logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
47m 37s

Ames Mole Hunt

Wondery | Ballen Studios
About this episode

In 1985, Soviet defector Vitaly Yurchenko revealed a chilling secret to the CIA: a high-ranking mole was leaking American intelligence to the KGB. As it turned out, the mole was Aldrich Ames, the CIA’s own Chief of Soviet Counterintelligence. The disgruntled agent turned traitor operated undetected for nearly a decade, exposing the CIA’s missteps and blind spots along the way. 

Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter

Follow Redacted: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting https://wondery.com/links/redacted/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 5
A Redacted Medical Mystery: Weather Warriors/Red Menace
In this special MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries and Redacted Crossover episode, MrBallen and Luke Lamana join forces to bring you two shocking stories of the military testing bizarre, deadly weapons of war in secret. In “Weather Warriors,"" the U.S. Army goes to extreme lengths to d ... Show More
38m 23s
Jul 29
Operation Fast & Furious: When Feds Armed Cartels
A secretive U.S. government operation to track gun traffickers goes horribly wrong when the weapons end up in the hands of criminals—and are used to kill a Border Patrol agent. As the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives scrambles to cover its tracks, one agent de ... Show More
34m 42s
Jul 28
Listen Now: Lawless Planet
It’s not that hard to kill a planet. All it takes is a little drilling, some mining, a generous helping of pollution and voila! Earth over. When you take stock of what’s left, it starts to look like a crime scene: decapitated mountains, poisoned rivers, oil-soaked pelicans, maybe ... Show More
5m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
What to Listen to Next - REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana
Behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. Each week, Luke Lamana, a Marine Corp Reconnaissance Veteran, pulls back the curtain on what once was classified information exposing t ... Show More
6m 53s
Dec 2024
The Spy Who Killed a Prime Minister | Cold Jungle | 3
While Patrice Lumumba battles to control his country, MI6 officer Daphne Park and CIA officer Larry Devlin are secretly battling to stop him turning to the Soviets for help.Listen to The Spy Who ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free tr ... Show More
48m 7s
Nov 2024
The Spy Who Putin Poisoned | Uncovering The Truth With Bellingcat | 5
In a groundbreaking investigation into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, journalism group Bellingcat exposed previously unknown details of the Salisbury Poisonings that blew the case wide open. Journalist and Bellingcat founder Elliot Higgins and host Charlie Higson explore where ... Show More
33m 18s
Apr 2023
Ministry of Secrets | 7. Dodgy Dickie Strikes Again
Who ordered Lionel Crabb’s final dive? And why? Giles and Sarah investigate the possible role of MI6. Was the CIA also involved? Revelations from a former spy and a royal expert implicate some very important figures in Crabb’s disappearance. Who are they? And is this why the affa ... Show More
39m 7s
Jul 2024
The Spy Who Defused the Missile Crisis | Manoeuvres in Moscow | 3
Oleg Penkovsky is back in the USSR, ready to feed Soviet secrets to his new MI6 contact: a pram-pushing mother of three. But with the Berlin Crisis about to boil over, his intel could be the difference between war and peace. But with the KGB lurking everywhere smuggling these sec ... Show More
43m 2s
Sep 2024
Episode 368 - MKUltra - Part 2: The Myth of Mind Control
We now know that the CIA quietly tested mind-bending psychedelics on unwitting American citizens. But how do we know?In Part 2 of our series on MK-Ultra, we're going to tell you the story of how one of the CIA's many dirty secrets was revealed to the world, and how they were forc ... Show More
42m 23s
Jul 2024
The Spy Who Defused the Missile Crisis | Code Nuclear | 4
It’s 1962 and Oleg Penkovsky has gone to ground after spotting a KGB surveillance team tracking his MI6 contact Janet Chisholm. But when the British Embassy in Moscow invites him to a cocktail party, he sees a chance to reconnect with Western intelligence. Listen to The Spy Who a ... Show More
41m 2s
Feb 2023
Introducing... Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets
MINISTRY OF SECRETS is one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Cold War. At its heart is a missing person — a wartime hero and international celebrity. But that’s just the starting point. It involves the royal family, MI6, the CIA and the KGB. There’s conspiracies. And lies. T ... Show More
1m 5s
Dec 2024
The Spy Who Killed a Prime Minister | Heart of Darkness | 2
Newly independent Congo is spiralling into disorder. Disorder the Communists could be quick to exploit. MI6 officer Daphne Park needs to act, and fast.Listen to The Spy Who ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wonder ... Show More
40m 14s