Former CIA agent John Kiriakou reveals how sex plays a major role in espionage and spying

Intelligence agencies around the globe aren't afraid to use sex to get vital information.

The shadowy world of espionage is one of the most fascinating topics when it comes to black ops, geopolitics and things that happen the world is not supposed to know about.

It can be a very dark and nasty world to operate in. Trust runs low, and you never know who could be working what angle.

One of the biggest plays some intelligence sources use?

Sex.

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Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has become one of the most famous former intelligence agents in the country. He's blown up in the media over the past year, and he's never afraid to discuss taboo intelligence topics.

That includes how spies around the world throughout history have used sex to get what they want.

"The CIA since its inception has been involved in sexual operations, sexual espionage. Certainly, sex was a well-documented component of MK Ultra, which lasted from about 1952 to 1975. People are going to jump on my head for saying it ended in 1975. It ended in 1975. Certainly, there are other operations that could be considered successors to MK Ultra, but MK Ultra ended in '75. You talked about Operation Midnight Climax. That's one of the more famous ones. It's one of those operations that we talk about today in 2026, and you just have to shake your head and ask semi-rhetorically, what in the world were they thinking? But yeah, I mean, sex was used routinely well into the late 70s, the early 80s," Kiriakou explained during a recent interview with Jay Dyer.

He further explained that the Russians and Israelis are famous for using "honeypots" in espionage activities. Honeypots are intelligence agents who use sex as a tool to gain information on their targets. The former CIA officer revealed the United States used to do the same, but ended the practice around the time President Ronald Reagan took office because it wasn't viewed as efficient.

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Kiriakou further explained, "If you really want somebody to be a source for you and to commit espionage for you over the course of, you know, years, that relationship has to be built on a foundation of trust, not one of coercion. And so, you know, if you go up to somebody and say, 'Listen, we set you up with a prostitute the other night and you didn't know, but we had the room wired for video and audio and we have these pictures of you and videos and we're going to release them to your wife or we're going to release them to your government unless you work for us.' That's not how you build trust. That's not how you build a long-term relationship."

You can listen to Kiriakou's full explanation in the video below starting around 3:30, and make sure to let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Kiriakou is far from the only intelligence operative who has discussed sex as an espionage tool. Former Russian honeypot spy Aliia Roza spoke at length with Shawn Ryan about the same topic.

"As a former honeytrap agent, I can tell you that men are the most vulnerable during intercourse, and if you are a quite experienced agent, you can ask certain questions during or after the intercourse...So, when a man is in bliss and when he's, sort of, like in unconscious like condition and when doesn't really understand everything clearly and if an agent asks questions, the answer should be yes or no…Mostly likely he will tell you," Roza explained during an appearance on "The Shawn Ryan Show."

It's worth noting that individuals who work in sensitive areas or could be targets of such operations often receive extensive training on how to identify and stop any such attempts.

The general rule of thumb is simple.

Would this person talk to you in your hometown bar?

If the answer is no, then you're probably be worked.

What do you think of Kiriakou's comments? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.