Justin sits down with Shane Osborn. Shane is a veteran of the US Navy and a graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. From 2007 until 2011, he served as the treasurer for the State of Nebraska. He's also the founder of the Nebraska Soldiers Foundation, which helps soldiers and their families cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. In early 2001, Shane was serving as a pilot with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron one based in Okinawa on April 1st of that year while flying a mission over the Pacific Ocean. His EP3E Orion was involved in a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet. Shane was forced to land his badly damaged aircraft on a Chinese island where he and his crew were detained and interrogated for 11 days in an event that made headlines worldwide as The Hainan Island incident. He's here today discuss his career in Navy aviation, the near fatal collision over the Pacific, and his time in the custody of the Chinese government, which he wrote about in his book. Connect with Shane: Check out the book, Born to Fly, here. https://a.co/d/0bld5G8Z Shane is currently supporting African Educational Support here: https://www.africaneducationalsupportinc.org/ Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:00:45:44

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235. Secrets of a Spy Master: Your Guide to Influence with Jules Fisher

2/16/2026
Justin's guest for today is Julian Fisher, a former British intelligence operative espionage specialist and author of Think Like A Spy. Following a stint in government service, Julian headed up Africa operations for a private military company and then founded his own intelligence boutique specializing in Africa. In 2017, he was the lead trainer on the Channel Four reality series Spies, which put 16 ordinary members of the public through a series of challenges to find out if they had what it takes to be a spy. Julian has led an unusual life in his time. He's seen off camel wrestlers in Somalia, faced down gun toting soldiers in Congo, trained a newly formed intelligence service in South Sudan, and been invited to help plot a coup in West Africa, which he declined. Julian can show you how to take the hard lessons learned over centuries of international espionage and use those same strategies to accomplish your goals in almost any environment or context. Connect with Jules: julesfisher.com LinkedIn: Check out the book, Think Like A Spy, here. https://a.co/d/0ecDQ3sm Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:13:52

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234. The Swedish "Assassin" and the Killer Cop with Paula May

2/9/2026
Today's guest is Paula May. Paula graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, and later a Master's degree in Public Administration. She worked for more than 35 years in law enforcement, primarily in Waga County and then in King, North Carolina. She spent more than 20 of those years in major crime investigations, and the last 10 as Chief of Police directing major criminal incident response and investigations in King. Since retiring, she has also served on the board of directors and as the interim director of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. Paula is here this week to discuss a major case she investigated beginning in 1993 with the murder of Viktor Gunnarsson in North Carolina. Years before his death, Viktor was a suspect in the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palma, which we previously discussed on episode 155 of the podcast. Now Paula can tell us how that investigation changed Viktor's life and what happened to him here in the United States at the hands of a local police officer. She also wrote two books about the case. Connect with Paula: amazon.com/stores/Paula-May/author/B08687TSC1 Check out the book, FIRST DEGREE RAGE, here. https://a.co/d/0aOaxDHS Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:00:56:09

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233. From Cracking Watergate to Revolutionizing Private Intelligence with Michael Hershman

2/2/2026
Today Justin talks with Michael Hershman. Michael served as a special agent with US Army Intelligence beginning in the late 1960s. He then went to work as an investigator for New York City, New York State, and then as a senior staff investigator for the Senate Watergate Committee led by US Senator Sam Mervin. Later, he joined the Federal Election Commission as chief investigator and was responsible for audits and investigations of candidates and their campaign committees. After leaving government service, Michael founded the Fairfax Group. For the past 40 years, Fairfax Group has helped tackle complex and sensitive challenges related to crisis and risk management, compliance and security all over the world. He's here today to discuss his military service, his work as a US government investigator, and the world of high stakes, private investigations, consulting and risk management. Connect with Michael and Fairfax Group: fairfaxgroup.us Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:18:09

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232. My Uncle D.B. Cooper with Lisa Story

