1 00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:04,560 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:06,200 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,640 [Duchovny] Tonight on "Secrets Declassified," 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,080 covert heists so bold, so daring, no one saw them coming 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,360 until it was far too late. 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,600 From the agent who steals a top secret weapon 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:19,960 with an unlikely getaway vehicle... 8 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:21,520 - He carts the 10-foot missile 9 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,400 down the runway in a wheelbarrow. 10 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,360 - To the spy turned cat burglar who'll do anything 11 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,240 to accomplish her mission. 12 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,320 - She's completely naked except for a string of pearls. 13 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,040 - And the Mossad plot that's straight from a heist movie. 14 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:40,160 - They construct a perfect replica of this secret archive 15 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,880 and rehearse their heist down to the minute. 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,440 - These are the astonishing and sometimes terrible things 17 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,680 done by governments and the people who work for them. 18 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,680 It's time to bring them to light. 19 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:58,760 ♪ ♪ 20 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,599 Picking a lock, smashing a window, cracking a safe, 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,000 every heist relies on an entry point. 22 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,360 But in World War II, when British special forces set out 23 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,960 to steal top secret Nazi technology, 24 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,800 their only way in is a midnight parachute drop 25 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:18,080 behind enemy lines. 26 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,120 ♪ ♪ 27 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,960 - In 1941, the balance of power is shifting 28 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,240 in the skies over Europe. 29 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,600 [Martin] The RAF has won the Battle of Britain 30 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,200 and now is putting bomber aircraft in the sky 31 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:34,840 to strike targets in occupied territories. 32 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:36,720 [Sami] Problem is, the British are being shot 33 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:38,920 out of the sky with alarming precision, 34 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:40,800 and they don't know why. 35 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,800 Sometimes they're losing dozens of pilots in a single raid. 36 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,440 [Duchovny] These deaths are no accident. 37 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,040 British intelligence soon learns 38 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,040 the Nazis have rolled out a new air defense 39 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,040 over mainland Europe. 40 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,400 [Sami] The Germans have developed a new radar system 41 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,360 code-named Wurzburg. 42 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,840 It's far more accurate than anything they've built before. 43 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,400 - A previous system could detect an aircraft 44 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,720 with an accuracy of about 500 meters. 45 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,919 Wurzburg, on the other hand, allows you to detect 46 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,040 with a precision that's now 25 meters. 47 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,840 [Duchovny] To give its aircraft a fighting chance, 48 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,280 British command needs to figure out 49 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,800 how to blind this new radar. 50 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:24,000 And the best way to do that is to steal one. 51 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,920 But planning a heist is a challenge when you know 52 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,360 almost nothing about the target. 53 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,480 [Don] Germans have kept their new technology 54 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,360 a closely guarded secret, meaning the British aren't sure 55 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,160 exactly what this new radar looks like. 56 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,040 So their analysts pore over aerial reconnaissance photos 57 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,760 from France looking for leads, and one image stands out. 58 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,800 Near the village of Bruneval, they spot what looks like 59 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:52,280 a large black bowl perched on a cliff top, 60 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,920 which is exactly the vantage point you'd expect 61 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,360 for a radar scanning the skies. 62 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,560 [Duchovny] Trouble is, this is no easy target for a heist. 63 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,320 [Sami] The site is heavily defended. 64 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,120 Intelligence suggests that there are up to 100 troops 65 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,120 in an encampment just to the northeast, 66 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:09,680 and there are machine gun positions 67 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:11,200 all along the shoreline. 68 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,400 So any raiding team will likely be heavily outgunned. 69 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,200 This means they'll need to rely on the element of surprise. 70 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:18,600 [Duchovny] If the British arrive by boat, 71 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,400 they'll be spotted. 72 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,360 The only way to sneak past the guards is from above. 73 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,880 - Plan is to drop 120 paratroopers 74 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:28,360 behind enemy lines, 75 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:30,680 approach the radar installation facility, 76 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,240 and take it by force, then dismantle the technology 77 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,560 and get exfiltrated on the coast by boats. 78 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,920 [Duchovny] The code name for this daring mission? 79 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,200 Operation Biting. 80 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,560 Spearheading the assault will be a parachute battalion 81 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,360 commanded by Major John Frost. 82 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,960 [Sami] Frost is a cool-headed officer, 83 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,640 but he and his battalion are worryingly green. 84 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,200 These kinds of behind-enemy-lines missions 85 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:58,960 are relatively new, and he's never 86 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:00,960 led a combat parachute drop. 87 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,800 Some of his men have never even jumped out of a plane. 88 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,520 [Duchovny] Even if the team makes it to the radar alive, 89 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,000 to steal it, they'll need a man 90 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,120 with a head for technology. 91 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,480 Enter Flight Sergeant Charles Cox. 92 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,880 [Jack] Cox is a radar specialist 93 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,279 in the Royal Air Force, and he knows 94 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:20,399 the British radar systems inside and out. 95 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:23,760 Cox's mission is to actually dismantle the Wurzburg 96 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,800 and get it out of there. 97 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,200 [Duchovny] After almost three months of planning the raid, 98 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,160 British command gives the green light. 99 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,320 ♪ ♪ 100 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,760 - Just after midnight, the paratroopers 101 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:36,480 make their drop over Bruneval, 102 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,400 and almost immediately, things go bad. 103 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,560 [Martin] German anti-aircraft flak 104 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,360 forces a number of pilots off course, 105 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,360 so dozens of men end up miles from the zone. 106 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,760 - The troops eventually regroup at the assembly point 107 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,480 500 yards from the radar, and they still haven't been 108 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,400 located by the nearby guards. 109 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,640 - Frost and Cox can now see their target, 110 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,320 but their surprise advantage is short lived. 111 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,880 As they push forward, the Germans realize 112 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,440 the radar is under attack, 113 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,480 turning every yard into a desperate and deadly gauntlet. 114 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,320 [Don] Under a hail of bullets, Cox reaches the radar. 115 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,240 But it's only then that he realizes most of his gear 116 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:18,840 was lost in the drop. 117 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,840 With no other options, he begins tearing out components 118 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,520 by brute force. 119 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,240 [Dan] After barely 10 minutes, the German fire 120 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,160 gets so intense that Frost has to give the order to fall back. 121 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:32,360 The team grabs whatever they can 122 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,320 and then blows the rest sky high. 123 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,720 ♪ ♪ 124 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:39,440 [Duchovny] The British have secured the radar's 125 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,560 crucial components. 126 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:43,480 Now the men must battle their way down 127 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,240 to the beach for extraction. 128 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:48,920 But when they reach the sand, the navy vessels 129 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,040 are nowhere to be seen. 130 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,800 - When they're on the verge of abandoning hope, at last, 131 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:55,440 the navy spots their flashlights. 132 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,240 Six landing craft surge onto the beach, 133 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,280 and Frost's men sprint aboard, dodging bullets 134 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,200 as they drag the radar components with them. 135 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,920 [Duchovny] At 3:15 a.m., Major John Frost 136 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,880 is the last man to leave French soil. 137 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,880 In just three hours, this British battalion 138 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:18,000 has pulled off one of the boldest heists of the war. 139 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:21,120 - The stolen components reveal exactly how 140 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,160 the German Wurzburg system works. 141 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:25,720 Within months, the British develop countermeasures. 142 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:28,440 - Over the course of the war, these countermeasures 143 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:30,000 are credited with saving more than 144 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:35,400 450 aircraft and 4,500 lives. 145 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,920 [Duchovny] For decades, the theft of the radar 146 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,080 remains a closely guarded secret. 147 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,760 Then, in 1970, journalist George Millar 148 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,440 tracks down the surviving members of the operation 149 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,560 and unearths the truth. 150 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,160 Four years later, he publishes his book, 151 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,080 "The Bruneval Raid"... 152 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,320 ♪ ♪ 153 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:58,120 Finally revealing the full story 154 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,200 of Britain's intrepid heist. 155 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,400 When the Brits wanna steal a Nazi radar, 156 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,360 they deploy a team of elite commandos. 157 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,960 When the KGB has an opportunity to steal a NATO missile, 158 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,200 it puts its faith in a German playboy 159 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,960 armed only with a wheelbarrow, a carpet, and a postage stamp. 160 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:24,480 ♪ ♪ 161 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,280 [Hakeem] In 1967, the public's appetite for ground wars 162 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,600 is rapidly fading. 163 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,840 So the Americans and the Soviets, 164 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,800 they both see air power as key to controlling the battlefield. 165 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,160 [Martin] At this point, there's one thing that 166 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:38,720 the Western world has 167 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,600 that the Soviet Union doesn't have yet, 168 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:45,280 and that is an extremely effective air-to-air missile. 169 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,600 [Duchovny] It's called the Sidewinder AIM-9D. 170 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,600 [Hakeem] This upgraded missile is a big problem for Moscow 171 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,400 because it's clear evidence that their tech 172 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,160 is lagging behind. 173 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,400 ♪ ♪ 174 00:07:58,520 --> 00:07:59,880 [Duchovny] It would take years for the Soviets 175 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,880 to develop a rival weapon from scratch. 176 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,040 But in West Germany in 1967, one man offers the KGB 177 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,720 a faster way to catch up. 178 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:11,360 Steal one. 179 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:14,320 He's not a hardened spy but an architect 180 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,840 with a thirst for adventure. 181 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,600 [Jack] Manfred Ramminger is a quite colorful character, 182 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,320 known to be a bit of a playboy. 183 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,840 He's an amateur race car driver. 184 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,760 But he also owns a construction company, and it's going under, 185 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,400 and he needs a quick influx of cash. 186 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,080 [Duchovny] One night at a card table 187 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,120 in the town of Ingolstadt, 188 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,679 Ramminger spots the ultimate opportunity 189 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:39,360 to wipe out his debts. 190 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,200 [Greg] Seated across from Ramminger 191 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,720 is a West German Air Force pilot, Wolf-Diethardt Knoppe. 192 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,400 As the drinks flow, our pilot mentions 193 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,320 to the flamboyant architect that security is pretty lax 194 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,000 at the nearby NATO base. 195 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:54,840 [Martin] He even boasts that it would be possible 196 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:56,880 to walk onto that base, steal a missile, 197 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,720 and get away before they even noticed it. 198 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,120 [Duchovny] Ramminger believes that stealing a Sidewinder 199 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,160 could earn him a handsome reward from the Soviets. 200 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,720 So he quietly floats this idea to a KGB contact, 201 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:10,520 and he gets the green light. 202 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:12,280 But he can't pull it off alone. 203 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:14,600 [Martin] Ramminger is going to need Knoppe 204 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,080 to carry out this heist, 205 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,400 and that's because Knoppe has base access. 206 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,320 Just because the security is lax, 207 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,120 that doesn't mean that it's nonexistent. 208 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,760 [Duchovny] With the promise of a big payday, 209 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,680 Knoppe doesn't need much convincing. 210 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,160 One late October night, the playboy 211 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,960 and the disgruntled pilot make their move. 212 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,200 - That evening, a thick fog rolls over the base, 213 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,320 which is perfect. It provides cover. 214 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,040 Beyond that, there are no guard dogs. 215 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:41,560 They've been locked away for the night 216 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:43,200 while the base is being treated with rat poison. 217 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,640 [Andrew] Two men cut through the perimeter fence. 218 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:47,920 Knoppe goes into the warehouse that holds the missiles, 219 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,200 disables security, and has full access 220 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,400 to the Sidewinder missiles. 221 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,920 - Getting in, that's the easy part. 222 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,680 Somehow, they now have to carry this 9 1/2 foot, 223 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,720 165 pound weapon off the base. 224 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,880 Their solution comes straight out of a backyard shed. 225 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,200 [Andrew] They actually find an old wheelbarrow nearby. 226 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,400 And they put an active missile on the wheelbarrow 227 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,520 and wheel it off the base. 228 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:15,680 [Duchovny] They push their cargo back to Ramminger's 229 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,680 waiting Mercedes. 230 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,120 The problem is, sedans aren't built 231 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,600 for smuggling Sidewinders. 232 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,000 - They attempt to load the missile 233 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,600 into the trunk of the car. 234 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:27,160 The missile won't fit. 235 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,800 At this point, they smash out the back windshield 236 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,600 of the Mercedes so that they can 237 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,880 put this missile in the car, having it stick out the back. 238 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,440 - He wraps the protruding missile in an old carpet 239 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:39,280 that he happens to have in his car. 240 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,120 - The cherry on top is that he ties a small flag to the back 241 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,040 of the rug, which assures them that they won't be pulled over 242 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,360 if a police officer happens to see their oversized load. 243 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,680 - Ramminger then drives more than 300 miles 244 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,960 down the Autobahn with his stolen NATO missile 245 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:55,800 hanging out the window. 