Shadow Cell: an explosive insider account of the world's new spy war from ex-CIA operatives
Andrew Bustamante · Jihi Bustamante
Sep 2025 · Headline Press · Narrated by Andrew Bustamente and Jihi Bustamente
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7 hr 14 min
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A thrilling first-hand account by husband-and-wife CIA operatives who, against all odds, triumphed in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a mole within the intelligence agency - an unprecedented insider view of 21st-century spycraft.
Andrew and Jihi Bustamante were a 'tandem couple': married spies who'd dedicated their lives to the CIA. They met as trainees at Langley, and got married while hunting terrorists across the globe. Then, suddenly, they were assigned to a mission so sensitive and explosive that the CIA has still never acknowledged it. The CIA's source network in a country code-named 'Falcon' - one of America's most formidable rivals - had been compromised by a mole, and the agency needed a new way to collect intelligence there. Young newlyweds the Bustamantes were considered safe choices for this daunting task precisely because they had no experience in Falcon. They were also loyal, forgettable, and completely disposable - operatives who could help to strengthen the CIA's position in Falcon while simultaneously serving as bait for the mole.
But although their superiors at the CIA didn't realize it, the Bustamantes also brought another advantage to the table: a granular understanding of how terrorist cells operate, and how the agency could exploit those same tactics to keep the West safe. Assembling a rag-tag team of fellow operatives and recruiting new sources from Falcon, the Bustamantes pioneered a new way of spying by building a cell of their own, right at the heart of the CIA.
The propulsive, untold tale of one of history's greatest intelligence crises and the unlikely band of agents who were sent in to clean up the mess, Shadow Cell allows us to peer behind the curtain to see how today's spy wars are being fought - and won.
A thrilling first-hand account by husband-and-wife CIA operatives who, against all odds, triumphed in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a mole within the intelligence agency - an unprecedented insider view of 21st-century spycraft.
Andrew and Jihi Bustamante were a 'tandem couple': married spies who'd dedicated their lives to the CIA. They met as trainees at Langley, and got married while hunting terrorists across the globe. Then, suddenly, they were assigned to a mission so sensitive and explosive that the CIA has still never acknowledged it. The CIA's source network in a country code-named 'Falcon' - one of America's most formidable rivals - had been compromised by a mole, and the agency needed a new way to collect intelligence there. Young newlyweds the Bustamantes were considered safe choices for this daunting task precisely because they had no experience in Falcon. They were also loyal, forgettable, and completely disposable - operatives who could help to strengthen the CIA's position in Falcon while simultaneously serving as bait for the mole.
But although their superiors at the CIA didn't realize it, the Bustamantes also brought another advantage to the table: a granular understanding of how terrorist cells operate, and how the agency could exploit those same tactics to keep the West safe. Assembling a rag-tag team of fellow operatives and recruiting new sources from Falcon, the Bustamantes pioneered a new way of spying by building a cell of their own, right at the heart of the CIA.
The propulsive, untold tale of one of history's greatest intelligence crises and the unlikely band of agents who were sent in to clean up the mess, Shadow Cell allows us to peer behind the curtain to see how today's spy wars are being fought - and won.
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About the author
Andrew Bustamante (Author)
Andrew Bustamante is a former CIA intelligence officer who served in the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq before being recruited into the CIA's National Clandestine Service where he served for 7 years handling sensitive operations still classified Top Secret. He is the presenter of the EverydaySpy podcast and a sought-after media authority on military, espionage, and current events.
Jihi Bustamante is also a former CIA intelligence officer and the Vice-President of EverydaySpy. After earning two masters degrees and a law degree, Jihi was recruited into CIA's National Clandestine Service from a career in social work supporting female refugees fleeing sex trafficking and genocide. Unlike her public-facing husband, Jihi remains private in both her personal and professional lives.
Andrew Bustamante is a former CIA intelligence officer who served in the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq before being recruited into the CIA's National Clandestine Service where he served for 7 years handling sensitive operations still classified Top Secret. He is the presenter of the EverydaySpy podcast and a sought-after media authority on military, espionage, and current events.
Jihi Bustamante is also a former CIA intelligence officer and the Vice-President of EverydaySpy. After earning two masters degrees and a law degree, Jihi was recruited into CIA's National Clandestine Service from a career in social work supporting female refugees fleeing sex trafficking and genocide. Unlike her public-facing husband, Jihi remains private in both her personal and professional lives.
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