When I tell people that the top four counterintelligence threats to the United States are, in order, China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran, most folks are shocked. Cuba? Really? Little, impoverished Cuba?
Yes, really. Cuba’s Communist regime punches way above its weight in the espionage game, and has all the way back to the 1959 revolution. As this newsletter has explained, Havana is a heavy hitter in the SpyWar and its main enemy is the U.S.. Over decades, Cuban spies have bested the gringos in espionage. Moreover, Havana’s spooks have enjoyed much success in recruiting well-placed Americans with access to our secrets to work for them.
The reason this depressing reality isn’t better known is because counterintelligence officers, as a group, are a hush-hush bunch. They seldom talk to outsiders, much less the media, about the complex realities of their arcane trade. Plus, the Cuba spy story isn’t a happy one for Washington, DC.
Along comes Ean Forsythe to break the mold. He’s a serving counterintelligence officer currently assigned to the National Intelligence University. He’s been there, done that, and he has both the mug and the t-shirt. Nobody in the Intelligence Community knows more about Cuban intelligence than Ean. Full disclosure: I’ve known Ean since his days in NSA’s Counterintelligence Division, a quarter-century ago. He’s the real deal, one of the finest American counterintelligence officers in the modern era. And what a story he has to tell.
Ean recently sat down with Andrew Hammond of the International Spy Museum to offer an insider’s take on how Cuba spies on us, and why they’re so good at it. This is what CI work looks like from the inside. This is the you-are-there perspective that the media and movies invariably miss. You’ll hear about the big Cuban spy cases: Montes, Myers, above all: why Cuban spies keep running rings around us. Plus, there’s shopping for carrots at Whole Foods for a traitor.
Listen in, this is worth your time, even on our election day. You’ll be glad you did. Click here.
If you prefer to read it, or you want a transcript of Ean’s interview because it’s so revealing you need a double-take, that’s available here.
