1 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,040 [David] Tonight on "Secrets Declassified," 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,800 secret units, unseen and unheard, 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,160 shaping events from the shadows, 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,120 from a CIA heist high in the Himalayas... 5 00:00:17,240 --> 00:00:18,960 [Dan] They're elite cat burglars 6 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:21,800 risking their lives to steal the world's 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:23,400 most guarded secrets. 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,040 Or a surprising secret agent under deep cover... 9 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:28,640 [Hakeem] It wasn't just a whale. 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,600 It looked like part of an intelligence operation. 11 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,560 And a covert unit with a dirty secret. 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:36,680 [Sami] Now, the CIA can do a lot of things. 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,000 But they cannot be caught producing porn. 14 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,800 - These are the astonishing and sometimes terrible things 15 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,960 done by governments and the people who work for them. 16 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,320 It's time to bring them to light. 17 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,320 [dramatic music] 18 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:56,320 ♪ ♪ 19 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,800 During the Cold War, the U.S. Navy creates 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,440 a secret unit called Red Cell. 21 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:02,840 Its mission? 22 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,040 Stage mock attacks on U.S. naval bases 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,000 to test for vulnerabilities. 24 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,000 And it's successful. 25 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:10,960 A little too successful. 26 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,880 [ominous music] 27 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:15,280 ♪ ♪ 28 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,480 - By the mid-1980s, the United States 29 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,760 is the world's preeminent military superpower. 30 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,440 [cannon fire] 31 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,320 There isn't a nation on Earth that can match it. 32 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,040 It has the best equipment, the most advanced technology. 33 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,760 Yet, there is a critical weakness. 34 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,480 [Andrew] There have been a string 35 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:32,920 of high-profile attacks 36 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,960 against U.S. military installations. 37 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,880 These have highlighted that the U.S. military 38 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,440 is vulnerable to small terrorist units. 39 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:42,840 [David] In 1984, the Navy creates 40 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,720 Red Cell as a solution and launches it 41 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,000 against its most secure bases. 42 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,000 - This mission is unlike anything 43 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,160 the U.S. Navy has ever sanctioned before. 44 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,600 It's like mock terrorism against itself. 45 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:57,440 [David] To lead the unit, 46 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,800 the Navy picks Richard Marcinko, 47 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,440 a man who doesn't just think outside the box, 48 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,200 he blows it up. 49 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,480 - Richard Marcinko, real-life Rambo, 50 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,520 he's one of the U.S. Army's best fighters. 51 00:02:09,640 --> 00:02:12,360 But his reputation for flouting the rules 52 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,560 gets him desk duty. 53 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,840 - He's a loose cannon that might be the perfect fit 54 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:18,800 for the Red Cell operation. 55 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:20,600 So he's placed in charge. 56 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,480 He recruits 13 Navy SEALs and one Force Recon Marine. 57 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,480 [Sami] Now, officially, Red Cell's HQ 58 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:28,880 is assigned to the Pentagon. 59 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,280 However, in reality, Marcinko runs his unit 60 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,200 from his favorite Virginia dive bar, 61 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:35,680 Shooter McGee's. 62 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,160 And it's here that the team spend their nights 63 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,000 drinking, brawling, 64 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,000 and planning covert operations. 65 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:44,960 [David] Soon, barroom bravado 66 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,440 becomes real-world threat. 67 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,560 - Over the course of several months, 68 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,680 Red Cell runs a string of increasingly bold operations. 69 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,640 They infiltrate the world's largest 70 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,680 naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, 71 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,440 and plant dummy explosives. 72 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,600 They bypass security at Naval Base New London. 73 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,120 And they launch fake attacks on submarines. 74 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,760 [dramatic music] 75 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,480 [David] With each success, Marcinko pushes harder, 76 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,840 until he sets his sights on the biggest target of all. 77 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:24,680 [Dan] It's 1985 in California. 78 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,480 President Reagan is on vacation 79 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,320 at his ranch in Santa Barbara. 80 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,200 And about an hour down the coast, 81 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,240 Air Force One, the world's most defended plane, 82 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,080 is parked at a secure naval base, 83 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,960 Point Mugu Naval Air Station. 84 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,200 [tense music] 85 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,160 [David] Marcinko and his team plot their attack. 86 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,200 [Dan] Red Cell stakes out Air Force One, 87 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,920 probing it for weaknesses, looking for points of attack. 88 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,320 And they also hit local bars, 89 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,360 where they steal ID cards from sailors. 90 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:56,640 That is illegal. 91 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,440 But Marcinko plays by his own rules. 92 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,720 - On August 30th, Marcinko gives the green light 93 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,640 for the operation. 94 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,840 One of his team members, disguised as a commander, 95 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,360 drives up to the base with radio equipment, 96 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,680 weapons, and dummy explosives hidden in the vehicle. 97 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,160 He sails right on through, no questions asked. 98 00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:23,080 - They're able to get out onto the airfield. 99 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,480 And several members get off and attach fake explosives 100 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,240 to the side of F-18 fighter jets. 101 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,080 Then it's time for Air Force One. 102 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:35,560 [Evy] They steal a weapons carrier, 103 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,720 load it up with fake 500-pound bombs, 104 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:40,960 and drive it straight up to Air Force One, 105 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:42,920 all unchallenged. 106 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,360 Had this been a real attack, 107 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,040 they could have blown up Air Force One, 108 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,520 as well as a host of F-18 fighters 109 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,920 for good measure. 110 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,680 [David] Eventually, Marcinko's team 111 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,040 is detained by base security. 112 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,520 For the Navy, it's a major embarrassment. 113 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,160 In a real attack, the president and his plane 114 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:05,080 could have been blown up. 115 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:06,400 [Sami] It's a wake-up call. 116 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,040 And security is completely overhauled. 117 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,280 A brand-new unit of specially trained Marines 118 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,840 is created to protect U.S. Navy installations. 119 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,560 [David] The attack on Air Force One marks 120 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,560 the high point of Red Cell's operations. 