Inside the CIA’s Most Covert and Dangerous Branch: The Special Activities Center

For SpyCast’s 20th year, we’re kicking off the season with Brian Carbaugh. After serving in the CIA for over two decades, he retired as Director of the Special Activities Center- the Agency’s arm for covert action, where some of the boldest and most dangerous work happens with authorization from the president. This is a world few know about firsthand, and even fewer can discuss. Brian sits down with Sasha to give an inside look at the job, which he held from 2017 to 2021-pivotal years in the United States and around the world.

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Inside the CIA’s Most Covert and Dangerous Branch: The Special Activities Center is an episode from SpyCast by SpyCast.

This episode is 39:53 long.

This episode was published on Jan 13, 2026.

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