246 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,040 [Duchovny] Now Ramminger just needs a way 247 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,760 to get the stolen Sidewinder to Moscow. 248 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:02,560 His masterstroke? 249 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:04,440 Stick it in the mail. 250 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:06,600 - Now, you can't mail a full missile, 251 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,760 so they dismantle it. They take it apart. 252 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,440 They mail these individual pieces to Moscow. 253 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:15,320 The cost for shipping a top secret weapon? 254 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,440 80 bucks. 255 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:20,200 [Duchovny] For his trouble, Ramminger receives $81,000, 256 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,280 the equivalent of $700,000 today. 257 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,640 But his bold heist doesn't go unnoticed forever. 258 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,680 - In the months that follow, a routine inventory check 259 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,200 reveals that a missile is missing. 260 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,160 [Jack] This triggers an investigation, 261 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,320 and suspicion falls on Knoppe relatively quickly 262 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,840 because he's been partying and waving around his big payday 263 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,680 and drawing a lot of attention to himself. 264 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,120 ♪ ♪ 265 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,000 [Hakeem] Both he and Ramminger are arrested. 266 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,560 Their trial sparks a surge of press coverage. 267 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:54,960 They're found guilty of treason, espionage, 268 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,240 and grand larceny, and they're sentenced 269 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,120 to three to four years in prison. 270 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,880 [Duchovny] It's a disgraceful end for Ramminger. 271 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,720 But for Moscow, the gamble pays off. 272 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,160 [Martin] The Soviets begin a process 273 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,200 of reverse engineering the weapon. 274 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:09,840 And soon thereafter, they release 275 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:11,760 their own heat-seeking air-to-air missile. 276 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:13,320 ♪ ♪ 277 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,200 - It's said you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. 278 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,480 So in World War II, when the Allies want to steal 279 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,440 their enemy's top secret naval codes, 280 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:27,520 they turn to the master of the honey trap. 281 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,520 [dramatic music] 282 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,920 ♪ ♪ 283 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,120 [Catherine] In early 1942, the Allied forces 284 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,480 are planning to invade North Africa 285 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:42,440 to draw Nazi forces away from Soviet Russia. 286 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,080 One significant obstacle is that the ports 287 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:46,960 that they're targeting in North Africa 288 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,800 are controlled by Vichy France. 289 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,520 - In simplest terms, Vichy is a puppet government set up 290 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,360 to rule unoccupied France but really for and in behalf 291 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,160 of Nazi Germany. 292 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:01,040 [Duchovny] To prepare for this invasion, 293 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,000 the Allies need intel on the movements 294 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:04,840 of the Vichy French navy. 295 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,000 But to do that requires one crucial item. 296 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,240 [Martin] The Vichy French navy communicates 297 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,320 using encoded messages. 298 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,000 The codes that can crack those messages 299 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:17,760 are kept in a series of code books 300 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,600 at the French embassy in Washington D.C. 301 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,000 [Catherine] If they can get their hands 302 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,040 on these code books, this would allow them 303 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:28,440 to monitor the Vichy fleets during their invasion. 304 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:30,880 [Duchovny] Stealing these code books from a secure location 305 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,960 will require the mother of all heists. 306 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,080 To pull it off, British intelligence 307 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:37,880 turns to one of its most daring 308 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,680 and unconventional agents. 309 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,200 [Kavitha] Amy Elizabeth Thorpe is 310 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,120 a beautiful American socialite turned spy 311 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:49,360 who is also an MI6 agent, known by her codename, Cynthia. 312 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,920 [Catherine] Cynthia's methods are unorthodox. 313 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,480 She doesn't use gadgets or disguises. 314 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,800 Her weapon of choice is intimacy. 315 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:58,840 - She's a master of the honey trap, 316 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,000 using her charms to garner secrets 317 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,560 from even the most guarded target. 318 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:05,320 [Duchovny] Getting her hands on the Vichy French 319 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,440 naval codes will be Cynthia's toughest assignment yet. 320 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:10,080 [Catherine] She looks for someone 321 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,560 she can target with her charms and finds her mark 322 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:16,560 in Captain Charles Brousse, who is the person in charge 323 00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:18,640 of the embassy press. 324 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,680 - He doesn't have direct access to the information she needs, 325 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,120 but he can get her into the building. 326 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,880 And so she seduces him. 327 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,240 [Greg] Two months into their affair, 328 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,040 Cynthia tells Brousse that she's a spy 329 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,880 and that she needs access to this cipher, 330 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,480 to these code books. 331 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,360 He's not on board. 332 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,920 [Duchovny] Brousse knows the odds are stacked against them. 333 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,880 The embassy is under round-the-clock guard, 334 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 and the ciphers are locked inside a safe. 335 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,240 But Cynthia won't take no for an answer. 336 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,000 - She gives him an ultimatum. 337 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,840 Either you help me or I'll find someone who will. 338 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,560 - Brousse chooses his heart over his head. 339 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,720 Together, they begin to plot a daring heist. 340 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,320 Cynthia knows the code books will be easier to grab 341 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,120 under cover of darkness. 342 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:10,960 But getting inside after hours will require a personal touch. 343 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,240 - Cynthia has Brousse bribe the night watchman 344 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,200 to let them use the embassy as a private spot 345 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:16,600 for their affair. 346 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:18,160 [Catherine] Brousse tells the guard 347 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,080 that it's the perfect location because 348 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,560 he can then tell his wife that he's working late. 349 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,320 - For weeks, the pair use the embassy as their love nest. 350 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,000 Soon, the guard barely questions their presence 351 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,600 and gives them pretty much free rein to recon the site. 352 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:34,080 [Duchovny] The next problem, 353 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,080 how to get into the code room safe. 354 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:37,840 - Through her intelligence contacts, 355 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,320 Cynthia recruits a safecracker known as the Georgia Cracker. 356 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:42,840 [Sami] He's highly skilled, 357 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:44,360 but he's also a hardened criminal. 358 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,040 However, in wartime, your options are limited. 359 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,480 [Duchovny] In June 1942, 360 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,120 Cynthia and Brousse make their move. 361 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,080 - Tonight, the familiar guard is nowhere to be seen, 362 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,560 which throws them for a bit of a loop, 363 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,520 but Brousse unlocks the door. 364 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,480 Once inside, they stick to their usual routine, 365 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,560 smoking, laughing, whispering sweet nothings. 366 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,200 [Duchovny] Still, something feels off. 367 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,520 Cynthia senses danger. 368 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,720 Acting on instinct, she strips off her clothes. 369 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,840 [Martin] The guard throws the door open, 370 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,240 and a flashlight beam pierces the darkness, 371 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:20,200 and it falls on Cynthia's naked body. 372 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:21,840 [Sami] And Cynthia, wearing nothing but 373 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,200 a string of pearls, gasps and covers herself 374 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,080 in mock embarrassment, causing the guard 375 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:27,880 to mumble an apology and retreat. 376 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,960 And it's this quick thinking that ensures he won't 377 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:32,480 disturb them again that night. 378 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:34,240 [Duchovny] With the guard out of the picture, 379 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,120 Cynthia moves fast. 380 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,480 She lets the safecracker in through a window, 381 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,120 and he gets to work. 382 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:41,680 [Kavitha] The cracker lives up to his name, 383 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,800 and within minutes, the safe is open 384 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:45,160 and the code books are out. 385 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,120 - The cracker slips back into the night, 386 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:48,760 delivering them to the British intelligence team 387 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:50,960 waiting nearby to photograph them. 388 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,080 And meanwhile, Cynthia and Brousse 389 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,680 endure an agonizing wait. 390 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:57,880 [Duchovny] Finally, at around 4:00 a.m., 391 00:16:58,000 --> 00:16:59,600 they hear movement at the window. 392 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:01,200 [Sami] The cracker has returned. 393 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,880 So together, they put the code books back in the safe 394 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,560 and wipe away any fingerprints. 395 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:07,440 Then the cracker slips out the window, 396 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,880 leaving Cynthia and Brousse to walk out of the embassy 397 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,359 like nothing ever happened. 398 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,079 [Duchovny] The stolen cipher books are 399 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,440 rushed to Allied codebreakers. 400 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,119 Within days, British and American commanders 401 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,560 can read every Vichy naval transmission. 402 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,400 - This intelligence proves decisive. 403 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:26,680 When the Allied invasion of North Africa 404 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,640 begins that November, Allied forces are able 405 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,280 to predict the Vichy navy's every move. 406 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,120 [Sami] Cynthia is credited with saving the lives 407 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,320 of hundreds of British and American troops. 408 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,440 [Duchovny] For decades, the full story 409 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,480 of this bold theft remains classified. 410 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,520 Then, just before her death in 1963, 411 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,520 Cynthia shares her diaries with an old friend, 412 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,040 former MP Montgomery Hyde. 413 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,840 Two years later, he publishes a biography 414 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,520 based on her memoirs, finally revealing 415 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:02,480 this remarkable embassy theft carried out by a socialite spy 416 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,360 armed with nothing but her powers of persuasion. 417 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:09,920 - Most spies steal secrets. 418 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,240 But when Israel wants to supersize its nuclear arsenal, 419 00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:17,240 its agents set out to steal 200 tons of uranium 420 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:19,160 without leaving a trace. 421 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,240 [dramatic music] 422 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:28,080 - In the 1960s, Israel begins a new top secret program 423 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,440 to develop nuclear weapons. 424 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,440 - The country is less than 20 years old, 425 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,560 and it's absolutely encircled by hostile neighbors 426 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,040 that all swear to erase it from the map. 427 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:40,960 [Duchovny] Israel's leaders believe 428 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,640 their nation's survival hinges on their nuclear arsenal. 429 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,960 But in 1968, they hit a major problem. 430 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,960 - The nuclear bomb takes a tremendous amount of material. 431 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:53,960 It takes about 4 tons of uranium 432 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,280 to be able to create one bomb. 433 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,160 [Hakeem] Unfortunately, uranium 434 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,360 is incredibly hard to come by. 435 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,080 Its sale is tightly regulated by world powers 436 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,840 like the U.S., who is determined to prevent 437 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:07,520 nuclear proliferation. 438 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:09,880 - But as suspicions mount that Israel is trying to create 439 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,160 a nuclear weapon, it's no surprise 440 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,280 that the world is unwilling to share 441 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,640 uranium with the Israelis. 442 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:18,640 [Duchovny] With no one willing to sell them the uranium 443 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,280 they need, Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, 444 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,640 decides to steal it and sets a bold plan in motion: 445 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,080 Operation Plumbat. 446 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,960 - Mossad knows that uranium mines and nuclear reactors 447 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,680 are far too heavily guarded for them to steal the uranium 448 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,640 from those targets. 449 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,400 To have any hope of stealing the huge amount of uranium 450 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,120 they need, they'll have to find a weaker link 451 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,080 on that supply chain. 452 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,560 [Duchovny] Mossad settles on a plan 453 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,680 to covertly buy a vast uranium stockpile, 454 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:50,880 then seize it while it's on the move 455 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,200 and smuggle it to Israel. 456 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,840 Their first step, find a front company 457 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,960 to make the purchase on their behalf. 458 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,920 - Mossad chooses to use a German chemical company 459 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,240 called Asmara Chemie as a cutout 460 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:04,680 to cover the Israeli connection. 461 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:06,880 This is a company that creates soaps 462 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,240 and decontamination kits. 463 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:10,880 - They ask them to buy a large quantity 464 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,640 of uranium on their behalf. 465 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,680 To sweeten the deal, they promise a substantial payday. 466 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:19,480 [Duchovny] In March, Asmara places an order 467 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,640 with a Belgian mining company for 200 tons of uranium oxide. 468 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:27,400 - Initially, the mining company is a little suspicious 469 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,760 that they've never heard of this small German firm, 470 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,920 but Asmara's story is that they're expanding operations. 471 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:34,880 - The mining company is also further convinced 472 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000 because Asmara Chemie has $3.7 million 473 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:40,880 in a Zurich-based account, just waiting to be transferred. 474 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,520 - With the money in sight, the mining company's doubts 475 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,640 quickly vanish and the sale moves forward. 