On today’s episode, Hyun Seung Lee, a North Korean defector, shares his firsthand perspective on the regime’s military mindset and how it views the U.S. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original  Buy Target Intelligence: PSYOP with Shawn Ryan: http://psyopshow.com/ Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack  Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   DeleteMe Go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/IRONCLAD and use coupon code IRONCLAD, or  scan the QR code Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Dennis Price of Heroes for Humanity. Dennis shares how the organization came to be and the journey behind their high-risk humanitarian missions, from rescuing Americans and Afghan allies in conflict zones to helping victims of human trafficking and responding to natural disasters.  To find out more about The Heroes for Humanity, visit: https://www.theheroesforhumanity.org/ Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thisisironclad Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack  Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   DeleteMe Go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/IRONCLAD and use coupon code IRONCLAD, or  scan the QR code Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy talks with journalist Brendan Koerner about the case of Sean Aaron Smith — a 27-year-old from Texas who set fire to 22 cell towers between 2021 and 2022. Believing 5G technology was part of a global mind-control plot, Smith’s actions were driven by conspiracy theories spread through podcasts, social media, and online communities. Brendan breaks down how misinformation and isolation led to one of the most unusual domestic terrorism cases in recent years, and what it reveals about the evolving nature of radicalization in the digital age. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack  Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   DeleteMe Go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/IRONCLAD and use coupon code IRONCLAD, or  scan the QR code Marek Health Take control of your health today! Head to https://www.MarekHealth.com and use code FOCALPOINT for 10% off at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Andy welcomes back John Nores, a retired California game warden, author, and conservationist known for his frontline work combating cartel operations on U.S. soil. During his 28-year career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Nores helped pioneer the Marijuana Enforcement Team, targeting environmental crimes tied to drug trafficking on public lands. Together, Andy and John discuss the implications of the USDA’s proposal to eliminate the Roadless Rule—a policy that protects millions of acres of public land from logging and road building—and why its potential removal poses a serious threat to both ecosystems and national security. They explore how cartels exploit remote wilderness areas for illegal operations, the growing collaboration between cartels and foreign entities like China, and why both the southern and northern U.S. borders are increasingly vulnerable. Change Agent is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack  Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   DeleteMe Go to https://www.joindeleteme.com/IRONCLAD and use coupon code IRONCLAD, or  scan the QR code Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Change Agents, Andy sits down with award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller, host of National Geographic’s Trafficked, to explore cartels, black markets, and human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad. Mariana discusses how cartels operate in small American towns, use domestic flights for smuggling, and recruit American citizens as distributors. She also examines the trade of Vietnamese brides into China and the broader social and economic factors that enable these crimes. The conversation highlights the scale of drug trafficking and human exploitation and emphasizes the need for awareness and solutions that address the root causes. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack  Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Bobbie Johnson, senior editor at Wired and an investigative journalist with deep experience covering technology, security, and digital culture. Bobbie unpacks a startling new investigation into how North Korea has infiltrated Western tech companies through remote work schemes. Using fake identities, stolen documents, and AI-powered tools to breeze through coding tests and interviews, North Korean operatives have managed to secure jobs at hundreds of U.S. companies. With the help of facilitators inside the United States, these workers receive laptops, funnel salaries back to Pyongyang, and generate millions for the regime’s weapons programs. The conversation explores how these tactics threaten both national security and private industry, why they’re so hard to detect, and what steps companies can take to guard against them. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack Visit http://www.TacPack.com and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Winston Sterzel and Matthew Tye, creators and hosts of The China Show and two of the most well-known foreign commentators on modern China. Winston and Matthew both lived in China for over a decade, where they documented daily life, culture, and politics through their popular YouTube channels before turning their focus to uncovering how the Chinese Communist Party operates at home and abroad. Together, they break down the ways the CCP uses propaganda, censorship, and state narratives to influence its citizens and shape global perception, including how China’s growing hostility toward the United States fuels nationalism at home and poses new challenges and threats abroad. To watch the China Show, visit http://youtube.com/@thechinashow and their secret show on Patreon - http://patreon.com/advpodcasts Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original  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 Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Steven Dudley, an investigative journalist and expert on Latin American organized crime. Steven is the founder of InSight Crime, a leading organization dedicated to studying and reporting on criminal networks in the region. They discuss the structure and operations of cartels, recent U.S. maritime drug enforcement actions, and the use of terrorism designations in policy. Steven highlights the potential impact of these operations on international relations, particularly with countries like Venezuela, and shares insights into the challenges of targeting decentralized criminal networks. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original 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 Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared (Megaphone only)  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack (megaphone only) Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Andy welcomes back former CIA officer John Kiriakou for a wide-ranging conversation about intelligence and global power. They discuss Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged ties to Israeli intelligence and what those claims reveal about the overlap between private influence and state security. The conversation then turns to the rise of the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—and how their growing cooperation could shift the global balance. They also explore the importance of maintaining dialogue with adversaries, drawing on Trump’s meetings with Putin and Zelensky, and consider possible scenarios for Russia’s political future beyond Putin. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. TacPack Visit http://www.TacPack.com  and use code IRONCLAD at checkout to get a free $70 tactical gift  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Andy sits down with Yaakov Katz, veteran journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post, to unpack the hard lessons of October 7th and the evolving threats in the Middle East. Katz draws on three decades of reporting on Israeli defense and military affairs to explain how Hamas transformed from a fringe insurgency into a formidable force, the blind spots within Israel’s defense establishment, and the unintended consequences of overreliance on the Iron Dome. He also examines Iran’s deepening ties to Hamas, the intelligence gaps inside Gaza, and the ethical dilemmas of modern warfare in urban environments.  Katz’s forthcoming book, While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East, will be released on September 2, 2025 Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared (Megaphone only)  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode , Andy talks with Jack Barsky, a former KGB spy, who lived undercover in the United States during the Cold War. Barsky details how the Soviet Union recruited and trained him, the high-stakes challenges of creating a new American identity, and the constant pressure of balancing a normal life with espionage. He recounts the dramatic moment the FBI caught up with him, the tactics he used to escape the KGB’s grip, and what his story reveals about the hidden world of Russian intelligence. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Michael Schwirtz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and national security reporter for The New York Times. They discuss a recent investigation that uncovered a Russian “spy factory” in Brazil, where spies created credible long-term identities under the Illegals program. These operatives are trained to conduct deep-cover missions targeting countries including the U.S. Schwirtz also explains the challenges intelligence agencies face with modern technology, the role of Brazilian authorities in uncovering these spies, and the complexities of international spy swaps. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Change Agents, Andy speaks with journalist Max Read about the evolution of rationalism and the emergence of the Zizians, a splinter group with radical beliefs. The conversation explores the origins of the group, the role of its central figure Ziz, and the intersection of technology, ideology, and identity. They also examine the dynamics of online communities, the influence of militant veganism within the group, and what the rise of the Zizians suggests about the broader rationalist movement and its place in Silicon Valley. To Visit Max’s substack: https://maxread.substack.com/ Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, Andy talks with Glenn Chafetz, former CIA analyst and expert on strategic culture and national security. They discuss the evolution of nuclear weapons policy, the role of trust and treaties in international relations, and how changing global alliances are affecting stability. Glenn draws on his experience to provide context on nuclear proliferation and its implications for the future of global security. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy speaks with national security expert Nicholas Eftimiades about the recent arrest of two Chinese nationals charged with acting as unregistered agents of China’s Ministry of State Security. The pair allegedly targeted U.S. Navy personnel and gathered intelligence on military sites across multiple states. Drawing from decades of experience in the CIA, DIA, and State Department, Eftimiades explains how China’s intelligence operations function, why the U.S. military is a key focus, and what this case signals about the broader landscape of Chinese espionage efforts inside the United States. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared (don’t put it on Youtube, megaphone only) Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy talks with Cory Gautereaux—Army veteran and founder of The G.O.A.T. Initiative—about what he’s uncovered along remote sections of the southern border. From finding discarded passports from countries like China and Venezuela, to accessing a smuggler’s Chinese phone, to identifying stretches of the border that remain completely unguarded, Cory shares raw details from the ground.  To find out more about the GOAT Initiative, visit:  https://thegoatinitiative.org/ Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, Andy sits down with Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a leading expert on Iran sanctions and U.S. foreign policy. Dubowitz has advised multiple U.S. administrations and lawmakers on strategies to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional activities. The conversation covers the evolution of U.S.-Iran relations, the effectiveness and limitations of sanctions, and the impact of domestic political divisions on international strategy. Dubowitz also examines the importance of historical context and discusses the potential role of supporting internal dissent within Iran as part of a broader policy approach. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors:  Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode originally aired on January 3, 2024. On today's episode, Andy sits down with Nick Bryant, an investigative journalist, podcaster, author, and expert on human trafficking who is credited with helping to expose the widespread abuse of Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal associates. He is also the author of the book The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers Child Abuse & Betrayal. His new book, The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary Lies and Liars, will be released on Jan. 15.  He is also the Director of the organization Epstein Justice. Learn more here ⁠https://epsteinjustice.com/⁠ Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Lou Ferrante—former mobster turned author and speaker—joins Andy to unpack his remarkable transformation from a life of organized crime to one of personal growth and social insight. Lou shares raw and unfiltered stories from his early years in the mafia, revealing the inner workings of criminal networks, the code of loyalty that binds them, and how evolving technology is reshaping the criminal landscape. Lou is best known as the host of Inside the Gangsters’ Code on Discovery. His books include his memoir Unlocked: The Life and Crimes of a Mafia Insider and Mob Rules Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared  Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with former CIA analyst Michael Shurkin to explore the agency’s post-9/11 focus on Africa and the emergence of jihadist movements in the Sahel. They unpack the rise of Al-Qaeda–linked groups in Mali, the regional dynamics that fueled instability, and how external actors like France and Russia shaped the conflict. The conversation highlights the day-to-day realities of intelligence work, the strategic blind spots of U.S. foreign policy, and why what’s happening in Africa could have consequences far beyond the continent. Change Agents is an IRONCLAD Original Sponsors: Firecracker FarmUse code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ AmmoSquared Visit https://ammosquared.com/ today for a special offer and keep yourself fully stocked. With over 100,000 members and thousands of 5-star ratings, Your readiness is their mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices