SpyCast

How the CIA Captured Carlos the Jackal

Sep 22, 2026
Joby Warrick, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist and author, chronicles Carlos the Jackal’s transformation from privileged Venezuelan to international terrorist. They explore the OPEC hostage crisis, his alliances with dictators, CIA surveillance in Khartoum, and the French-American operation that captured him. The discussion also examines the narcissist behind the revolutionary persona and Carlos’s lasting impact on terrorism.
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ANECDOTE

The KGB Rejected Carlos For Partying

  • Moscow’s KGB considered Carlos as a possible recruit but rejected him after his partying became impossible to ignore.
  • His dorm reportedly contained liquor bottles and a prostitute after one notorious party.
ANECDOTE

Carlos Failed His First Assassination

  • Palestinian militants gave Carlos five bullets to assassinate a wealthy businessman in London.
  • He shot the target in the face, but the bullet deflected and the victim survived, foreshadowing Carlos’s unreliable execution.
ANECDOTE

Carlos Turned OPEC Into A Hostage Spectacle

  • Carlos seized an OPEC meeting in Vienna, killing three people and taking oil ministers hostage.
  • His reputation made authorities comply with his demand for an aircraft, turning audacity into operational leverage.
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