476 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,400 [Duchovny] Mossad now secretly owns a large quantity 477 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,920 of uranium oxide, but openly shipping it to Israel 478 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,000 would break European law. 479 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,400 To get it there, it sets the stage 480 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,800 for a heist on the high seas. 481 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,440 ♪ ♪ 482 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:07,120 [Don] In Antwerp, 560 drums of uranium ore 483 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,000 are loaded into the hold of a 1,790 ton-freighter 484 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:13,000 named the "Scheersberg A." 485 00:21:13,120 --> 00:21:16,040 - It's owned by a shipping company that is conveniently 486 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:20,200 run by a Mossad agent, and its usual crew 487 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,560 has been covertly swapped for an Israeli crew. 488 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,440 - With the uranium safely aboard, 489 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,120 Mossad now sneakily diverts the shipment. 490 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,200 - Asmara tells the Belgian mining company 491 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,080 that, instead of shipping the uranium directly 492 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,120 to their factory in Germany, 493 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:35,960 they wanna take it to Italy first 494 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,560 for some additional processing. 495 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,680 - The 2,000 nautical mile voyage from Belgium to Italy 496 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,560 will be a long one, which gives Mossad 497 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:49,440 plenty of time to make this ship's cargo simply disappear. 498 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,480 [Don] The first leg of the journey is uneventful, 499 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,520 but as the vessel passes beneath Southern Spain, 500 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:55,720 it alters course. 501 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,560 Instead of heading north to Italy, 502 00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,240 it sails east. 503 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,120 - In the black stretch of water between Cyprus and Turkey, 504 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,640 the freighter patiently waits. 505 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,640 [Don] Soon, an Israeli vessel, fitted with a heavy winch 506 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,160 and flanked by two gunboats, eases up alongside. 507 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,960 - Under the cover of darkness, a top secret transfer begins. 508 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,680 Drum by drum, all 560 barrels of uranium ore 509 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,480 are winched across. 510 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,080 [Duchovny] By first light, 511 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,280 this furtive transfer is complete 512 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,680 and the world is none the wiser. 513 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,280 [Hakeem] Days later, the barrels of uranium ore 514 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,440 are taken ashore at an Israeli port 515 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,760 and discreetly transferred to a reactor in the desert. 516 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:38,400 - Meanwhile, the "Scheersberg A," 517 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,720 now riding noticeably higher in the water, 518 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,480 heads towards the nearby Turkish coast. 519 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,680 [Duchovny] Two weeks after it set sail, 520 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,840 the ship docks in Turkey. 521 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:55,000 Its 560 drums of uranium ore are nowhere to be seen. 522 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:58,000 [Don] Months later, the European Atomic Energy Agency 523 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:00,280 attempts a routine follow-up with the company that 524 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,680 was meant to receive the uranium, 525 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,320 but they get troubling news. 526 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,760 The uranium never arrived. 527 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,880 - An investigation is launched, but coordinating 528 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,080 Belgian, Italian and West German security services 529 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:15,440 turns out to be impossible, 530 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,440 so that case very quickly loses momentum. 531 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:20,080 [Duchovny] Israel has pulled off 532 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,160 one of the greatest nuclear heists, 533 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:24,320 but hardly anyone knows. 534 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,680 Then, in 1977, a former U.S. government official 535 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,680 leaks the story of the missing uranium to the press. 536 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,880 Journalists Elaine Davenport, Paul Eddy, and Peter Gillman 537 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,040 launch an investigation piecing together information 538 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,440 from 200 sources across 17 countries, 539 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,520 and a year later publish their book, 540 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,720 "The Plumbat Affair," finally laying the details 541 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,600 of the heist bare. 542 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:55,160 - Today, it's estimated that Israel has around 90 bombs 543 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,720 in its nuclear arsenal, and the uranium stolen 544 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:02,240 in Operation Plumbat was enough to make about half of those. 545 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:09,080 - In 1951, a Soviet MiG-15 is downed 546 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,560 in enemy waters off Korea. 547 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,920 Despite landing in a minefield, 548 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,360 the plane contains such valuable secrets, 549 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,320 the U.S. decides to steal it anyway. 550 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,400 [dramatic music] 551 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:24,760 [Sami] In the Korean War, U.S.-led UN forces 552 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,120 are locked in a brutal fight 553 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,080 against Communist powers on the peninsula. 554 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:32,720 - This is different than the wars we've seen so far 555 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,640 because this is the first war in the jet age. 556 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,920 [Sami] Opposing pilots meet in high-speed, 557 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,480 high-altitude combat. 558 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,200 [Duchovny] In these deadly duels, 559 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,800 there's one fighter that coalition jet pilots fear 560 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,160 more than any other, the MiG-15. 561 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,160 [O'Keefe] The Soviet MiG-15 is considered to be 562 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,080 the cutting-edge fighter at this particular time 563 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,360 simply because of its swept-back wings, 564 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,560 which give it much more maneuverability 565 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,440 at higher altitudes. 566 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,200 [Sami] The MiGs are also armed to the teeth, 567 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,360 so the plane is just a real menace, 568 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:09,040 forcing dozens of UN command aircraft out of the skies. 569 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,360 [Duchovny] If UN forces want to control the air, 570 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,080 they need to uncover the MiG's weaknesses. 571 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,760 And that means getting their hands on one. 572 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,440 [Martin] The U.S. and UN allies 573 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,040 are on the lookout for a MiG 574 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,480 damaged in combat, ditched, intact enough 575 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:24,520 to where the aircraft wreckage can be recovered. 576 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,320 But the enemy is not stupid. 577 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,200 They're being very careful. 578 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:29,800 [Sami] MiG pilots fly in pairs, 579 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,600 each with a wingman providing cover. 580 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,520 They're also largely forbidden from flying 581 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:36,200 over the sea, where they're vulnerable to attack 582 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,160 from enemy naval forces. 583 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:39,400 [Duchovny] 12 months into the war, 584 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:42,640 UN command gets its chance. 585 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,040 [Dan] A MiG-15 is spotted going down 586 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,120 in a fierce dogfight near the mouth 587 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,640 of the Chongchon River, northwest of Pyongyang. 588 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,680 [Catherine] The crash site is located in enemy territory, 589 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:54,280 but it's on the coast, 590 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,560 and it appears the wreckage sits in shallow water. 591 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,160 [Duchovny] Suddenly, this tantalizing prize 592 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,160 feels within reach. 593 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,880 UN command dispatches reconnaissance aircraft 594 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:07,640 to find the wreckage. 