CIA Conspiracies, the Real ‘Lioness’ Teams & Iran Threats: Former Targeting Officer Brittany Butler

Mariana van Zeller is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker renowned for her investigative reporting on global crime and black-market networks. She was the host and executive producer of National Geographic’s Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller, which explores illicit trafficking networks worldwide. She hosted the podcast “The Hidden Third”, which looks at grey markets and stories from “the hidden third of the world.” Her latest documentary “Super Scam Me” does a deep dive into the world of romance scams. The Hidden Third: https://www.youtube.com/@MarianaVanZeller Watch the Super Scam Me trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWSVmS1TTb0 Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Chapters (00:00:00) Cold Open (00:01:36) Reporting Live on 9/11 at 24 (00:10:58) Inside Muck Media: Trophies From the Underworld (00:14:07) Embedded With Syrian Jihadis (00:30:11) Trapped in the Niger Coup (00:35:36) The Stories Too Dangerous to Tell (00:42:19) Super Scam Me: Going Undercover (00:47:03) Deepfakes & the Fake Four-Star General (00:55:46) Why Black Markets Never Die (01:01:50) Blindfolded by the Cartel (01:08:42) Why CEOs Scare Her More Than Cartels (01:14:39) Closing Thoughts Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brittany Butler is a novelist and former CIA targeting officer. Her latest book, The Patriot’s Daughter, is out now. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Video Chapters: (00:00:00) From Spy to Suburbia (00:01:32) The Patriot's Daughter: Disinformation and a Divided America (00:13:00) Social Media, Publishing, and Staying Authentic (00:19:22) From Pageants to the CIA: Becoming a Targeting Officer (00:25:11) Iraq, Afghanistan, Bin Laden, and Spy Shows vs. Reality (00:32:58) Leaving the CIA and Dating a Spy (00:42:26) Iran: Where Things Stand and What Comes Next (00:52:47) Writing After the CIA and Final Thoughts Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview was recorded in July. In the interview, she said, “There is a science-based history of Russia trying to develop a pneumonic plague super-weapon.” This weekend, that exact scenario may have unfolded. This week, this story broke: "The United States is watching a case involving a laboratory worker who died at a plague research institute in Siberia, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio." https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/10/05/rubio-us-watching-closely-after-death-at-russias-siberia-plague-institute/ Annie Jacobsen is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author known for her research and writing on topics related to national security, defense, and intelligence. Her investigative work has focused on some of the most secretive areas of government and includes the titles Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base, The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency, Operation Paperclip, and Nuclear War. Her latest, Biological War: A Scenario is out now. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/783250/biological-war-by-annie-jacobsen/ Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Smith the is the editor in chief of VICE News and co-founder VICE. He has spent his life reporting from some of the most dangerous places on earth, including, recently Iran. He currently hosts the podcast Shane Smith Has Questions which is available on the Vice News YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw613M86o5o7FTxZSOHKVDMEBIucGiLFE Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Hefferon, a former New Jersey police captain with 25 years experience in law enforcement. Is a writer and investigative reporter, who recently published an incredible deep-dive piece on the arrest of El Mayo and what really happened. You can check out his piece on his Substack : https://substack.com/home/post/p-213457916  Borderland: Narcosis is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00) – Cold Open (05:11) – Cartel Torture Tactics (07:06) – The El Mayo Extraction: How It Happened (18:20) – Did the FBI Know? The Cover-Up Questions (22:29) – Why Joaquin Set Up the Kidnapping (26:05) – The Pilot's Fate and Extradition (36:48) – Aftermath: Civil War and 4,000 Dead (44:46) – Cartels Expanding North and Abroad (48:16) – Joe's Next Investigation Sponsors: 1st Phorm: Go to⁠ ⁠https://www.1stphorm.com/borderland⁠⁠ and get free shipping on any orders over $75, free 30 days in the app for new customers, and 110% money back guarantee on all of our products. Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Cory Gautereaux. Cory Gautereaux is a U.S. Army Veteran and business owner in California who founded The GOAT Initiative to expose human trafficking activity on the southern border. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:15) Border security and who is crossing (00:11:46) Tunnels with Chinese and Middle Eastern connections (00:19:30) Discovery of the illegal marijuana grow in the California desert (00:23:13) SWAT raid, 80,000 plants, and indentured servants (00:26:18) Shock collars and living conditions (00:27:21) Proximity to naval facility (00:37:33) Estimating the got-away rate (00:39:10) Why the "most secure border" claim doesn't add up (00:41:41) Calling it what it is, an invasion (00:44:45) Outro You can learn more about The GOAT Initiative here: https://www.thegoatinitiative.org/ Sponsors: Firecracker Farm: Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Dr. Richard Spence. Dr. Spence is the Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Idaho, expert on espionage, secret societies, and intelligence agencies. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original. Sponsors: Firecracker Farm  Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is Tim Gallaudet, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and former head oceanographer of the Navy who now serves on the government's UAP Science Advisory Council. In 2023 he testified before Congress that he believes UAP are interacting with humanity. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:14) Congressional testimony and what it accomplished (00:09:45) From skeptic to whistleblower the Go Fast video and the "spillage" (00:21:45) The most compelling evidence the Omaha video and the "falling upward" account (00:30:13) Debunking the "government black program" theory (00:34:04) How encounters are handled today, and the Yale sphere sighting (00:39:52) The push for full disclosure (00:44:07) Cattle mutilations and "The Operator" (00:47:33) Writing "Holding Fast in Heavy Seas" (00:54:47) Outro Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off The Uprising: From the director of JASON BOURNE, Paul Greengrass brings you THE UPRISING. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice. Only in theaters this Thursday. Get tickets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is Jonathan Alpeyrie, a photojournalist who has spent over two decades embedded in conflict zones across the world. In 2013 he was kidnapped and held captive for 81 days by Syrian rebels. His latest book, Drug Wars: Supply and Demand, is an unflinching look at the global drug trade. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original. Chapters (00:00:00) Cold open / Intro / Guest bio(00:07:42) The Syria kidnapping - Capture, Captivity, Ransom, Escape(00:16:10) Bouncing back and pivoting to drug trade coverage(00:20:55) Cartels vs. European gangs, and their growing alliances(00:24:56) Europe's weak law enforcement and no-go zones(00:29:19) Immigration, demographics, and EU sovereignty(00:35:11) Cocaine's resurgence in Europe(00:42:01) Africa's role in the global drug trade(00:43:18) War, humanity, and closing advice Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Marek Health: Visit https://marekhealth.com/ and use code IRONCLAD to receive 10% off The Uprising: From the director of JASON BOURNE, Paul Greengrass brings you THE UPRISING. Andrew Garfield stars as the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II. Set against the true events of the Uprising that helped inspire the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people to face the King’s might in a fight for justice. Only in theaters September 10. Get tickets. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/change-agents-with-andy-stumpf/id1677415740 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3SKmtN55V2AGbzHDo34DHI?si=5aefbba9abc844ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Benn Jordan. He is a science and technology expert whose YouTube investigations into Flock cameras and their security flaws have garnered millions of views. You can check out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCshObcm-nLhbu8MY50EZ5Ng Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Chapters(00:00) – Cold Open (01:21) – Benn's Flock Camera Investigations (09:07) – Flock vs. the Fourth Amendment (12:06) – Flock's Business Model & First Contract (17:15) – The Danger of Unchecked Surveillance (20:06) – Can Civilians Actually Fight This? (27:42) – Crashing Flock's Private Convention (31:06) – Flock's Legal Threats vs. Researchers (39:37) – How the Cameras Actually Work (43:32) – Live Hacking Demo: Proving It's Not Encrypted (45:54) – The Dunwoody Scandal (48:40) – The Legal Case Against Flock (49:41) – Dark Web Data & the FTC Investigation (53:23) – Congress' Response (56:28) – The Threat to Gun Owners & Foreign Adversaries (59:29) – The Chinese Backdoor Discovery (1:02:59) – What People Can Actually Do (1:05:42) – Closing Message: Privacy as a Human Right Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/change-agents-with-andy-stumpf/id1677415740 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3SKmtN55V2AGbzHDo34DHI?si=5aefbba9abc844ed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices