Former CIA Chief of Disguise Answers Spy Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED
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- Опубликовано: 27 апр 2024
- Jonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise, answers the internet's burning questions about spying. How many CIA assets are in Ukraine right now? Do spies get acting lessons? How do spies get recruited? Do spies get to choose their own code names? Jonna answers all these questions and much more!
For more info about the world of espionage, check out the International Spy Museum: www.spymuseum.org
Producer/Director: Lisandro Perez-Rey
Director of Photography: Eric Bugash
Editor: Louville Moore
Expert: Jonna Mendez
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producers: Paul Gulyas, Samantha Vélez
Production Manager: Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Camera Operator: Mike Audick
Audio: Elijah Sutton
Production Assistant: Will Hoffinger
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Additional Editor: Paul Tael
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Наука
If this is what she CAN tell us, imagine all the stuff she CAN’T
There were lies in what she did tell you too
Her whole job is to disinform you
plausible deniability
@The Padded Cell your so blissfully ignorant
"We can neither confirm nor deny what has been said here is true or false".
I love that some answers are like:
"Have you seen Argo?"
👵"Ahh yes, Ben Affleck played as my Husband, the protagonist"
"There's a cool position called Cheif of Disguise"
👵"Ahh yes, I was Chief of Disguise for a few years"
Argo is such a good movie, btw.
Yea this lady is………experienced. Definitely has stories
“Do you get paid a lot of money?”
“No, were on the same pay scale as the IRS”
Argo was a fabulous movie, won Best Picture
Jiijji
I love her sense of humor. Unironically, the way it casually blends with her seriousness is hilarious.
Remember when she mentioned charisma? She has all of the traits that she mentioned a good spy should have
That would just be regular irony.
Please don’t let “ironic” become the new “literally”
Thanks for your support
@@JTD472 We literally don't care
@@JTD472 that's already happened a long time ago, unfortunately
All spies can Oy Vey and are doubles for Israel.
Interesting that she mentioned how you have to bring charisma in with you if you want to be a spy. She definitely has that. You listen to her speak and she comes off as an authoritative figure, but one that you can trust and open up to, one you'd like to be friends with.
Well, I can see as as a Senator. Considering the Wokester Bolshevik garbage that gets elected these days.
Agree!
Really? I didn't get that
they're called psychoaths
Ok, so, here's the deal. Spies are professional liars. You shouldn't trust them or a word they say.
This woman could literally looks like any ordinary grandma I walk by in my day to day life. But she’s probably witnessed murders, gone undercover in major missions, it’s honestly astonishing.
5:54 "i know that cyanide REALLY works"
@@jossypoo i remember in a previous interview she said how she helped design a pen that had a cyanide capsule on the lid and the asset ended up having to use it and died
@@Caine0027 yeah. To quote her, he was dead before his body hit the flooooor
@@su18ku12 could be just me, but I heard a very subtle touch of sadness when she said it. As if she was sorry that that had to happen. Could be just me though
I've been down in the comments for less than two minutes, and I already forget what she looks like.
she’s one of the best guests this has had. Also RIP to her late husband who was a legend in his own right
What happened to her husband?
@@FutureHNDRXX Parkinson's
Many diplomats were bombarded with radio waves and caused brain damage. I wonder if he had that done to him and it contributed to his diagnosis.
Rest in Peace to her late husband💔🙏 Prayers and best wishes to him & her and all their families,friends and loved ones❤
She is one of my favorites. I love watching all the interviews like this that she has done.
Her body language at about 5:45, rubbing her neck, wiping her hands on her pants, looking aside for a few moments right before looking to the interviewer and saying " ... and I do know that cyanide really really works" gave me chills. I just know she was thinking about someone, many someones?
She's spoken before about one of their operatives who insisted on having an L pill. He was caught by the Russians and knew what awaited him, so he asked for his pen so he could write his confession. When they handed it to him, he bit down on the tip. He was dead before he hit the floor.