121 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,800 Soon after, Marcinko's team takes their mission 122 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:25,920 one step too far. 123 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,000 - In March of 1986, a naval security officer 124 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,160 is kidnapped by Red Cell, 125 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,760 ostensibly for a training exercise. 126 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,720 - Red Cell interrogates him so violently 127 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:40,840 that he suffers lasting injuries. 128 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:42,360 He's thrown against walls. 129 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,080 He's kicked. He's punched. 130 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:45,520 He's waterboarded. 131 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,840 - It seems that Marcinko's finally lost sight 132 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,120 of the difference between security tests 133 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,040 and real violence. 134 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,000 [David] Marcinko is stripped of command. 135 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,680 And in a separate case, the law catches up with him. 136 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,080 He's placed under criminal investigation, 137 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,720 convicted on federal charges, and sentenced 138 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:07,200 to nearly two years in prison. 139 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,440 Red Cell is officially disbanded. 140 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,240 - You know, some people would argue 141 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:13,960 that Marcinko was somebody who never knew 142 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,800 what the limits were. 143 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,960 [David] In 1992, Marcinko is released. 144 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:21,800 Soon after, he publishes 145 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,080 a tell-all memoir called "Rogue Warrior" 146 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,240 that blows the lid off of Red Cell. 147 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,280 The book becomes a bestseller, a dramatic final chapter 148 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:37,240 in Marcinko's controversial career. 149 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,800 Some secret units destroy targets. 150 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,600 Others destroy reputations. 151 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,400 In the 1950s, the CIA forms a secret unit that fights 152 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:51,200 the Cold War not with guns, but with a fake sex tape 153 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,480 code-named Happy Days. 154 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,080 [tense music] 155 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:58,920 [Hakeem] In the depths of the Cold War, 156 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,200 the CIA calls on a secret unit 157 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,640 so adept at bizarre, covert operations, 158 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,280 they're kept completely off the books. 159 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,560 The man in charge? Ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu. 160 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,280 - Maheu's unit is founded in 1954. 161 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,840 And its main strength is the litany of unusual contacts 162 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:21,200 it can draw on. 163 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:22,800 Maheu's little black book stretches 164 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:27,120 from the mafia to Hollywood's rich and famous. 165 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,000 [David] In 1957, the CIA gives Maheu 166 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,120 his toughest mission yet-- 167 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,200 stage a fake romantic encounter on film 168 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,440 to blackmail a global leader. 169 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:39,480 [suspenseful music] 170 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:44,120 - Indonesia is the world's sixth most populous nation, 171 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,640 making it a pivotal power broker in Southeast Asia, 172 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,720 which is a key battleground in the struggle 173 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,840 between the USA and the USSR. 174 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,960 [Hakeem] Indonesia is led by President Sukarno. 175 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,480 He is a charismatic dictator 176 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,240 that Washington considers to be a wild card. 177 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,160 For years, he's been carefully courting 178 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,920 both the U.S. and the Soviet Union. 179 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,000 - Now the CIA spots an opportunity 180 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,440 to bring Sukarno to heel. 181 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,920 They learn that on a recent trip to Moscow, 182 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,320 Sukarno became involved with a blonde flight attendant, 183 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,840 who was actually a KGB agent. 184 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,320 - This flight attendant has since visited 185 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,040 President Sukarno in Indonesia a number of times. 186 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,800 CIA sources also know that the KGB has filmed 187 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,080 compromising footage of President Sukarno 188 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,480 with his flight attendant/ KGB lover 189 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,600 in a suite in the Kremlin. 190 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,840 And of course, they've done so for blackmail purposes. 191 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,320 [Hakeem] The CIA now sees an opportunity. 192 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,760 If they can embarrass the president of Indonesia 193 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,000 by pointing out that he's dating a KGB agent, 194 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,960 perhaps then they could twist his arm 195 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,080 into working for the U.S. 196 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,160 [David] The problem is, how can the CIA 197 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,000 leak a film it doesn't have, one that's locked away 198 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,920 by Soviet intelligence forces? 199 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,360 So it comes up with a radical idea-- 200 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:10,880 fake it. 201 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,280 [Sami] Now, the CIA can do a lot of things. 202 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,800 But they cannot be caught producing porn, 203 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,360 and certainly not one starring the leader of another nation. 204 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,880 So this needs to be a totally off-the-books operation, 205 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,720 conducted by a team who can make this film 206 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,160 without any trace leading back to Langley. 207 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:30,720 [camera shutter clicking] 208 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,160 [David] Enter Robert Maheu's secret unit 209 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,800 and its network of Hollywood contacts. 210 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,360 [Jesse] The CIA shows Maheu 211 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,520 photographs of the Kremlin suite 212 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:42,840 and Sukarno's blonde lover. 213 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:44,920 Both will have to be exact 214 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,200 for the fake film to be believable. 215 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,760 [lively music] 216 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,680 [David] Maheu gets straight to work. 217 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,920 And he knows exactly who to call. 218 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:00,360 - At the top of his address book 219 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:02,200 is the Academy Award-winning actor 220 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,960 and famed singer Bing Crosby, 221 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:05,360 the voice behind "White Christmas," 222 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,400 and his brother Larry. 223 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,120 - Maheu convinces the Crosbys to do 224 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,320 their part for their country. 225 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,000 So they find a small Hollywood studio, 226 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,440 and they convert it into a replica 227 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,160 of the Kremlin suite, 228 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,760 as seen in the CIA photographs. 229 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,240 [Sami] The Crosbys supply Maheu with a camera 230 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,720 and teach him how to use it, keeping the film's crew 231 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,320 to an absolute minimum and maintaining secrecy. 232 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:35,200 [David] The biggest challenge is finding the right cast. 233 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:39,480 He needs perfect doubles for Sukarno and the KGB agent. 234 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,040 For help, he turns to local law enforcement. 235 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:44,960 - First, they find a doppelganger 236 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,040 for this KGB agent. 237 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,760 She's, in fact, an informant for the police. 