#183 - Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️♀️👨👩👧👦
Ann E. Butler - "Wife. Mother. Spy." | 27-Year Undercover CIA Officer & Mom of Five on Secret Missions, Going Into Labor During Ops & Hiding It All From Her Kids 🕵️♀️👨👩👧👦
Her kids found out she was a CIA agent the night before her retirement party.
For 27 years, Ann E. Butler recruited spies, ran covert operations across four continents, and made it home for dinner — all while raising five children who thought mom was just a diplomat.
What You'll Learn:
- How she went into labor during a clandestine meeting (and still made the handoff)
- The art of the "bump" — engineering a chance encounter to recruit an asset
- Why a pregnant mom of five is the perfect undercover cover
- How to build trust fast enough that someone will commit treason for you
- The moment her daughter discovered the truth (a mosaic gave it away)
- What 9/11 was like from inside a European CIA station
Power Quote: "Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Persevere, even though it's not always easy. And be grateful for those opportunities — because they can turn into extraordinary moments." — Ann E. Butler
Timestamps:
🕵️♀️ 0:00 - Introduction 📖 3:30 - Why she wrote the book after 27 years of silence
🤰 8:45 - Going into labor during a clandestine meeting
🚂 15:20 - Almost nine months pregnant on an overnight train in alias
🎯 24:00 - The "bump" — how CIA officers engineer chance encounters
🤝 32:15 - Building trust: how to get someone to commit treason
🏫 40:30 - CIA training: the farm, fake prisons, and pressure tests
💥 48:00 - September 11th from inside a European CIA station
👨👩👧👦 55:20 - How her kids finally found out (the night before retirement)
🎬 62:00 - The Americans TV show: how accurate is it?
🏃♀️ 68:30 - Running a marathon in Paris (after meeting an asset first)
💡 74:00 - One lesson: Take advantage of opportunities and be grateful
Featured Book: "Wife. Mother. Spy. An Extraordinary Life Filled With Ordinary Days" by Ann E. Butler
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© Joe Ciccarone - Built Not Born Podcast. All Rights Reserved. Views expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.
