DC Guard Tragedy, Ukraine’s ‘Final’ Offer, Venezuela, ISIS, and Russian Spy Pigeons | Espresso Martini

In our final Espresso Martini of the year, Chris and Matt reflect on the DC National Guard shooting, the alleged Afghan CIA-linked gunman, and what the case says about how America treats its wartime partners once the war ends. They then turn to Trump’s latest “final” Ukraine peace offer and growing frustration in Europe as Moscow drags the war out on its own terms. The focus shifts to Venezuela, where Russian advisors, new air defenses, cartel politics, and U.S. forces raise the risk of conflict—and to post-Assad Syria, where ISIS is quietly regrouping amid a tenuous recovery. Finally, listener questions bring them to Pete Hegseth’s alleged no-quarter order, Tom Nichols’s case for accountability, and the long, dark tradition of animal spies—and some reflections on ten years of Secrets & Spies and where the show goes next. Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, global issues, and current affairs Please share this episode using these links Audio: https://pod.fo/e/36128f YouTube: https://youtu.be/yr-CKl1Z6Tk Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our Redbubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspies Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Articles discussed in today’s episode "Fellow Unit Member Says Alleged D.C. Shooter Felt Abandoned by CIA" by Kevin Mauer | The Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/alleged-dc-national-guard-shooter-felt-abandoned-cia-1235474835/ "The Ukraine peace deal has stumbled yet again over an inevitable obstacle: Putin" by Andrew Roth | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/03/the-ukraine-peace-deal-has-stumbled-yet-again-over-an-inevitable-obstacle-putin "Russian General In Venezuela Leading Advisory Mission: Ukraine’s Intel Chief" by Howard Altman | The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/news-features/russian-general-in-venezuela-leading-advisory-mission-ukraines-intel-chief Islamic State Wages a Guerrilla Insurgency Throughout Eastern Syria | The Soufan Center Intelbrief: https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2025-october-28/ "Pete Hegseth Needs to Go—Now" by Tom Nichols | The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/12/pete-hegseth-pentagon-department-defense/685098/ "Russia Launches First Brain-Chipped Bird Drones for Surveillance Over Cities" by Roman Kohanets | United24 Media: https://united24media.com/latest-news/russia-launches-first-brain-chipped-bird-drones-for-surveillance-over-cities-13769 Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD. Music by Andrew R. Bird Photo by AP & Taylor Crul/USAF Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.