238 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:51,520 [Jesse] For a convincing Sukarno, 239 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,120 a Hispanic-looking former roommate-- 240 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,760 with help from Bing Crosby's makeup artists, 241 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,480 they're able to turn him into a near-perfect replica 242 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,560 of the Indonesian president. 243 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,560 [David] With the set and cast in place, 244 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:11,200 the cameras are ready to roll. 245 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:16,200 - In the dead of night, Maheu, his team, and the two "actors" 246 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,840 shoot their fake tryst. 247 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:21,960 The set is dressed to the tiniest detail, 248 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,480 and lighting mimics the grainy look of hidden surveillance. 249 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:29,640 - After months of planning, filming is over 250 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,200 in just a few minutes. 251 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,320 What happens next is disputed. 252 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:37,640 [Sami] One story goes that worrying 253 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,560 about the consequences of putting together a fake film, 254 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:44,880 the CIA got cold feet and never released it. 255 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,400 [Jesse] But Maheu said that stills from his film 256 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,720 were circulated in Indonesia, which caused the president 257 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,400 to drop the blonde and eventually led 258 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,400 to his fall from power. 259 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:58,280 - Either way, the story of Hollywood's 260 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,040 most unlikely production stays secret for more than a decade. 261 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,280 [David] In 1976, Alexander Cockburn 262 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,400 exposes the story in an article 263 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,280 for "The Village Voice." 264 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,240 Today, in the age of deepfakes and AI images, 265 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,920 the story seems even more incredible. 266 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,080 But once upon a time, a fake movie was enough 267 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,320 to topple a president. 268 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,240 - Secret units are meant to stay hidden, 269 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,520 out of sight and in deep cover, 270 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:37,800 like Unit 29155, a distinctly unmemorable name 271 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,880 for a team of Russian assassins. 272 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,760 [Hakeem] Unit 29155 is a clandestine Russian 273 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:49,880 military unit that has been in existence since at least 2008. 274 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,920 And they're linked to poisonings and sabotage 275 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,720 across Europe. 276 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,680 [dramatic music] 277 00:12:56,800 --> 00:12:58,120 [David] For years, the unit works 278 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,520 in total secrecy, unknown and unseen 279 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,600 by the world's governments and intelligence services. 280 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,320 ♪ ♪ 281 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,760 Then in 2018, one operation changes everything. 282 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,560 [Sami] It's a spring afternoon in the city 283 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:18,280 of Salisbury, England, and locals find 284 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,440 two people slumped on a bench. 285 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:24,160 ♪ ♪ 286 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,200 So somebody quickly dials 999, 287 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,360 and first responders go rushing in. 288 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,800 [sirens wailing] 289 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,840 - As the hours pass, it becomes clear to residents 290 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,400 that this is no normal incident. 291 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,200 Hazmat suits appear, and a huge portion of the city center 292 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,160 is completely closed off. 293 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,400 [David] Soon, police identify the victims, 294 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,280 Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer 295 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,000 who defected to Britain, 296 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,480 and his daughter Yulia. 297 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,200 - Investigators discovered that the Skripals 298 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,800 have been poisoned with something called Novichok. 299 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:01,440 This is an assassination attempt. 300 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:04,640 And really, there's only one plausible suspect-- 301 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,400 Russian military intelligence. 302 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:10,240 [David] Both Sergei and Yulia 303 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,480 are near death when found. 304 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:15,520 But after weeks in the hospital, 305 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,640 they somehow survive. 306 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,200 - Global news outlets begin to point the finger. 307 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:25,240 Russian military intelligence is now the prime suspect. 308 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:26,960 [David] Can investigators find 309 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,880 any hard evidence linking Russia to the attack? 310 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,760 [Sami] British police investigate. 311 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,720 And months later, they release CCTV stills and video footage 312 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,320 of two men that they believe traveled from Russia 313 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,640 to Salisbury to carry out these poisonings. 314 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:41,560 And the names listed in the passports 315 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:44,840 are Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov. 316 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,240 [David] A database search for these names 317 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:49,760 turns up nothing, 318 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,320 and the investigation grinds to a halt. 319 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,120 - This is where Christo Grosev comes in. 320 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:59,440 At the time, Grosev is the lead researcher at Bellingcat, 321 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,960 an open-source investigative group 322 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,280 that uncovers covert operations. 323 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,680 And Grosev sets about trying to uncover 324 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,040 these men's real identities. 325 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,520 [David] With the men's names offering no clues, 326 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:18,320 Grosev turns to the only other piece of information he has-- 327 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,040 their passports. 328 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,240 - Grosev uncovers a crucial detail 329 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,320 reported in the Russian press. 330 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,680 The passport numbers of these two men 331 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,960 are virtually identical, except for the last three numbers. 332 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,840 In a country of over 140 million people, 333 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,040 the chances of two travelers having nearly consecutive 334 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,600 passport numbers on the same plane 335 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:47,440 going to the same city is almost impossible. 336 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,040 [Sami] Grosev attempts to trace the two Salisbury 337 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,680 suspects online but finds nothing, which is odd 338 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,960 because in a world where almost everyone leaves 339 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,680 a digital trail, a total absence of information 340 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:00,120 suggests something deliberate. 341 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,000 It's a hallmark of fabricated identities. 342 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,760 [David] With no other personal details on the men, 343 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,800 once again, the investigation hits a dead end. 344 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:10,360 [phone vibrates] 345 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,520 - That's when one of Grosev's ex-intelligence contacts 346 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,200 gives him an idea. 347 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,360 Why not look at the alumni of Russia's military academies 348 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,640 to search for any high-flying graduates, 349 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,840 men who might have been recruited 350 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,000 by the elite security services, 351 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,360 and match the photos of the Salisbury killers? 352 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,640 - One of these places is Russia's Far Eastern Higher 353 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,680 Combined Arms Command School, which is one of Russia's oldest 354 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:36,360 military academies that has connections 355 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,120 to the GRU, which is Russia's secretive military 356 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,360 intelligence agency. 