Edit: the operative in question was TRIGON. He was recruited by the CIA while working in Colombia as a Soviet diplomat. His handler there was actually Aldrich Ames, a KGB double agent who sold 10 CIA operatives to their deaths in the 1980s. TRIGON was not one of these - he had already been betrayed by another mole within the CIA in 1977. He died without ever knowing of the existence of his daughter back in Colombia.
@@caswanden454 excellent info. Ames was his handler at first but in Moscow, he had a woman handler. I know I sound picky...but I couldn't help but add to your comment.
@@zeldanerd08 yes, good point! Ames was his handler specifically in Colombia.
@caswanden454 yep. Shame he wasn't caught sooner, but yes. He was his handler in Colombia. Th Americans assigned a woman to him when he returned to Moscow. They rightfully predicted that the KGB wouldn't look twice at an American woman.
11:15 The BEST answer ever 😃👏
She was on an episode of To Tell the Truth. Her disguise (and lying ability) was so incredible that she came back as a liar and fooled the contestants into picking her later in the episode on a second panel.
I saw that too, but she didn't fool them into picking her for the second round.
What is the episode tho?
Do you remember what episode/season she was on? I’d love to see her in that kind of show.
Season 5 episode 2. I had to hunt around and found it on Hulu.
WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG TO HAVE HER BACK?!?!? This is unacceptable!
She’s absolutely incredible.
Looked for this one!!
She was probably working on some secret stuff
I wish to subscribe to her podcast she is incapable of boring me
the cia is not incredible, they are horrible
i think she seems pretty credible
Such a wealth of knowledge even after retiring so many years ago. Imagine what she'd know now if she never retired
And to imagine the things she know but can't talk about
Well, she SAYS she's retired. Exactly what a CIA agent who wasn't retired would say... 😜
Seriously, she oozes knowledge.
I believe a sign of superduper deep knowledge is the ability to explain it simply but still be correct.
I like that, it's like magic.
I mean, she was the chief of disguise… like yeah lol she was an expert in her own field
Oh yeah... Jack talk Thai. Jack talk Thai very well.
Back when I was a student at the University of Michigan, the CIA recruited there every year. I was in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. I heard that they were naturally quite interested in people who could speak Korean, Chinese, and Russian, which were taught at our school. It seems that they would also be particularly interested in those of use who, in addition to those languages, had also studied nuclear engineering or chemistry too.
I wonder what they were gonna do? (Sarcastic)
I've gotten the email every so often, I'm assuming they just blast it out to every student like the career fair ones. Haven't actually looked into it though.
My darling, Russian is " Eastern European "- not " Eastern Asian ".
@tatianalyulkin410 yes, but the point of the person in the comment was pointing out what they were interested in / what people they were looking for.
As someone who has worked alongside a CIA outfit (we called them OGA) in Eastern Afghanistan. They either went by first name or nickname. Just on our FOB we had at least 12 members we did missions with. They answered to their own chain of command, had their own separate helos come with their gear. They were also some of the most squared away guys I've worked with. RIP William (Chief) Carlson - Christopher Glenn Mueller KIA Shkin, Afghanistan 2003 may we meet on a distance battlefield.
SPC Ruiz 10th Mountain Division 1-87 Infantry OEF IV Combat Veteran
Squared away?
@@EmyN Squared away means orderly and disciplined; professionals who know what they're doing.
@@Selvikus Thank you
If you believe in Norse mythology, soldiers killed in battle go to the great armies of the gods, where they train for the final doomsday battle that Christians call Armageddon and the Norse call Ragnarok.
It's always a delight to listen to this woman.
I love her , I love how she has a story about every question , it could be an editing trick but I really do not think so.
This was enthralling!
She just invalidated herself, People who actually are involved in things can not tell you the location of "the farm" even if people know where it's at publicly
You need to understand one thing well, Even if information is public there is things legit people can't tell you without prosecution. She's not legit
She’s dynamite!
