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Covert Operations and National Security

Covert Operations and National Security

By: Circle Of Insight Productions
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Welcome to covert actions and national security podcast. Welcome to covert and national security podcast. A podcast where we discuss a spectrum of activities concerning covert operations, intelligence, counterintelligence, unconventional warfare, assassination issues, espionage spy craft technology and more. Enter the operational world with Dr. CarlosCopyright Circle Of Insight Productions Economics Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • The Black Wasps and the Art of Asymmetric Power: How Cuba Built a Covert Direct Action Force That Punches Far Above Its Weight Class

    The Black Wasps and the Art of Asymmetric Power: How Cuba Built a Covert Direct Action Force That Punches Far Above Its Weight Class
    Jun 28 2026
    The Avispas Negras were never designed to compete with the resources of JSOC or the SAS — they were designed to make that comparison irrelevant, building a covert direct action capability around small, highly trained, deniable five-person teams that could operate in denied environments, execute rapid response missions, and conduct unconventional warfare with Soviet-era equipment modified specifically to confuse attribution and limit the intelligence signature left behind. Tracing their origins from 1970s operations in Angola through their recent demonstration of capabilities during high-stakes operations in Venezuela, the Black Wasps represent a masterclass in how a sanctioned, resource-constrained state builds covert operational reach through human capital investment, multinational training pipelines, and indigenous innovation when access to Western technology and supply chains is simply not an option. This episode dissects the full operational architecture of Cuba's most elite and least understood unit, examining what their model reveals about the future of asymmetric covert operations, how small states project power through specialized forces, and why the Avispas Negras deserve serious attention from anyone studying the evolving global special operations landscape
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    7 mins
  • Special Forces to the Street: Wil Ravelo on the Covert Skill Set That Moves From the Battlefield to the SWAT Stack

    Special Forces to the Street: Wil Ravelo on the Covert Skill Set That Moves From the Battlefield to the SWAT Stack
    Jun 22 2026
    The skills that define a Green Beret, unconventional warfare, human intelligence, small unit tactics, psychological operations, and the ability to blend into and manipulate complex environments, do not disappear when the operator leaves the military, and Wil Ravelo's journey from Special Forces to law enforcement to SWAT is a masterclass in how that covert operational mindset finds new application in domestic high-threat environments. This episode explores how the intelligence-gathering instincts, cover and concealment principles, and human behavior reading that define elite special operations translate into the world of SWAT operations, undercover work, and high-stakes law enforcement where the margin for error is just as lethal as anything downrange. Wil pulls back the curtain on what the Green Beret community actually teaches its operators about reading people, managing environments, and executing under pressure, and what that knowledge looks like when it is applied to protecting American streets instead of foreign ones. IAB Tags: Military/Defense, Law Enforcement, Society/Issues, Education, News/Politics, Career/Careers, Personal Safety Let me know if you want social media hooks or Apple Podcasts character-count versions for any of thes
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • The Shadow War: Inside Tehran's Global Hit Networks

    The Shadow War: Inside Tehran's Global Hit Networks
    Jun 15 2026
    Deconstruct the hidden machinery of Iranian intelligence as we expose the Quds Force's clandestine assassination cells operating across international borders. This deep dive reveals the espionage tradecraft, illicit funding channels, and deep-cover proxy networks used by Tehran to eliminate dissidents on foreign soil. Uncover the high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse played in the shadows by Western counter-intelligence agencies working to dismantle these active threat cells.
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    10 mins
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