595 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,720 But for days, the pilots come up empty. 596 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,960 Then at last, the jet is spotted. 597 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,160 [Martin] It's 15 miles from where it was last reported, 598 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,040 and it's 19 feet deep in water. 599 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,800 But when the tide rolls out, the water level drops 600 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:25,600 and reveals part of the wreckage. 601 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,360 [Catherine] The good news is that it's largely intact. 602 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,800 The bad news is, the site itself is a death trap 603 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,760 for any recovery team. 604 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,320 [Sami] The MiG is wedged between these sandbars 605 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:39,000 and is surrounded by an active minefield. 606 00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,720 And even worse, it's within minutes of key enemy airfields 607 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:44,640 and close to a stretch of sky 608 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,400 that's so crowded with fighters, 609 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:48,760 it's known as MiG Alley. 610 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,440 [Duchovny] A stealthy salvage team wouldn't stand a chance. 611 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:56,400 So UN command planners decide on something much bigger. 612 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,200 [Catherine] The UN commanders realize 613 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,520 they need enough manpower and firepower to fight back 614 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:03,520 if anyone tries to stop them. 615 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,360 So they assemble this massive array of ships. 616 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,920 [Duchovny] On July 21st, this convoy of U.S., British, 617 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,960 and Korean naval vessels sets off. 618 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:16,600 [Dan] To help them reach the target, 619 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:19,880 a helicopter drops two marker buoys on the wreck. 620 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,200 Then the flotilla inches its way 621 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,800 through the treacherous channels between the sandbanks. 622 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,760 [Duchovny] When they reach the site, they hit a new problem. 623 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:33,160 The MiG is sunk deep into the mud, locked in tight. 624 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:34,920 - Their plan is to hoist the wreckage 625 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:36,400 out of the water using a crane. 626 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:38,400 But to thread the crane's slings 627 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,840 underneath the aircraft, they first need to raise it up 628 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:42,720 by attaching buoys to the fuselage. 629 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,480 - That's work that can only be done by hand. 630 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:48,000 [Sami] So 50 sailors strip to their shorts, 631 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:51,520 get onto the sandbank, and work waist deep in mud. 632 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,240 Every few minutes, they dive beneath the murky water 633 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:58,320 to secure buoys to the jet's frame until it's ready to lift. 634 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,920 - Piece by piece, this priceless aircraft 635 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:02,680 is lifted from the water. 636 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,400 But just when the recovery is almost complete, 637 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,600 the convoy's might is tested. 638 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,160 [Catherine] A North Korean shore battery 639 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,280 that's located just a few miles away 640 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,840 suddenly opens fire on the Allied ships. 641 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,280 [Dan] Shells are whistling overhead 642 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,600 as this salvage team is trying their best to finish the job. 643 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,520 - This is where the decision to come in force really pays off. 644 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,880 [Dan] Within minutes, fighters swoop in to provide cover, 645 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:29,400 and one of the ships is able to unleash 646 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,280 a barrage of return fire. 647 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:33,960 [Catherine] The shore battery is silenced, 648 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:35,720 but the message is clear. 649 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,400 The recovery team has overstayed its welcome 650 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:39,680 and needs to get out. 651 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:41,480 ♪ ♪ 652 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:44,440 [Duchovny] With the salvaged jet securely aboard, 653 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,480 the flotilla retreats. 654 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:48,560 It's carried back to the U.S., 655 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:52,040 where the MiG finally gives up its secrets. 656 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,400 - The U.S. is able to figure out what the strengths 657 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,440 and weaknesses of the MiG-15 are, 658 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,120 and they're able now to design new tactics 659 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,040 to be able to take it on in the skies over North Korea. 660 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,960 This is intelligence gold for the air force. 661 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,080 [Duchovny] Washington releases limited details 662 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,560 about the MiG's capture to the press, but the full story 663 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:14,160 of the perilous mission remains secret for decades. 664 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:16,080 of the perilous mission remains secret for decades. 665 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:22,920 Then in 2018, the operational reports are first published, 666 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,680 finally revealing a blow-by-blow account 667 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,120 of the secret UN command heist to steal a MiG 668 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:30,520 from behind enemy lines. 669 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:35,760 - Most covert heists are planned in meticulous detail. 670 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:39,680 But in 1956, one journalist simply finds himself 671 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,640 in the right place at the right time 672 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,320 to snatch a top secret document from the Kremlin, 673 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,800 a political speech so scandalous, 674 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,200 it could shatter the Soviet Union. 675 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,200 [dramatic music] 676 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,440 ♪ ♪ 677 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,440 - By 1956, Nikita Khrushchev has become 678 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:00,640 the leader of Soviet Russia. 679 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,200 - Khrushchev has ascended to this position 680 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:05,480 after three years of power struggle 681 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,880 upon the death of Joseph Stalin. 682 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:08,920 [Greg] The U.S. has been following 683 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:10,600 Khrushchev's rise closely. 684 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:11,960 They know he's a shrewd operator 685 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,800 but don't know much beyond that. 686 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,160 [Duchovny] CIA Director Allen Dulles 687 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:19,840 then catches an unexpected break. 688 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:21,840 [Martin] Dulles is informed by this wire 689 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,600 that Nikita Khrushchev has just delivered a secret speech 690 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:27,600 before the Communist Party Congress, 691 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,920 and that this speech scandalized 692 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,560 the thousand people who were in the room. 693 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,080 - Word is that this speech is an astounding 694 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:36,960 denunciation of Stalin. 695 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,680 It includes his purges, the gulags, cult of personality, 696 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,360 all the things that Stalin has used to hold the USSR together 697 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:45,920 under his own persona. 698 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:47,680 - What makes this so very scandalous 699 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,200 is the fact that Khrushchev has labeled 700 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,440 Joseph Stalin as murderous. 701 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:55,560 ♪ ♪ 702 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,960 [Duchovny] For Dulles, Khrushchev's incendiary words 703 00:30:58,080 --> 00:30:59,800 present an opportunity. 704 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:01,200 [Sami] Dulles believes that 705 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,080 exposing these words to the world 706 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,240 could deal a devastating blow 707 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,640 to the Soviet Union's carefully crafted image 708 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,960 and turn the satellite states against Moscow, 709 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,440 all without firing a single shot. 710 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,200 [Duchovny] The problem? 711 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,000 To show the speech to the world, 712 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,240 Dulles needs a copy of it. 713 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,200 - No text has surfaced, and it's rumored that 714 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,280 there are only seven copies, 715 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,720 each bound in red, stamped top secret, 716 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,000 and with explicit instructions not to duplicate. 717 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:33,400 [Martin] The CIA realizes 718 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,640 it has to get a copy of this speech, 719 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:39,600 and it puts its most effective assets on the case. 720 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,360 [Sasha] The U.S. is so desperate 721 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:45,560 that President Eisenhower authorizes up to $1 million 722 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,680 for the text. 723 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,960 [Duchovny] Then in April, fate intervenes. 724 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,640 ♪ ♪ 725 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,400 - At Communist Party headquarters in Warsaw, 726 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,640 a young Polish journalist named Viktor Grayevsky 727 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:00,360 stops in to visit his girlfriend, 728 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,520 who works as a secretary to a senior party official. 729 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:05,400 [O'Keefe] He happens to notice quite by chance 730 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,640 that there is a document on her desk. 731 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,560 It is red, it is stamped top secret, 732 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:14,680 and this is a copy of Khrushchev's speech. 733 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:16,560 [Duchovny] Grayevsky has heard the whispers 734 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:19,120 about this extraordinary address. 735 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,680 As a journalist, he's desperate to read it. 736 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:23,840 So he asks his girlfriend if he can 737 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:25,840 borrow it for the afternoon. 738 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,200 [O'Keefe] She hesitates 739 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:28,800 because of the security issues. 740 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,440 You're not playing around in the Communist world 741 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:32,840 with top secret material. 742 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,840 There will be, if they're caught, 743 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:36,560 the most extreme consequences. 744 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:38,360 - Grayevsky insists he'll return it 745 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:40,720 within the next few hours before anyone notices, 746 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,800 so reluctantly, she hands it over. 747 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,120 [Duchovny] At home, Grayevsky reads the speech 748 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,280 away from prying eyes. 749 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:51,600 What he discovers horrifies him. 750 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,640 [O'Keefe] Grayevsky is, up until this moment, 751 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,560 a massively committed Stalinist. 752 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:58,720 Stalin was his idol. 753 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,320 But within an instant of reading it, 754 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,160 Grayevsky's worldview is shattered. 755 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:06,920 - Grayevsky feels as though his eyes have been opened. 756 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,560 And in this moment, he feels he has to act. 757 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,840 He has to get the truth out. 758 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,840 - The problem is, in an age before Xerox machines, 759 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:20,080 there's no easy way to copy a 58-page top secret speech. 760 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:24,800 But luckily for Grayevsky, he has some friends who can help. 761 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,720 - Grayevsky is Polish, but he's also Jewish. 762 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,120 And he has this friend at the Israeli embassy. 763 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,680 - Grayevsky slips the red booklet into his jacket 764 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,880 and makes his way across Warsaw to meet his contact. 765 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,840 Inside, Israeli intelligence photograph 766 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:41,480 every page in the booklet. 767 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,240 - 90 minutes after he delivered the secret speech, 768 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:45,400 it's given back to him. 769 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,360 He rushes back across Warsaw 770 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,120 to Communist Party headquarters. 771 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,960 He returns the speech to his girlfriend's desk, 772 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:54,680 where it began the day. 773 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:56,960 ♪ ♪ 774 00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:58,840 [Duchovny] Back in the Israeli embassy, 775 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,400 when officials read the speech, they are floored. 776 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,160 - They instantly recognize how valuable the speech is, 777 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,680 and they also see a chance to pander to the Americans. 778 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,040 [Sasha] Sharing this speech will establish 779 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:12,400 their own credibility to say 780 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:16,120 we are a force to be taken seriously. 781 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,080 [Duchovny] Israel forwards a copy of the speech 782 00:34:18,199 --> 00:34:21,080 to a delighted Allen Dulles, who immediately orders 783 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:23,679 his team to authenticate it. 784 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,360 Then, in June 1956, he sends the full text 785 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:29,000 to "The New York Times." 786 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:30,840 ♪ ♪ 787 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,639 [Sami] Khrushchev's words send a shock wave 788 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:34,719 through the Communist bloc, shattering 789 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,120 the myth of Soviet unity. 790 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:38,639 - The secret speech hauls Stalin 791 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,400 before a judgment in a way that's so powerful 792 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,520 and so scandalous that it's referred to sometimes 793 00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:44,920 as his second funeral. 794 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:46,920 [Sami] Its words spur on uprisings 795 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:48,360 in Poland and Hungary, 796 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,159 weakening Moscow's grip on its empire. 797 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:52,960 ♪ ♪ 798 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:54,600 [Duchovny] As for Viktor Grayevsky, 799 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,680 he develops a taste for espionage. 800 00:34:57,800 --> 00:34:59,600 A year after his impulsive heist, 801 00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:01,200 he joins Israel's intelligence service. 802 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:02,880 he joins Israel's intelligence service. 803 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,320 But it's not until 1994 that he breaks his silence 804 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,680 in a "Washington Post" interview, 805 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,640 revealing the inside story of one of the greatest 806 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,480 intelligence thefts of the Cold War. 807 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:20,360 - When Israel sets out to expose Iran's secret 808 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,560 nuclear weapons program, it attempts one of the largest 809 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,840 physical heists of top secret documents in history, 810 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:32,280 in a mission so intrepid, even Hollywood wouldn't believe it. 811 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,720 - In 2015, the United States, along with five global powers, 812 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,640 signed a historic nuclear deal with Iran. 813 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,280 - For nearly a decade, Iran has been constrained 814 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,800 by crippling sanctions aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions. 815 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,840 [Hakeem] Now those sanctions are lifted in return 816 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,480 for Iran pledging to keep its nuclear program 817 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,360 strictly peaceful. 818 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,560 [Duchovny] Much of the world breathes a sigh of relief, 819 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:00,360 but not Iran's neighbor, Israel. 820 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,200 - Israel is convinced that Iran's continuing 821 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:04,840 to secretly develop nuclear weapons. 822 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:06,960 [Hakeem] Having a nuclear-armed adversary 823 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:10,520 on their doorstep sounds like a disaster. 824 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:12,960 So Israel sets out to derail the deal. 825 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:15,520 [Don] Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, 826 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,280 summons Mossad's new director, Yossi Cohen, 827 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:20,440 and delivers him a clear message: 828 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,480 we can't just tell the world Iran is lying; 829 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,400 we have to show them. 830 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:29,320 [Duchovny] Cohen knows exactly the kind of evidence he needs. 