357 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,280 [Don] Grosev begins cross-checking 358 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:45,560 the school's graduates with award rolls 359 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,320 and keeps hitting one name-- 360 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,560 Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga. 361 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,520 Since graduating, he has become a decorated GRU officer 362 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,120 and recipient of Russia's highest honor, 363 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,000 the Hero of the Russian Federation. 364 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,280 - When Grosev compares photographs of Chepiga 365 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:03,880 with Ruslan Boshirov... 366 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,880 [intensifying music] 367 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,760 ♪ ♪ 368 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,840 They're the same men. 369 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,160 A parallel search of an elite Russian military medical school 370 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,840 finds that Chepiga's accomplice, Alexander Petrov, 371 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:24,160 matches the image of an Alexander Mishkin. 372 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:26,680 And Mishkin's car is even registered 373 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,280 to the GRU's Moscow headquarters. 374 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:31,920 [David] It leaves no doubt. 375 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,000 The two men's arrival before the poisoning 376 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:35,560 is no coincidence. 377 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,640 They're highly trained Russian killers 378 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,280 operating under state-issued false identities. 379 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,440 [Don] Most investigators would stop here. 380 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:45,320 But Grosev pushes further. 381 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,280 He is determined to uncover the sprawling secret unit 382 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,360 that he believes is behind the Skripal plot. 383 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,600 His big break comes when a Russian opposition paper 384 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,600 exposes a third suspect-- 385 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,880 Sergey Fedotov. 386 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:03,440 Grosev discovers he's really Denis Sergeev, 387 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,080 a senior GRU officer. 388 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,280 [Sasha] By looking into Sergeev's travel records, 389 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,720 Grosev sees a chilling pattern. 390 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,960 Wherever Sergeev goes, disaster follows. 391 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:21,920 A weapons depot explodes in the Czech Republic in 2014. 392 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,000 There's an attempted poisoning of an arms dealer 393 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:28,240 in Bulgaria in 2015. 394 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:31,800 - Essentially, if Sergeev shows up at passport control, 395 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:32,920 it pretty much means 396 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:36,320 the Kremlin has marked a target. 397 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,560 - Grosev digs deeper and discovers Sergeev is 398 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,280 a senior figure in a top secret GRU unit 399 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,880 of assassins and saboteurs. 400 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:49,440 After years in the shadows, the existence of Unit 29155 401 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,520 is exposed. 402 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,360 [Dan] Using the same techniques that he used 403 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,600 to identify the two attackers of the Skripals, 404 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:56,960 Grosev keeps going. 405 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,280 And ultimately, he's able to uncover 406 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,800 the identities of dozens of members 407 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:03,200 of this secret subunit. 408 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,720 And he makes sure that Western law enforcement 409 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:09,320 and Interpol know exactly who they are. 410 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:15,680 - In one swoop, Unit 29155's operations 411 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:18,240 are disrupted for a generation. 412 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,120 [David] In 2019, Grosev publishes his findings. 413 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,560 The revelation of a secret Russian hit squad 414 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,760 creates a sensation worldwide. 415 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,360 But for his extraordinary detective work, 416 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,080 Grosev pays a high price. 417 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:36,560 [Sami] In early October, 418 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:38,680 Western intelligence warned Grosev 419 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:40,960 new Russian operatives had been detected 420 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,440 in Europe, gathering information on his movements. 421 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:47,720 Grosev's name is now on a kill list. 422 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,400 [David] Grosev exposed Russia's most secret 423 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:52,240 assassination unit. 424 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:55,240 Now he's forced into a life on the run. 425 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:01,560 - Some army units get the job done with force. 426 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,440 Others use deception, like the Alamo Scouts 427 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,880 in World War II, who rescued 500 prisoners 428 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,760 in just 28 minutes. 429 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,400 [unsettling music] 430 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,040 - In the midst of World War II, 431 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,520 the United States creates a secret unit 432 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,320 that is so clandestine, 433 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,080 not even U.S. military service people 434 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,400 know that it exists. 435 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:24,960 They're not shock troops. 436 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:26,760 They're not commandos. 437 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:30,920 They're specialist reconnaissance spies. 438 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:32,720 [Sami] They're called the Alamo Scouts. 439 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:37,000 More than 700 men try out, but only 138 are chosen, 440 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:39,960 the most resourceful and unbreakable. 441 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,040 ♪ ♪ 442 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:45,720 [David] Their most important mission 443 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:49,080 begins in the Philippines in 1945, 444 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,200 when a local passes along troubling intelligence. 445 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,160 [Sami] 500 Allied prisoners 446 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,960 are being held in a POW camp near a village 447 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,680 called Cabanatuan, about 30 miles 448 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,480 inside Japanese-held territory. 449 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:05,880 [Martin] The prisoners being held 450 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,640 at Cabanatuan don't know it, 451 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:09,280 but they are in mortal danger. 452 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:12,280 - If liberation looks imminent, the order is simple-- 453 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,560 execute them. 454 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,800 [David] It's a job for the Alamo Scouts. 455 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:18,920 ♪ ♪ 456 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,280 Their mission is to get eyes on the camp 457 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,640 and gather intel for a U.S. Army Ranger rescue operation. 458 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,640 - They are masters at sneaking behind enemy lines 459 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:31,720 without being seen themselves. 460 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,360 [David] They're led by Lieutenant William Nellist, 461 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:40,280 a combat veteran with a talent for deception and disguise. 462 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,720 He assembles an elite team of 13 men for the mission. 463 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,360 - They are literally the best of the best, 464 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,800 trained in jungle survival and guerrilla tactics. 465 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:52,200 If anyone can get near the camp 466 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:53,760 without triggering a massacre, 467 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,400 it's them. 468 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,960 [David] On January 27th, the operation begins. 469 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,760 But as the 13 men approach Cabanatuan, 470 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,280 they encounter a problem. 471 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,440 [Paul] Lieutenant William Nellist discovers 472 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,480 all of the foliage and normal cover they expected 473 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,600 is actually not there. 474 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,760 Cabanatuan is built in the middle of a rice paddy. 