Spy Dust and Master of Disguise book covers

 

Tony and Jonna Mendez are former CIA Intelligence Officers with 52 years of combined service. Both served as the CIA’s Chief of Disguise. On the CIA’s 50th anniversary, Tony was chosen as one of the CIA’s top 50 officers for its first 50 years. The Mendez’s have written two books, "The Master of Disguise" and "Spy Dust" which are currently available on this site, signed, on Amazon, and as E-Books (MOD, Spy Dust). Both books are highly recommended reading for new recruits in the US Intelligence Community, and are part of the curriculum at Universities and in the Intelligence Community

They have participated in over 25 television documentaries and were technical consultants on the CBS primetime show “The Agency.” Both are founding board members of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

Upcoming Events:

  • Tony just finished doing an interview with NPR for a new program called "Snap Judgment". It is on at 8:00 PM Saturday night in the D.C. area. Listen to an audio preview (8.25 MB).
  • Following a May 2007 "Wired Magazine" article on Tony's rescue operation in Iran during the Iranian hostage crisis, Warner Brothers and George Clooney have optioned the rights to Tony's book "The Master of Disguise." The movie is currently in pre-production. It will be directed by Ben Affleck and filming to begin on 22 August 2011. The script has been written by Chris Terrio. The working title is ARGO.
  • Tony and Jonna will be teaching a course at Frederick Community College in May 2011. Titled The Real James Bond. The course will discuss the Iranian hostage rescue as well as the art and craft of identity transfer operations to include eluding hostile surveillance while working in enemy territory, the use of stereotyping and the principles of disguise, magic and illusion.
  • There will be an additional day at FCC to learn about the secret history of history — a trip to the International Spy Museum. There will be a pre-museum briefing and a debriefing after the trip.
  • The Mendez's will be teaching a Masters Class at Chautauqua in upstate New York this July. During the week 11-16 July they will teach four courses. Monday, 11 July the course is Being CIA's 'Q', on 12 July Secrets of Disguise, on Wednesday the Master Class and on Friday, 15 July Connecting the Dots. This work will be done in partnership with the International Spy Museum and its excellent education Staff
  • Tony has just finished filming with ZDF German TV for a documentary on the Iranian hostage rescue. The film will be held for release until the movie is also released.
  • Jonna's course on Contemporary Women in Espionage is available to the intelligence community. View the online Video clip.
  • The Mendez's also give courses and workshops on a variety of topics including Disguise and Illusion and KGB 101 through CI Centre

Recent Events:

  • Tony just completed an evening course at the International Spy Museum on Counterfeiting. During the course the entire audience was taught to forge Vladimir Putin's signature. But not enough counterfeiting to do any lasting damage. Or commit any crime!
  • Tony and Jonna were invited to New York City to a pre-release screening of the movie "SALT" starring Angelina Jolie. The results ran on the video screen on the backseats of New York taxis for two weeks. Their review: "Fun to watch but it didn't make much sense." Tony thought Angelina's lips looked like "pillows."
  • The Mendez's participated in leadership training for an unnamed federal agency, participating in several field trips and lectures on the qualities of leadership.
  • The Mendez's spoke twice in the last 12 months at the Orange County History Museum in Orlando, Florida. Both engagements were sold out.
  • Tony and Jonna were judges at the National Association of Caterer's Annual Function in Baltimore. They judged over 50 incredibly designed table displays. The theme of the evening was "Mystery," and who better to handle that subject than two spies?
  • The Mendez's participated in a technology conference sponsored by the federal government. In so doing, they discovered that while technology has evolved and moved forward, the problems associated with implementing the technology do not seem to have changed much at all.
  • Tony continues to lecture and write. He is working on several manuscripts, one on the definitive history of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Secret History:

  • The International Spy Museum featured Tony and Jonna at another exclusive spy retreat, an evening of intrigue at the famous Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. The "Cherry Blossom Case" unfolded during the week of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The unexpected romantic climax will forever be shrouded in mystery and intrigue. As usual, nothing is as it seems…
  • The Mendez's were keynote speakers at the AFIO ( Association of Former Intelligence Officers) gala in Houston, Texas. The event was well attended with an audience of several hundred. The duo was well received and the Mayor of Houston voted an official proclamation declaring 1 September "Tony and Jonna Mendez Day" in the City of Houston.
  • Tony and Jonna flew to Ontario to host an evening with the Canadian Intelligence Service. To their delight an audience of 450 sat through their demonstrations of some of the fine arts of espionage. It was an exceptionally well received evening.

Media Events:


ANTONIO MENDEZ   is the former chief of disguise for the CIA. A recipient of the CIA's Intelligence Star of Valor and the Trailblazer Award, he is the author of The Master of Disguise.

JONNA MENDEZ   is a twenty-seven year veteran of the CIA who served as a technical operations officer and chief of disguise. Tony and Jonna Mendez live in Maryland with their son, Jesse.

 


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