She has a very unique way to tell stories. Its short, prezise, to the point but colorfull, detail oriented and entertaining. Her speaking is so focused. No hms, filling words, pauses.
It would be interesting to hear her being someone else, talking as someone else.
Maybe she is
They probably edit out the pauses where people are thinking of what to answer but I agree that she is very well-versed.
I can promise you that she can be anyone. Literally anyone.
I'm fairly certain she's in disguise, isn't married to the guy she claims to be, and about 25% of what she says is misinformation.
If you notice, she is answering the stuff most people already know or the stuff that's easily figured out via the internet.
This is good advertisement for the CIA and helps with recruitment. The demographic for this channel would overlap the demo they hire.
@@xmarine73 prove it
She’s so well spoken and informative. I could hear her talk to me about anything and everything all day. Adding visiting the spy museum to my bucket list too!
I was there 20 years ago, and it was one of the best museums in DC. Which is saying a lot, DC has the best museums in the country.
One of things I still regret to this day is low little time we spent at the Spy Museum. We walked in about a couple hours before closing thinking it was more than enough and it totally wasn't. You had to read every single item on display because there was so much history and hidden details (I mean, it's just a shoe until you realize that there's a poisoned blade in it and it was used in this history context). It was all fascinating and I wish I had 4-6 more hours!
Where is it at?
Such cool stuff. "Spy Support" should be a channel by itself.
Spycraft 101 podcast, check it out
YES
it's called: CNN and NPR
It's called burn notice
@@andrewpoderis8548 omg i loved that show!!!!! fricken was soooooo fun yeah it got cheesy at some points but the concept was awesome sauce
I watch every interview with her. She has so much knowledge.
"Knowledge" being a bunch of fluff. Notice in her first story the "spy" (her) is the person having the hard day watching all those poor "assets" die. The CIA is and always have been a tool of the business classes. It's primary function has been to make the world safe for US businesses, and at any cost, be that murder, coup, genocide, or even nuclear brinksmanship. Honestly, they should be ashamed for producing this trash.
“A lot people came to the booth just to see what my husband looked like.” 😹She is fun to listen to. Wired has the best questions content, hands down. I always enjoyed reading the magazine too.
So fascinating, as usual. She is clear, concise and to the point. Thank you, Jonna!
Joanna still flexing "if it was our lighter. It would actually light" that killed me.
Jonna Mendez is amazing, she could literally be a Main Character.
Shut up
“There’s a real job called Chief of Disguise? How cool is THAT person?!”
Jonna Mendez: yeah, I had that job for a couple years nbd
She's like M in the James Bond series
The iron lady act
CIA are crisis actors
@@luf4rall more like Q. But I totally see your point.
Something about "...and I do know that cyanide really, really works" is one of the most equally terrifying and enjoyable sentences ever uttered.
Absolutely love listening to Jonna Mendez's stories. She is amazing.
I always forget that spies are not just a movie trope, they are a crucial part to safety and warfare.
And a crucial part of ruining safety and security.
They need to get paid more. They are woefully underpaid.
@@melissawickersham9912 Yeah, how can they be risking their lives for national security and living these extremely stressful double lives only be paid the same as a same-level desk job IRS person?
And remember your enemy spies are doing the same thing in your country
Safety you say
I wish this was an hour longer, Mrs. Mendez is amazing.
yeah i bet all the other countries would to lol!!! she exposed so much tho yeah i bet alot of these things most everyone at THIS point know meaning other gov's xD
@@BushMaster420circle She didn't expose anything anyone with common sense could figure out. Literally the most basic questions with basic answers.
@@battlingmink467 umm well yes she did expose things.... also you clearly didnt even bother reading my comment or at the very least, read it with the intent to comment, because i stated that, "tho i bet alot of these things most everyone at this point know".... n none of that was basic.... lmao n again somehow you must lack common sense... because common sense would say I SAID WHAT YOU DID rofl.... again refer to my air quotes... and within you response you also proved not everyone has common sense lol... because you couldnt figure out i said that at this point, none of it would be exposer.... smh
@@battlingmink467 also you just know anything she's talking about with any degree of specificity will have been declassified, meaning the field has advanced so far that it's either irrelevant info or obsolete tech.
The things this lady must have seen and been through... I can't imagine. The stress. The stories. What a journey!!
This is the coolest episodes of Tech Support I've seen in a while.
"If it was a CIA lighter it would actually light." KGB, you feel that BURN?
**they did not**
Considering there is no KGB anymore they probably didn’t
they can't feel it as they stopped existing 3 decades ago
*KGB would like to know your location*
@@GrimYak kgb kinda turned into the Russian State instead.
Talk about being amazing at your job!
This is actually a 28 year old guy named Steve.
Lol
😂😂😂😂
What's up Steve😂😂
Latex masks have come along away
Lmaooo
I can never get enough Jonna Mendez. More, please!
Every video this lady does is fantastic. I love listening to her explain stuff
Does anybody else really want a series of her breaking down and reacting to spy media long-form? Like, two episodes of Burn Notice, and maybe the movie Argo?
I’d watch a series of her and every single active cia agent standing trial for the war crimes they’re proud of committing
I would sign up to hear her read the Burlingame phone book.
She already did Argo
I cannot be objective when it comes to Jonna Mendez. I'd pay to come and watch her read the SF phone book.
She's not gonna be standing trial. Barack, Nudelman, Kolomojsky and Zelensky are.
The rule of aborting a mission if it doesn't feel right makes perfect sense because even if everything is fine, you may make a mistake if you don't feel comfortable and thus mess up the mission just because of your feelings. Success also has a lot to do with believing in success and convincing yourself that you can do it.
Also, your gut feeling is your subconcious telling you that things seem off so it's also something that tour subconcious picked up on that isn't right or is dangerous etc.
I think this is correct because it takes confidence for you to become successful.
None of this is real it’s state propaganda
I'm sure what she says is true but to an extent someone who chickens out or flakes too much is definitely going to at best get a bad reputation and it worse be moved to much less sensitive or high priority stuff. you probably have to strike a balance between trusting your gut but also knowing that you're going to get butterflies all the time no matter what and that can't always be a reason to abort. Ultimately I guess strong character and experiences the only way to get a good read on that consistently going forward
@@Laotzu.Goldbug I see what you mean, but butterflies are not the same as your gut feeling
I think the question about the dead drop was actually about doing the dance move, not the actual method of passing items. They probably meant death drop and misspelled it hahah
I love Jonna Mendez. She's got plenty of fascinating information. I doubt I'd enjoy being a spy, but coming up with characters? All day long.
I am fairly certain that the person who tweeted "i want to learn how to do a dead drop but I'm so scared" was actually talking about the death drops drag queens do.
OMG! that makes sense :)))))
lmao definitely
I thought the same thing! Came to the comments for this
🤣🤣
Even the CIA doesn’t operate on drag queen level. The queens are on another plane.
The dead drop question is hilarious, definitely not the kind of dead drop they were tweeting about
What were they meaning?
@@lexter2000a dance move
@@bobeode ohh a death drop. They must have mistyped it haha
@@lexter2000 drugs
Thought that was funny too, they totally blew up her spot lol
the spy museum is sooooo amazing and its amazing how many things have been declassified. The Museum has this interactive game that you can follow
12:20 question had an undercover cop (or fbi can’t remember) talk to our class my senior of highschool in my criminal justice class about this. Dude had like two families both with two different cover stories and had been undercover for so long by the time he retired that he essentially still had to remain under his cover story to most people because that had just become his life at that point.