475 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:18,960 [Martin] The space around it is wide open. 476 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,800 The enemy has guard towers, 477 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,280 and the area is under observation 478 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:23,560 at all times. 479 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:25,080 [David] Then Nellist spots 480 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,000 a crumbling shack overlooking the camp. 481 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:29,960 If he can reach it, he'll have the perfect vantage point 482 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,880 to scout the camp's defense. 483 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,920 - Nellist decides that he and another man 484 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:35,720 will essentially disguise themselves 485 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,120 as Filipino rice paddy workers. 486 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,600 [Hakeem] They wear coarse shirts and straw hats 487 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,600 that they picked up from local villagers. 488 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,840 And in plain sight of the Japanese guards, 489 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:48,840 they head out across the rice paddies 490 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,160 and go to the shack. 491 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,400 [David] If their deception isn't perfect, 492 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,920 the consequences could be deadly. 493 00:22:58,040 --> 00:22:59,800 [Martin] They eventually reach the shack 494 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:01,640 located close enough to the camp 495 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,560 that it can function as an excellent observation post. 496 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:07,200 [Hakeem] Inside the shack, 497 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,560 they perform surveillance for over two hours. 498 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,160 They draw a detailed map of the camp, 499 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,160 and they count around 250 guards. 500 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:18,680 [Paul] The problem is, 501 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,040 the guard force is more than twice as large 502 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:22,880 as they'd been led to expect. 503 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,040 And the American prisoners are in terrible physical shape. 504 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,960 [Hakeem] They've been weakened by starvation, 505 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,040 torture, and death marches. 506 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,080 In fact, some of the POWs are so weak, 507 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,280 they can barely move at all. 508 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,400 [David] Outmanned and outgunned, 509 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,240 they devise a rescue plan that uses 510 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:45,320 deception to level the field. 511 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:46,600 - The plan that the Alamo Scouts 512 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:48,320 come up with, they need something 513 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,240 to function as a distraction. 514 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:54,880 A U.S. Army Air Force's P-61 Black Widow night fighter 515 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,040 will fly in, simulating that it is 516 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:58,960 encountering engine problems. 517 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,440 And then they'll launch the raid, 518 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,200 recover the prisoners of war using caribou 519 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,200 and bamboo stretchers, move them to safety. 520 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,960 [tense music] 521 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,920 [Sami] On the night of January 30th, the scouts, 522 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,040 now backed by the 6th Army and local guerrillas, 523 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,240 move into position for the rescue. 524 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:20,600 [David] Inside the camp, 525 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,080 Japanese guards lounge about smoking. 526 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,560 What the guards don't know is that the attack 527 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,760 is already underway, starting with a diversion. 528 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,720 [jet engine roaring] 529 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,880 [Sami] A P-61 Black Widow night fighter swoops low, 530 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,200 engines roaring, backfiring. 531 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:38,400 It's weaving. 532 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,200 It all is trying to sell the illusion 533 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,480 of a stricken plane that's about to crash. 534 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,520 And the guards naturally look skyward, distracted. 535 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,040 ♪ ♪ 536 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:49,360 [David] The rescue raid springs into motion. 537 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,680 [dramatic music] 538 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,320 - The U.S. troops and the Filipino guerrillas 539 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:56,520 converge on the camp. 540 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:58,160 ♪ ♪ 541 00:24:58,280 --> 00:24:59,920 [Martin] The guards are overwhelmed and confused. 542 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,760 They don't realize what's happening until it's too late. 543 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:04,280 [gunfire] 544 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,640 - They breach through the fence of the POW camp, 545 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,200 get inside, and begin liberating prisoners. 546 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,960 ♪ ♪ 547 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,080 It all goes down like clockwork. 548 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:15,280 [solemn music] 549 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:16,320 [David] The raid is over 550 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:17,960 in less than 30 minutes. 551 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,320 The Japanese suffer nearly 600 casualties, 552 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:25,080 but not a single Alamo Scout is lost. 553 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,160 Altogether, 500 Allied prisoners are freed. 554 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,520 - This is, like, one of the most daring, 555 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,120 heroic operations 556 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:35,640 the American military conducted during World War II. 557 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,520 ♪ ♪ 558 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,120 [Sami] Despite their success, for over 40 years, 559 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,640 the Alamo Scouts remain a secret. 560 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,120 ♪ ♪ 561 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,400 [Paul] The records of their operations are, 562 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,480 for all intents and purposes, just buried. 563 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,840 [tense music] 564 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,280 [David] In 1986, the U.S. Army finally declassifies 565 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,240 the record of the Alamo Scouts. 566 00:25:56,360 --> 00:25:57,360 ♪ ♪ 567 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:58,720 [Jack] Two years after 568 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,120 their records are declassified, 569 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,960 the Alamo Scouts are granted 570 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,480 the insignia of a Special Forces soldier. 571 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:05,680 ♪ ♪ 572 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,200 [David] Over 40 years after 573 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,040 their heroics in the Philippines, 574 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,360 the Alamo Scouts finally receive recognition 575 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:14,520 for pulling off one of the most daring 576 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,800 POW rescue missions in American history. 577 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,400 - Most secret units stay out of sight. 578 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:28,200 They rely on false identities and clever disguises. 579 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,000 But during the Cold War, 580 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:32,400 the Soviet Union assembles a team that truly 581 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:34,560 operates below the surface-- 582 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,920 an elite force of highly trained dolphins. 583 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,920 [suspenseful music] 584 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,920 ♪ ♪ 585 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:45,440 [Hakeem] At the height of the Cold War, 586 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,360 Soviet navy commanders are worried. 587 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,520 They're concerned enemy divers could slip into their bases 588 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,600 and sabotage their fleet without being detected. 589 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,280 In the warm waters off the Crimean Peninsula, 590 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:03,360 the USSR sets up a top-secret training school for dolphins. 591 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,320 [dolphins chattering] 592 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,760 - The Soviets, by utilizing the dolphins' 593 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,840 incredible hearing and intelligence, 594 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,000 create a highly effective early warning defense system 595 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:16,040 for any possible inbound enemy submarines. 