1/26/2026
Today Justin sits down with Lisa Story. Lisa graduated from the University of Nevada - Las Vegas, where she studied Communications and Journalism. Since then, she has worked in and around Nevada as a public relations professional. She's the author of two books, both of which focus on her uncle Walter Reca. Walt was an airborne soldier, professional, skydiver, occasional criminal, and conman possible CIA operative, and one of the primary candidates suspected to be D.B. Cooper, the infamous American skyjacker. She's discuss her latest book covering Walt's life, his exploits, and the evidence against him. Connect with Lisa: Facebook: D.B. Cooper Story Check out the book, BETTER DEAD THAN POOR, here. https://a.co/d/dW4M0cL Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:37:35

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231. Decoding Battlefield Intelligence with Tim Scherrer

1/19/2026
Today Justin talks with Tim Scherrer. Tim earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History from Truman State University and is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program. He served as a military intelligence officer in the Army Reserve for 28 years. His assignments included an intelligence briefer to the commander in chief of US Transcom during Operation Desert Storm, basic training company commander and chief of the asymmetric threat division at US Transcom. After the 9/11 attacks, he later taught at the Army Reserve Command and General Staff College until he retired in 2015. Tim is now the Dean of Academics at Friar Tolton Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri. He's also the author of seven books. He's here today to discuss how different disciplines of military intelligence work together to provide a complete picture of the battlefield and allowed US commanders to win the fight and then preserve the peace afterwards. Connect with Tim: lulu.com/spotlight/timscherrer Check out the book, Spy Catchers, here. Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:13:03

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230. Tortured and Held Hostage in Venezuela with Matthew John Heath

1/12/2026
Today Justin sits down with Matthew John Heath. Matthew served in the US Marine Corps from 1999 until 2003, including a combat deployment to Iraq. Afterwards, he worked with the US State Department as a private contractor in Afghanistan. In 2020, Matthew was arrested inside Venezuela, near the Colombian border, and charged with multiple false offenses, including treason and arms trafficking. He spent more than two years captive in prison in Caracas before he was released in a prisoner exchange in October, 2022 along with several other American citizens. He's here today to discuss his service in the Marine Corps, his time working in Afghanistan and elsewhere, his arrest and imprisonment in Venezuela, and readjusting to life back home after the ordeal. Connect with Matthew: matthewjohnheath.com hostageus.org Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:00:38

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229. In the Shadows: US Naval Intelligence in the Indo-Pacific with Dr. Brian J. Ellison

1/5/2026
Today Justin sits down with Dr. Brian J. Ellison. Brian has a Master's degree in International Security from American University and a PhD in War Studies from King's College London. He's worked as a senior research scientist at the Center for Naval Analysis and at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory where he has specialized in Chinese strategic affairs, naval warfare and intelligence. His work has led to significant policy, operational, and institutional changes within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the overall intelligence community. In 2014, Brian was awarded the commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service by Commander Mar Fork Pack for his research and analysis of the Marine Corps's organizational challenges in the Indo-Pacific. He's here today to discuss human intelligence operations by the US Navy in the Pacific Theater of Operations, which he details in his new book. Connect with Brian: brian.j.ellison@gmail.com Check out the book, Quiet Wars: U.S. Naval Human Intelligence Operations during Crises with China, 1931–1965, here. https://a.co/d/7CS3Gs9 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:00:54:08

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228. Data, Privacy, and Power: How Commercial Information Became the Next Frontier of Global Intelligence with Mike Yeagley

12/29/2025
This week Justin talks with Mike Yeagley. Mike is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and is currently the Chief Strategy Officer for cohort.ID. For the past decade, Mike has been working in a variety of positions to understand and reveal how advertising and marketing data can be both an asset and a detriment in intelligence and targeting operations. He's here today to discuss his work regarding the many ways that data can be bought, sold, and used worldwide, and how anyone can effectively understand change and reduce their own data profiles. Connect with Mike and cohort.ID: LinkedIn: cohort.ID Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:01:32

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227. My Husband the Cuban Spy with Ana Margarita Martinez

