Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen

CBS News
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Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen

Amid the nuclear threat of the Cold War, America's prized secrets were falling into the hands of its sworn enemy. The FBI's hunt for the leak led to an astonishing discovery—the mole was one of its own, special agent Robert Hanssen. For two decades, Hanssen masqueraded as a devoted patriot while ruthlessly selling out his country, trading classified intelligence to the Soviet Union and later Russia, in exchange for cash and diamonds. He was a whirlwind of contradictions—a self-proclaimed patriot and a traitor; a family man who sexually betrayed his wife; an ardent man of God and a sinner. Through interviews with Hanssen’s family, friends, and colleagues, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett (Host of “The Takeout”) delves into the double life of Robert Hanssen and unravels the chilling truth about the most damaging spy in FBI history in “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen”.

  1. EPISODE 1

    The Spy Next Door

    Robert Hanssen lived in suburbia with six kids and his wife Bonnie. They had a dog, a nice house and went to church on Sundays. Outwardly, it appeared to be an ordinary life. And for the most part, it was. Until Hanssen, an FBI special agent, turned and offered his services to the Soviets. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    40 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Ramon Garcia

    1985 was “The Year of the Spy.” The FBI arrested a raft of traitors spying for the USSR and other foreign governments. But that didn’t stop Robert Hanssen - or his KGB alias “Ramon Garcia.” Hanssen had developed an obsession with espionage and the result would be deadly. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    35 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    Priscilla

    Priscilla Sue Galey was a dancer at a strip club about a 15 minute walk from the White House. Robert Hanssen told her that he'd never seen such grace and beauty. He gave her sapphires and diamonds, a Mercedes, a trip around the world. But what did Hanssen want in return? Even more surprising than an FBI agent’s emotional affair with a dancer: the voyeurism in Hanssen's bedroom at home. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Plain Sight

    How did the FBI allow a spy to operate in its midst for more than 20 years and do such devastating damage? Robert Hanssen’s tradecraft was good, but far from perfect. In fact, the FBI missed several chances to nab him. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    37 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Wrong Man

    The intelligence community knew it had a mole problem. It couldn’t account for lost assets and blown operations. So the FBI and CIA set out on another mole hunt – and this time, there was one suspect who fit better than the rest. He was a career CIA officer who had been around important cases that went sideways. The FBI tailed him for two years and then squeezed him and his family for almost two more. Just one problem: he wasn’t the mole. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    39 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    The Art Dealer

    A Russian businessman arrived in New York in mid-2000, eager to export art to the United States. His counterpart in the deal, an American, appeared ready to do business, too. But neither man was exactly who they purported to be. Their encounter may have been just the break FBI mole hunters were looking for. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    37 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    Room 9930

    Once the FBI zeroed in on Robert Hanssen as a suspect, the bureau set up an elaborate sting operation to catch him in the act. A fake promotion, a bugged office, and a daring mission led to an opportunity to finally catch Hanssen red-handed. For 22 years, Hanssen had beaten the FBI at its own game. Now the FBI was ready to strike back. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    49 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    Dosvedanya

    On February 18, 2001, Robert Hanssen’s career as an FBI agent came to an end. His next tour of duty would be served in the federal penal system as inmate #48551-083. Supermax, the notorious Colorado prison housing terrorists and drug lords, would become his home for two decades. Life in prison also means death in prison. Drop us a line: agentofbetrayal@cbsnews.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    53 min
  9. Where is Erin? | Presenting "48 Hours: NCIS"

    EPISODE 10 BONUS

    Where is Erin? | Presenting "48 Hours: NCIS"

    Marine wife Erin Corwin was just 19 years old when she disappeared in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. Nearly two months later, her body was found in an abandoned mine in the unforgiving desert, and suspicions quickly fell on a fellow Marine. Here’s a preview of the new podcast, “48 Hours: NCIS”, which merges the award-winning journalism of one of the most celebrated true crime news programs with the world’s #1 TV franchise, to bring you the real-life cases that NCIS agents will never forget. This 6-episode premiere season of “48 Hours: NCIS”, hosted by CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales, untangles this twisted story of infidelity and betrayal that led to Erin’s tragic end. Listen to the series now by searching for "48 Hours: NCIS" wherever you get your podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    10 min

  10. 21/09/2023

    Introducing - Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen

    Robert Hanssen was a conundrum - an FBI agent and self-proclaimed patriot who became the most damaging spy in the bureau's history. Amid the nuclear threat of the Cold War, America's prized secrets were falling into the hands of its sworn enemy—the Kremlin. The FBI's hunt for the leak led to an astonishing discovery—the mole was one of its own. In this 8-episode limited series, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett delves into the life of Robert Hanssen and unravels the chilling - and deadly - truth about his many contradictions. Listen to Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen every Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    3 min

  11. 8 NOV

    Listen Now: Kill List

    In the depths of the dark net, tech journalist Carl Miller makes a disturbing discovery: a secret Kill List targeting hundreds of innocent people on a murder for hire website. When the police decide not to investigate, Carl is thrown into a race against time to warn those in danger and uncover the truth about the people who want them dead. From Wondery and Novel, comes a true story about obsession, control and the price of life and death. Listen to Kill List on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/Kill_List  You can listen to Kill List and more Exhibit C true crime shows like Morbid early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery+. Check out Exhibit C in the Wondery App for all your true crime listening. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    6 min
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Amid the nuclear threat of the Cold War, America's prized secrets were falling into the hands of its sworn enemy. The FBI's hunt for the leak led to an astonishing discovery—the mole was one of its own, special agent Robert Hanssen. For two decades, Hanssen masqueraded as a devoted patriot while ruthlessly selling out his country, trading classified intelligence to the Soviet Union and later Russia, in exchange for cash and diamonds. He was a whirlwind of contradictions—a self-proclaimed patriot and a traitor; a family man who sexually betrayed his wife; an ardent man of God and a sinner. Through interviews with Hanssen’s family, friends, and colleagues, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett (Host of “The Takeout”) delves into the double life of Robert Hanssen and unravels the chilling truth about the most damaging spy in FBI history in “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen”.

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