596 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:17,440 ♪ ♪ 597 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,040 [David] The Dolphins are fully trained 598 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,000 to trail a signal buoy and kept on standby. 599 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:25,000 ♪ ♪ 600 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:29,320 [Hakeem] In 1991, the Soviet Union breaks apart. 601 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:33,040 Modern Russia has no use for these trained dolphins. 602 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,360 So the marine mammal program falls apart 603 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,200 and is just remembered as a relic 604 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,320 of the old Soviet empire. 605 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,040 ♪ ♪ 606 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,960 [David] Fast forward three decades, 607 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,640 and the mammal program resurfaces 608 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:50,800 in the most unexpected of places. 609 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,840 - It's a spring day off the coast of Norway. 610 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,200 Three fishermen spot something strange drifting in the ocean. 611 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:57,400 As they get closer, 612 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,160 they realize it's a beluga whale. 613 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:01,160 ♪ ♪ 614 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:02,560 [Greg] Now, this is odd. 615 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,800 Belugas swim in colder waters than this. 616 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,280 Also, they typically travel in pods. 617 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,120 So for it to be this far south and to be alone, 618 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,680 something is suspicious here. 619 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:14,280 [Hakeem] As the whale swims by, 620 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,280 the fishermen notice that there's something 621 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,680 caught around the beluga's body. 622 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,000 One of the fishermen dives into the water 623 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:22,600 to help the animal. 624 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,520 But once in the water, 625 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,040 the fisherman realizes 626 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,720 that this isn't debris wrapped around the whale-- 627 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:31,720 this is a carefully designed harness. 628 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:33,280 [dramatic music] 629 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,280 [David] As they haul the harness onto deck, 630 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,280 they spot something strange-- 631 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,960 a stamp that says, "Equipment, Saint Petersburg." 632 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:42,640 This isn't fishing gear. 633 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,200 It's Russian tech. 634 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:45,520 ♪ ♪ 635 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:46,520 [Dan] Just for the record, 636 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,600 no zoo or research institution 637 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,160 has put out a statement saying that 638 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:51,720 they are missing their beluga. 639 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,960 It is a total mystery where this thing came from. 640 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:56,600 ♪ ♪ 641 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,480 The mystery quickly makes international headlines, 642 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:04,280 and news outlets settle on the unsettling conclusion 643 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:09,120 a Russian spy whale has just surfaced in Norwegian waters. 644 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,160 [Sami] Locals embrace the theory, 645 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,560 and they give the animal a name, Hvaldimir, 646 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,320 which is a playful mashup of the word Hval, 647 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,000 which is Norwegian for whale, 648 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,080 and the first name of Russia's president, 649 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:22,120 Vladimir Putin. 650 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:23,320 ♪ ♪ 651 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:24,840 [David] The Putin administration 652 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,040 doesn't confirm knowledge of Hvaldimir. 653 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:28,360 ♪ ♪ 654 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:29,400 [Greg] Intelligence journalists 655 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:30,960 across the world start digging in 656 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,120 to see if Hvaldimir really is 657 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,200 a part of a secret Russian unit. 658 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,160 [Sami] Footage on social media 659 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,040 of Hvaldimir playing with tourists along Norway's coast 660 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,600 reveals a pretty big clue. 661 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,680 It shows Hvaldimir being playful-- 662 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,760 tugging at ropes, nudging boats. 663 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,160 He even retrieves a girl's phone from the seabed. 664 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:51,640 [Hakeem] It becomes clear that 665 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,120 this whale has experience with humans 666 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,040 and may even be trained, 667 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:59,480 but it's not clear by who or why. 668 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:00,960 ♪ ♪ 669 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:02,800 - The following month, European journalists 670 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,720 make a breakthrough while trawling through Google Maps. 671 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:07,400 [dramatic music] 672 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:08,640 They're scrolling along the coastline, 673 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:09,640 looking at clues. 674 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,320 And they spot something 675 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,600 hiding in plain sight in Olenya Bay 676 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:14,800 near Murmansk. 677 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:15,960 ♪ ♪ 678 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:17,360 [David] Floating in the water 679 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,200 are what appear to be large pens, 680 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,400 roughly 20 meters wide. 681 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,320 [Dan] Murmansk is Russia's key Arctic port 682 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,760 and the base for its main submarine force, 683 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:28,200 the Northern Fleet. 684 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,480 That fleet comprises more than 30 submarines, 685 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,960 including a bunch that are capable 686 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:35,880 of launching nuclear strikes. 687 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:37,560 [David] The freezing waters of Murmansk 688 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,000 are too cold for most dolphin species. 689 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:41,480 ♪ ♪ 690 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:43,600 Have Russians begun secretly training 691 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,320 a new mammal to serve as underwater sentinels? 692 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:49,360 [Dan] Inside those berths 693 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,520 are white shapes that match 694 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,440 the sizes of beluga whales. 695 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:55,680 ♪ ♪ 696 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:57,040 [David] This discovery is only 697 00:30:57,160 --> 00:30:58,920 the tip of the iceberg. 698 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,680 Later that month, more intel is revealed. 699 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,280 [Sami] A tip reaches Ukrainian marine biologist 700 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:05,920 Dr. Olga Shpak. 701 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,560 She's told Hvaldimir is actually a whale named Andruha 702 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:12,920 and went missing from the Research Institute 703 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,080 for Applied Problems in Murmansk. 704 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,960 It's a branch of the Russian military 705 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,160 that has been secretly training beluga whales. 706 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:23,720 ♪ ♪ 707 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,800 [David] A secret unit of Russian marine troops 708 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:30,400 is finally exposed by the most unexpected whistleblower. 709 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:31,800 [Sami] After his escape, 710 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:33,960 Hvaldimir lives out the remainder of his days 711 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:36,400 on the Norwegian coast, living proof 712 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,600 of Russia's latest shadow unit, 713 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,480 this top-secret battalion 714 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:42,720 of cute belugas that are trained 715 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:44,920 to guard its submarine strike force. 716 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:46,400 ♪ ♪ 717 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:51,880 - When a secret unit mission ends in success, 718 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,520 no one ever hears about it. 719 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:55,480 But when a mission fails, 720 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,440 that's when it makes the headlines. 