I imagine it’s a bit easier to leave cover when it’s CIA stuff and you can stop being undercover when you leave the country you’re working in but for the domestic undercover agents it can certainly drastically impact their personal lives
I've seen her once before on here and was impressed. I still can't register in my brain the level of her position and how she looks like someone who could be a cashier at Save-A-Lot. She's so average she completely fits in.
Bruh you had me laughing, cashier at Save-A-Lot!
4:46 In short:
_”follow me once, I wouldn’t mind,”_
_”follow me twice, I would bat an eye,”_
_”follow me thrice, I know your a spy.”_
You’re
She is such a badass... I can listen to her stories, and things about the CIA all day!!!! it's sooo fascinating. WIRED PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring her back for more!
Thank you very much for that. Extremely interesting video, I loved every second of it.
She's married to Tony Mendez. I wonder what kind to conversation they had over dinner, oh to be a fly.
Nothing that they don't want recorded. Ha.
Tony passed in 2019... Or so they say ;)
Baseball and stuff because they weren't allowed to talk about work?:D
😂😂 imagine all the tea fly's could spill
I would love to see an example of one of their full mask disguises. I have a really hard time imagining that it wouldn't be totally clockable up close without a makeup artist, glue, and paint involved. That's how she made it sound anyway, with being able to easily pull the mask off and then just look completely normal after that (besides maybe fixing your hair).
She posted a photo of herself wearing one….
Search for ‘what is a 5 second mask’ on RUclips and there’s more in depth videos on how spies use them!
Especially the one uploaded by WIRED
Buddy. It looks more real than real.
She’s in disguise in this vid right?
@@Fishster lol that would be a funny reveal
Love this channel!!! Spy Support is so freaking interesting............. thank you for your service to our country Jonna! And your husband too.
This was fascinating, thank you
Jonna is my favorite guest you guys have doing these by far. You need to have her back at least 20 more times.
I could literally listen to her all day please bring more episodes with Jonna Mendez
I Love this woman! We need a weekly series! 😎
Fascinating--thank you so much!
Golden age of spies! I would love to meet this woman the stories she could tell
The stories she couldn't tell😄
@@_peacefulPlace 😂😂😂
Probabaly spent her time getting African folks deleted for no reason.
Dr. Julian Bashir : You've given me answers all right; but they were all different. What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?
Elim Garak : My dear Doctor, they're all true.
Dr. Julian Bashir : Even the lies?
Elim Garak : Especially the lies.
11:57 when the CIA is more understanding that most high schools.
LOVE Jonna Mendez! I will watch and re-watch any episodes featuring her. More, please?
Super excited. Just got the book she mentions. It's so good!
I love Jonna Mendez so much! This woman is brilliant and such a great story teller! Im obsessed with everything she says! She deserves so much praise! Jonna start a RUclips or podcast, I need more and more of your knowledge! So much respect to you!!!
The Argo story is less cool when you learn they could have gotten them out earlier if it weren’t for political reasons within the US by the Regan campaign to ensure their victory.
I know an FBI agent who is a photographer. He always has a camera case on him, even when we go out to eat. The camera case has a loaded 45 in it and it never leaves his side.
Quick and straight to the point. She deserves the 1 million views in 5 days.
Please keep doing these spy interviews, they are so much fun. I'd love to see more demos
I remember an ex KGB operative saying in an interview that the perfect disguise to infiltrate a government office would be that of a nondescript bureaucrat, much like the CIA "little gray man", carrying an armful of documents, appearing busy and preoccupied, and making what he called "dead fish eyes", or a look of disinterest and mild irritation, at anyone who tried to approach him.
Jonna Mendez is my favorite guest you've ever had, more please!!
4:35 Charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.
Three people guarantee that I click on the video the moment I see it; one I Jonna Mendez, and the other two are Erik Singer and Joe Navarro. We definitely need more of all three.
They never disappoint!
What about Patrick Sweeney?