12/22/2025
This week Justin sits down with Ana Margarita Martinez. Ana fled to the states at age six as a Cuban political refugee, and settled in South Florida as part of the Cuban Exile community. In 1992, she met Juan Pablo Roque, a Cuban Air Force pilot, who had recently arrived in Miami after defecting. They dated for three years and then married in 1995. A year later, Juan Pablo suddenly disappeared and Ana discovered that he had really been a spy for the Cuban government all along. She's here today to discuss her life, her marriage, and the shocking betrayal that turned her world upside down. Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:19:01

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226. Biologics, Guns, and Secrets: A Deep Dive into the Larry Ford Case with Sheldon Fung

12/15/2025
Today Justin talks to retired FBI Special Agent Sheldon Fung. Sheldon has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of California Davis, and a Master's Degree in Criminology and Weapons of Mass Destruction from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. spent more than 21 years with the FBI as a bomb technician and a WMD coordinator. He's here to discuss one of the biggest WMD cases he ever worked on, which began in Irvine, California in March, 2000, after a local man named Dr. Larry Ford attempted to have his business partner killed in a professional hit. Sheldon and his team became involved when the investigation took a shocking turn when biological agents and a buried arms cache were discovered in his home, along with evidence that connected Ford to the South African government and even the Central Intelligence Agency. Justin covered this case himself already for episode 93 of the podcast back in May 2023, which you might remember if you're a longtime listener, but today we'll hear from one of the primary investigators. Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:09:11

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225. How the FBI Caught China's Most Prolific Spy Family with James Gaylord

12/8/2025
Today, Justin welcomes retired FBI supervisory special agent James Gaylord. Jim spent nearly 32 years with the FBI, including six years supervising a counterintelligence squad at the Los Angeles Field Office's Santa Ana Resident Agency. If you're a longtime listener of the podcast, you might remember Jim as one of our earliest guests from episode 12, recorded nearly four and a half years ago. Today he's back to talk about two of the most famous cases he ran as case agent. It's the story of The FBI's hunt for China's most prolific spy family. Chi Mak, his family, and Greg Chung were US citizens operating at the behest of the People's Republic of China government and its intelligence services, targeting some of the most sensitive American military knowledge in use at the time. Catch Jim's original appearance on Ep 12: Life in FBI Counterintelligence here. Connect with Jim: chasingchibook.com LinkedIn: James Gaylord Check out the book: Chasing Chi, here. https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Chi-Groundbreaking-Pursuit-Prolific/dp/1493091964 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Duration:01:23:42

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223. A Former Marine Held Hostage in Yemen with Sam Farran

11/24/2025
Today Justin sits down with Sam Farran. Sam moved to United States from his birth place in Lebanon and joined the US Marine Corps in 1978. He was later trained as an interrogator and worked on orders with the Defense Intelligence Agency and as an at attache officer. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he worked as a civilian contractor all over the Middle East and in particular in Yemen. In 2015, Sam was captured by Houthis Fighters in Sanaa shortly after they took over the capital city. He was held for nearly six months before finally being released to return home. Sam is here discuss his work all over the Middle East and his months of captivity by the Houthis in Yemen in 2015, which he wrote about in his book. Connect with Sam: Facebook: Sam Farran LinkedIn: Sam Farran Check out the book, The Tightening Dark, here. https://a.co/d/cAlX6il Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show

Duration:01:58:26

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222. Russian Sabotage: Inside The Wagner Trial with Trevor Barnes

11/17/2025
Today Justin is joined by repeat gues Trevor Barnes, who writes on national security issues for the London Standard Newspaper and is a former senior reporter for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He is the author of Dead Doubles The Extraordinary Worldwide Hunt for One of the Cold War's Most Notorious Spy Rings. That was the story of the infamous KGB Portland spying, which operated in England in the 1950s. If you're a longtime listener, you may remember Trevor from his previous appearances here on the podcast for episode 33 when we discussed the Portland spying, and more recently in episode 192 when we discussed the recent trial of a Bulgarian spy ring operating in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. He's here to discuss a very recent and serious case of Russia-linked sabotage in London, directed by the Wagner Private Military Corporation that targeted a warehouse shipping supplies to Ukraine. That trial just ended in the sentencing of five defendants, and Trevor attended the trial in person. Check out Trevor's previous appearances on episode 33: The True Story of the Portland Spy Ring here and episode 192: Inside the Bulgarian Spy Ring here. Connect with Trevor: Twitter/X: @trevorwbarnes LinkedIn: Trevor Barnes Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Support the show