721 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,840 [tense music] 722 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:01,520 [Sami] In the early years of the Cold War, 723 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,360 the CIA creates its own team of cat burglars, 724 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,080 a unit so secret, it operates entirely off the books. 725 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:09,440 ♪ ♪ 726 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,840 [Hakeem] It's known only as The Shop. 727 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,120 They're trained in lock picking, safe cracking, 728 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:16,880 and silent entry. 729 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:20,040 And they're the CIA's answer when what they're looking for 730 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:22,920 is literally locked behind closed doors. 731 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:27,000 ♪ ♪ 732 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:29,800 [David] In 1989, the CIA has a problem 733 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:34,560 only The Shop can crack, high in the Himalayas. 734 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,600 [Sami] The CIA has intelligence that 735 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,840 a code machine is locked away inside 736 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:41,600 the East German embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. 737 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:43,120 ♪ ♪ 738 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,680 It's the key to unlocking three decades 739 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:47,640 of encrypted East German communications. 740 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,640 It's an intelligence gold mine. 741 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:52,400 [Hakeem] If they can steal the code machine, 742 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,080 then they can decrypt the intelligence 743 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:55,440 and tip the balance 744 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,320 between the U.S. and its Cold War rivals. 745 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,520 At this point, the Eastern Bloc is crumbling. 746 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,360 And understanding what's happening 747 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:07,920 behind the Iron Curtain has never been more critical. 748 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:09,720 [David] With the stakes so high, 749 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:14,160 the CIA turns to its most skilled safecracker, 750 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,400 a man named Doug Groat. 751 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:17,880 [Sami] Groat is a former Green Beret, 752 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,240 trained in survival and evasion. 753 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,640 But after leaving the Special Forces in 1980, 754 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,560 he joins the CIA. 755 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,200 [David] By 1989, he's a seven-year veteran 756 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,400 of The Shop, trusted with the jobs 757 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,640 no one else can handle. 758 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:34,960 - Groat is ordered to fly to Kathmandu 759 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:36,800 and steal the code machine. 760 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,560 He's ordered to take the entire safe 761 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:41,560 because attempting to crack it on-site 762 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:43,280 would just take too much time. 763 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,000 [tense music] 764 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:46,840 [David] As with most of his work, 765 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,360 failure means likely death. 766 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,040 - Members of The Shop do not have diplomatic immunity. 767 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:55,240 And that means that if they are caught, 768 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,040 the CIA will deny their existence and disavow them. 769 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,040 ♪ ♪ 770 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,800 [David] Two days before the mission, 771 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:06,440 Groat's team arrives in Nepal disguised as tourists. 772 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:10,400 They move into a safe house and begin final preparations. 773 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,520 - To give Groat's team a window of time 774 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:13,960 to carry out the operation, 775 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:15,920 CIA stationed in Kathmandu 776 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:17,320 sets up a diplomatic event 777 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:19,760 about an hour outside of the city. 778 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,240 They know that the East Germans can't deny 779 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,400 an invitation to come to the event... 780 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,120 ♪ ♪ 781 00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:29,000 Which gives Groat's team about three solid hours 782 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:30,320 to carry out this mission. 783 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:32,080 [dramatic music] 784 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:33,680 [Hakeem] Groat and his team need to reach 785 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,800 the East German embassy without any suspicion. 786 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,800 That's kind of hard for a group of white dudes 787 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,760 to accomplish in Kathmandu. 788 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,080 [Jesse] Groat and his team are given 789 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:47,720 latex masks, complete with black hair 790 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,840 and darker skin tone 791 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,360 to turn them into convincing Nepalese men, 792 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:53,880 [tense music] 793 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,240 [David] On the day, 794 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,040 the Americans put on their disguises 795 00:34:57,160 --> 00:34:59,640 and begin the operation. 796 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:01,440 [Sami] At the closed embassy, 797 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,960 Groat quietly opens the front door. 798 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,160 Inside the embassy, it's too hot to concentrate. 799 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:09,520 So they have no choice. 800 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,280 They have to remove their masks. 801 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:13,120 ♪ ♪ 802 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:15,480 [Hakeem] Groat and his team identify the safe, 803 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,680 but it's much heavier than they anticipated. 804 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,160 ♪ ♪ 805 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,280 They drag the safe down the stairs, 806 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:23,520 load it into a van, 807 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,000 and speed away to the U.S. embassy. 808 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:27,920 [dramatic music] 809 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:29,560 - When they reach the embassy, 810 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,680 Groat cracks open the safe to retrieve his prize. 811 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:35,520 [David] But it's completely empty. 812 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,560 [Hakeem] It's a failure. 813 00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,720 So when another job goes wrong, 814 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,200 Groat is furious. 815 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,600 it's putting his intelligence team at risk. 816 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:49,400 In the months that follow, Groat falls out with the CIA 817 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,960 and eventually leaves the agency under a cloud. 818 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,200 ♪ ♪ 819 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:57,280 [Sami] Decades later, in 2012, 820 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,000 Groat reveals details of The Shop 821 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:00,800 to journalist David Wise, who, 822 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,240 through Groat's testimony and other sources, 823 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:04,720 pieces together details 824 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:08,720 of this still very top secret unit. 825 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,600 In fact, it's Wise who publishes a bombshell article 826 00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:14,080 revealing the botched Kathmandu job 827 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:15,760 and sheds light for the first time 828 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,320 on the inner workings of The Shop. 829 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:20,320 [Andrew] The Kathmandu job remains the only 830 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:23,400 confirmed operation that The Shop ever carried out, 831 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:25,120 even though people assume dozens, 832 00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:26,680 if not hundreds, of additional operations 833 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:28,400 have also taken place. 834 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:32,360 ♪ ♪ 835 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:34,560 - Were it not for that failed mission, 836 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,520 we'd probably never have known that The Shop even existed. 837 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:44,400 - Spying on your enemies is standard practice. 838 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,720 But when your targets are your own allies, 839 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,800 espionage enters dangerous new territory. 