831 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:30,880 Israeli intelligence has learned 832 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,000 of a hidden Iranian archive allegedly filled 833 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,280 with documents detailing its top secret nuclear program. 834 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,560 But stealing it will be almost impossible. 835 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:44,920 - The first problem he has is simply finding the archive. 836 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:46,800 Iran is vast. 837 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:50,040 It's much bigger than France, Spain, and Germany combined. 838 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:51,680 This is pretty much the definition 839 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:53,240 of hunting for a needle in a haystack. 840 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,720 [Hakeem] Cohen orders round-the-clock analysis 841 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,600 of signal intercepts and human intelligence reports 842 00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:01,480 just to get some kind of angle on its location, 843 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,200 but nothing turns up. 844 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:08,720 [Duchovny] Then in early 2016, Tehran makes a mistake. 845 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:11,400 - The nuclear non-proliferation deal requires Iran 846 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,560 to allow international inspections 847 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:14,960 of its nuclear sites. 848 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:16,960 That pressure forces Iran to hide 849 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:21,000 its most sensitive files at a new ultra secret location. 850 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:22,960 - To avoid scrutiny, they choose 851 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,000 a dilapidated warehouse in the Shurabad district 852 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:27,480 of Southern Tehran. 853 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:29,360 - What Iran doesn't realize is that Mossad 854 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,080 is tracking the movements of all 855 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:33,240 their key nuclear personnel. 856 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:34,960 [Hakeem] When Israeli agents see 857 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,960 what looks like a huge document archive being hauled 858 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,400 into an old warehouse where key nuclear personnel 859 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,360 keep showing up, they know they've got their target. 860 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:45,520 [Duchovny] Israel now knows where 861 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:47,280 the secret files are hidden. 862 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:48,760 To figure out how to steal them, 863 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,120 Cohen authorizes an undercover 864 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:54,040 reconnaissance mission to the site. 865 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,240 [Kavitha] Mossad discovers that the files are locked 866 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:00,120 in heavy safes, but they also identify a major weakness. 867 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,240 There are barely any guards. 868 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:05,040 [Sasha] Now, this is not an oversight by Tehran. 869 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,760 This is a deliberate tactic to keep 870 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,400 unwanted attention away from the warehouse 871 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:12,520 by inspectors and spies. 872 00:38:12,640 --> 00:38:15,840 [Duchovny] Luckily for Mossad, it gets even better. 873 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,520 [Don] The two security guards leave at 10:00 p.m. 874 00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:21,360 and don't return until 7:00 a.m. 875 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,120 This temple of Iran's nuclear secrets 876 00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:27,760 is completely unguarded every night. 877 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:30,200 [Duchovny] Cohen begins preparing an after-hours 878 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,840 smash and grab, but a group of Israelis 879 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:35,560 will stick out on the streets of Tehran. 880 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,680 So he recruits almost two dozen Iranian dissidents 881 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:42,680 and trains them up into master thieves. 882 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:44,400 [Sasha] In a top secret location, 883 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,440 they build a full scale replica of the warehouse, 884 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:51,040 complete with identical Iranian-made safes. 885 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:52,760 - The team rehearses every step-- 886 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,760 how to disable the alarms, bypass the cameras, 887 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,960 and most importantly, crack open the vaults, 888 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,920 all timed to perfection within a 6 1/2 hour window. 889 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,640 [Duchovny] Now they must turn rehearsal into reality. 890 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:11,520 At precisely 10:31 p.m., on January 31, 2018, 891 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:14,000 Cohen pulls the trigger on the heist. 892 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:15,960 [Kavitha] The team disables the alarm, 893 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:18,720 then they force open the warehouse's doors 894 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,440 and move inside. 895 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,560 They head straight for 32 2-meter high steel safes. 896 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:25,120 [Sami] These are heavy-duty safes, 897 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:26,880 and they don't have time to crack them, 898 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,880 so they cut them open using blowtorches 899 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,800 that burn at 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit. 900 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,360 [Sasha] They focus on six, which contain the blueprints 901 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,960 for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. 902 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,800 [Duchovny] One by one, the vaults give way. 903 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,720 Inside, the team finds exactly what it came for. 904 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,480 [Sami] They make off with a collection of binders and CDs 905 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,520 that are packed with thousands of files, videos, and photos, 906 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,480 inside of which are all the plans 907 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:57,840 for Iran's top secret nuclear bomb. 908 00:39:57,960 --> 00:39:59,680 - The loot is loaded into two trucks, 909 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:02,680 and at 5:00 a.m., the Mossad team is gone. 910 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,520 Now this heist becomes a race. 911 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:07,360 It's 400 miles to the border, 912 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,360 and they have just a two-hour head start. 913 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:12,800 [Sasha] At 7:00 a.m., the guards return. 914 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:14,600 The theft is discovered. 915 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:16,880 A nationwide manhunt is on. 916 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,880 [Kavitha] Iran seals its borders. 917 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,520 Thousands of agents, police officers, and soldiers 918 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,520 are mobilized in an effort to track down the thieves. 919 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:26,320 [Don] With the borders locked, 920 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:29,160 they make for a notorious drug smuggling corridor. 921 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:30,840 And there they bribe the traffickers 922 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,360 to move their bounty safely out of Iran. 923 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:36,440 Despite the huge risks, every member of the team 924 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:38,120 makes it home alive. 925 00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:41,280 [Duchovny] Three months later, in April 2018, 926 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:45,360 Prime Minister Netanyahu takes the stage in Tel Aviv. 927 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,160 In a live televised address, 928 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:49,320 he makes a stunning declaration-- 929 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,000 Iran lied, big time. 930 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,160 [Don] Netanyahu presents clear evidence 931 00:40:54,280 --> 00:40:56,360 that Iran has been secretly pursuing 932 00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:59,920 nuclear weapons for years, even while publicly denying it. 933 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:03,960 Israel's audacious coup changes global policy overnight. 934 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,280 - President Trump pulls the United States 935 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:08,200 out of the Iran nuclear deal. 936 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:10,000 Sanctions are reimposed. 937 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:12,960 Iran is cast back out into the wilderness. 938 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:14,440 ♪ ♪ 939 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,080 [Duchovny] In the years that follow, 940 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,480 tensions between Iran, the U.S., and Israel 941 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,560 continue to escalate, 942 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,520 and President Trump cites Iran's nuclear program 943 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:27,800 when he sets out his case for military action in 2026. 944 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,960 ♪ ♪ 945 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:33,560 From boatloads of uranium to top secret fighter jets, 946 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:37,400 governments will stop at nothing to take what they want. 947 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:42,000 But even the most covert thefts are eventually exposed.