Duration:01:20:55

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221. Japan's Intelligence Journey in the Modern Era with Dr. Brad Williams

11/10/2025
Today Justin talks with Dr. Brad Williams. Brad is an associate professor in the Department of Asian and International Studies at the City University of Hong Kong. He has studied, taught and conducted research in Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Taiwan, and the United States. He is the author of Resolving the Russo-Japanese Territorial Dispute, which was published in 2007 and has published on a diverse range of issues in Japanese politics and foreign policy such as arms procurement, civil society, humanitarian assistance, human security, north Korean abductions, nuclear proliferation and secrecy laws. He's here today to discuss the development of Japan's counterintelligence community from the immediate aftermath of World War II up through the early 2020s. Connect with Brad: scholars.cityu.edu.hk/en/persons/bwilliam/ Check out the book, Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy: From the Cold War to the Abe Era, here. https://a.co/d/e4ohfPV Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show

Duration:00:41:47

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11/3/2025
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Duration:01:24:48

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220. Real Life Narcos: Toppling the Cali Cartel with Chris Fesitl

11/3/2025
Today Justin talks with Chris Feistl. Chris worked for 26 years as a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He spent much of his career in Columbia beginning in 1994. Since then, he's been featured in several different documentaries, including the Discovery series Finding Escobar's Millions, plus German Cocaine Cowboy and Narco Wars. He's here today to discuss his book, After Escobar. It's the story of his time in Columbia in the mid 1990s, working with his partner, Dave Mitchell, to dismantle the Cali cartel led primarily by the brothers, Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez. Chris and Dave's work in Columbia was the basis for season three of the Netflix series, Narcos. Connect with Chris: afterescobar.com IG: @afterescobar Check out the book here. https://a.co/d/6p7V6jq Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show

Duration:00:56:53

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224. Secrets, Scandals, and Salvation: Spying for China with Gregg Bergersen

11/1/2025
Today Justin sits down with Gregg Bergersen. Gregg spent 19 years in the Department of Navy's office of Naval Intelligence as an intelligence research specialist. He was then asked to join the Department of Defense as a weapons systems policy analyst at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in Arlington, Virginia, where he oversaw complex command control, communication, computer intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance foreign military sales programs managed by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In February, 2008, Gregg was arrested on charges of espionage for which he was later sentenced to 57 months in prison. While serving his sentence, Gregg dedicated his life to the Lord and now works to provide hope to prisoners through spiritual development courses. Over the past 10 years, he served as the director of a Texas prison ministry with nearly 100 volunteers providing hope to the lost and the least in our society at dozens of prisons. Over 20,000 prisoners have graduated from his courses. Gregg is here today to discuss his work as a civilian analyst for the Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy International Programs, and Defense Security Cooperation Agency, as well as the personal relationship which slowly transformed into espionage and incarceration that changed his life for the better. Connect with Gregg: houstonprisonministries.com Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Support the show

Duration:01:24:48

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219. Digital Intelligence, Phishing Scams, and North Korea with Aidan Raney

10/27/2025
Today Justin sits down with Aidan Raney. Aidan is the founder of Farnsworth Intelligence, a digital intelligence service, which he founded after unmasking a phishing network online which was harvesting credentials from unwitting Facebook users on a massive scale. Aidan is here to discuss his work at the forefront of digital intelligence, and in particular, his interactions with North Korean IT workers attempting to infiltrate American companies employing remote workers. Connect with Aidan: farnsworthintelligence.com Get the OSINT Newsletter: osintinsider.com Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show

Duration:00:57:26