840 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:53,120 [tense music] 841 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:56,680 - F6 is a subunit of the CIA's Special Collection Service. 842 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,120 Essentially, it's a team of master eavesdroppers. 843 00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:02,440 - Formed late in the Cold War, some of their triumphs 844 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:04,840 include bugging Moscow's phone exchanges 845 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,280 and tapping Pakistan communication networks 846 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:09,520 to steal nuclear plans. 847 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:10,840 [Don] If you want to listen in 848 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,240 on any conversation on Earth, 849 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:14,880 these are the people you call. 850 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:16,680 ♪ ♪ 851 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,080 [Hakeem] The United States' relationship with Germany 852 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,120 is facing its biggest strain since the end of World War II. 853 00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:24,280 ♪ ♪ 854 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:26,880 George W. Bush is making his case 855 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,280 to start the Iraq war. 856 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,000 Germany will not be joining in. 857 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,680 [Don] It is a very public snub. 858 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:36,480 And it makes intelligence chiefs 859 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,840 inside the U.S. government uneasy. 860 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:40,320 ♪ ♪ 861 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,120 [Hakeem] If Berlin is so willing 862 00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:44,560 to openly defy the United States, 863 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:47,240 that creates fears they're sowing distrust 864 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,840 among America's other allies. 865 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:51,520 ♪ ♪ 866 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,400 [David] The Bush administration wants to know 867 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:56,840 what's being said behind closed doors in Germany, 868 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,400 so it turns to F6. 869 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:01,440 [suspenseful music] 870 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:03,160 [Sami] To bug the German government, 871 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,000 F6 places their faith in a newly-developed 872 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,640 piece of computer code that targets a weak spot 873 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:09,880 in the administration's communications security. 874 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:11,560 ♪ ♪ 875 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,080 - For sensitive business, 876 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:16,760 the Germans use secure, encrypted landlines. 877 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,240 But they all carry mobile phones, 878 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,440 which bounce microwave signals from tower to tower. 879 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:23,960 ♪ ♪ 880 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,280 [David] F6 has developed a top-secret program 881 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:28,320 to monitor these transmissions. 882 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:29,560 ♪ ♪ 883 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:31,120 [Sami] F6 can sift through 884 00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:32,840 the storm cloud of microwaves 885 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,680 whizzing over a city or an entire nation 886 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,960 and pull out any messages linked to that number. 887 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:40,480 ♪ ♪ 888 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:42,480 [Hakeem] The entire operation can be run 889 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:44,600 from the U.S. embassy in Berlin. 890 00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:47,600 There, they can place an antenna on high 891 00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:50,480 to trawl the airwaves for sensitive communications 892 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:52,840 between targeted politicians. 893 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:54,600 [tense music] 894 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:57,000 [David] The challenge is installing the antennas 895 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,480 where they won't attract attention. 896 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:00,800 ♪ ♪ 897 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:02,880 F6's solution is another piece 898 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,960 of high-tech trickery. 899 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,800 [Sami] The antennas are placed inside rooms 900 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:09,440 at the very top of the U.S. embassy, 901 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:11,320 near windows, which they coat with 902 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:12,840 a special dielectric film. 903 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,240 What this film does is, it blocks visible light, 904 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:17,680 concealing the antenna while allowing radio 905 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,880 and microwaves to pass through to be collected. 906 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,160 ♪ ♪ 907 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,160 - With the antennas in place, the U.S. now has 908 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,080 a direct line into Germany's inner circle. 909 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,240 ♪ ♪ 910 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,400 [Andrew] For weeks, the U.S. pushes Germany 911 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,280 to support the invasion of Iraq, 912 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:35,920 all while simultaneously listening 913 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,680 to the private communications of German leadership. 914 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,240 [Sami] Armed with this intel, they soon realize that 915 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,200 the Germans likely won't budge. 916 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:44,880 And it's little surprise to the Americans 917 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,520 when Germany refuses to join their invasion of Iraq 918 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:49,000 in March of 2003. 919 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:50,360 ♪ ♪ 920 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:52,800 [David] F6 keeps the phone tap operation 921 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:56,320 running even after the Iraq war ends. 922 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,280 - As Angela Merkel rises to become chancellor 923 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,760 and one of the West's most influential politicians, 924 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,360 her phone remains under surveillance. 925 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:07,480 On paper, she's one of Washington's 926 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,480 closest allies, yet F6 keeps listening, 927 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,760 undetected and undeterred. 928 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,880 [David] It stays secret for years, 929 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:22,000 until June 2013, when it's finally revealed. 930 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,560 [Sasha] NSA contractor Edward Snowden 931 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:26,800 walks off the job in Hawaii, 932 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:29,200 and he's carrying what will become 933 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,560 one of the most damaging intelligence leaks in history. 934 00:40:32,680 --> 00:40:34,760 ♪ ♪ 935 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,520 [Don] He releases this information to journalists. 936 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:39,680 Overnight, the world learns of 937 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:42,560 vast and secret U.S. surveillance programs. 938 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:44,280 ♪ ♪ 939 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,960 Buried among the details is a document 940 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:49,680 listing the personal number of Angela Merkel 941 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,560 as an active NSA target. 942 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:54,280 [Sami] Scandal erupts, 943 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,120 and Merkel calls President Obama to tell him 944 00:40:57,240 --> 00:41:00,120 spying on friends is not acceptable. 945 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:01,800 ♪ ♪ 946 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:03,720 [Don] Within days, the world learns that 947 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:05,880 F6 is tapping into the inner circles 948 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:07,520 of allied governments. 949 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:11,440 Outrage sweeps Germany and beyond. 950 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,920 [David] The CIA never officially acknowledges 951 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:16,800 the German eavesdropping operation 952 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:20,120 or even the existence of F6. 953 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:24,200 The question is, who are they listening to now? 954 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:25,720 ♪ ♪ 955 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,240 From an unusual spy in the waters off Norway 956 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,760 to a daring rescue in World War II 957 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,480 and a team of deadly Russian assassins, 958 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,040 secret units operate in every era 959 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:38,960 and for every government. 960 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:41,960 When they succeed, no one's the wiser. 961 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:45,280 But when they fail, the world finds out. 962 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,800 ♪ ♪