@@sterlingodeaghaidh5086 Not so much, for me. But YMMV. :)
@@JustAnotherBuckyLover I meant Victor Sweeney not Patrick, sorry.
try Harry Mack
i just listened to the winds of change podcast and her episode was so funny i had to see if there was more of her. i am so happy love u joanna
I find this woman fascinating. I hope to see more of her.
She says they want little grey men nobody would notice but she also says they want highly charismatic people everyone would want as a friend
Both; the ability to turn on the charisma for a single target and to act inconspicuously otherwise.
Physique and personality are different
Norma Morterson was once such personality.
Huh. Maybe that’s what happened.
You are mixing those up. She wants highly charismatic people to go into foreign countries and recruit little grey men. The little grey men do the actual spying. The charismatic people just manage the little grey men.
@@klaojungwiwattanaporn6927 This woman isn't exactly eye candy, your eyes pass right over her in a crowd, but she has a heart and a passion that makes you want to be her friend as soon as you talk with her.
Thanks, Jonna! Love watching these videos and your true wealth of knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for your career is admirable.
Listening to her puts me in mind of the movie "Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy".
I went to a CIA brief at my school once. The required GPA was a 3.5 or higher. As an engineer I knew I could never be in the CIA lol
This woman is amazing, I would watch a movie length video of answering there questions!
it's always amazing to hear her back!
I read the book she and her husband wrote, The Moscow Rules. One of the most engaging pieces of non-fiction I’ve ever read. So glad she’s back.
Very cool topics, thanks for sharing 👍
She's so well spoken and charismatic. I cant help but rewatch the video, this is my third time.
“Adolf Tolkachev made a lot of money. Except that he got caught. And then they executed him. So I don’t think he had time to spend it.” 7:34
Love the dark deadpan humor 😂😂
I like all of the support videos but this one was awesome. Really great questions and pretty thorough and interesting answers.
Oh, Jonna, after seeing Argo, I researched your husband, Tony and read his book! What a time he had in Southeast Asia! Of course he wrote glowingly about you in the book! This Q n A was very informative so Thank you very much! Tony should have a podcast about all his adventures!
please keep making videos with Jonna, shes amazing
6:48 THE SHADE
When she says "the cyanide really really works" that got me
Gotta say this feel like a short movie, esp the way she talked about "that 10 executed" to anxiety question and then it came up again at the end when she talked about double agent... Woah.
I remember 1 of her Videos, where she talked about changing your Appearance. The rock in the shoe idea sticks with me to this day.
1:51 biggest flex
Some guy on Twitter: I like the movie Argo
This lady: haha yeah that’s a story about my husband 🥰 I guess that’s pretty cool
These are always the best videos.
The way she speaks is very fascinating. In the whole interview I didn’t notice a single word that was wasted.
"Did you know there's a position called 'chief of disguise'?"
"Yes, I _was_ chief of disguise for two years"
She was on earlier talking about disguises. This woman was physically so forgettable to the writer that the writer didn't know it was the same person.
Jonna Mendez is wonderful to listen to, funny and sharp as a tack, which when you think about it is exactly the kind of person you'd want working in that field
Loved your book, and glad to have found this website.
Makes me want to rewatch burn notice again for the millionth time
I’ve watched all her support talks on this channel several times. So fascinating!
Jonna Mendez is incredible! I admire her so much! She should have her own channel or podcast! ❤
I could listen to her speak for hours. She is seriously one of the coolest people I've ever seen.
Jonna Mendez is absolutely amazing. 🥰 I wish her all the best!
The person asking about dead drops should try geocaching. There's literally one I know of locally that's in a pine cone. Also have seen some in magnetic boxes too.
Will definitely be reading the book you wrote w Tony (Moscow Rules); already watched/read Argo.
The numbers on road markers were popular. Even in the days of paper maps, one could place something near a road marker out in the middle of nowhere and the contact would know where it was.
I love everything she’s done and shared.
This is my new favorite channel. You need a whole Netflix series
Great video! Really good stuff!
awesome. Making me feel like visiting the museum!