The Rest Is Classified

Latest Episodes:

79. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Killing the Cocaine King (Ep 6) Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

In the final months of 1993, the hunt for Pablo Escobar reached a fever pitch. On the run and isolated, Escobar is under immense pressure from both the Colombian search bloc and the shadowy death squad, Los Pepes. But it is his family, now targeted and in danger, that becomes his ultimate weakness. With his wife and children desperately seeking asylum abroad, Escobar's deep-seated need to connect with them becomes his undoing.

In this final episode of our series, Gordon and David recount the climactic final days of the manhunt. They detail how the search bloc, with the aid of US intelligence, hones its direction-finding technology to pinpoint Pablo’s location.

This is the story of how a single phone call, a desperate family, and a relentless manhunt led to the death of the world’s most notorious criminal.

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Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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78. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Death Squads & Delta Force (Ep 5) Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

After walking out of his luxurious prison, Pablo Escobar is back on the run. With the Colombian government humiliated, they turn to the United States for a new kind of help: a specialized, elite force. The answer comes in the form of a Delta Force team. Their mission is to train and advise the Colombian search bloc, but their ultimate goal is to find Pablo once and for all.

In the penultimate episode of our series on Pablo Escobar, Gordon and David explore the full-scale manhunt that ensues once the drug kingpin escapes. They detail the collaboration and bureaucratic clashes between a mix of US intelligence agencies and the Colombian military. With advanced technology from Centra Spike and the CIA, the hunt is on, but Pablo proves to be an elusive target.

From a dramatic prison escape to the deployment of America's most elite commandos, this is the story of how the hunt for Escobar became a coordinated international operation.

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Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community.

To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

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Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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77. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: The Medellin Cartel vs Colombia (Ep 4) Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

By the autumn of 1989, the hunt for Pablo Escobar and the Medellín cartel was intensifying. With the US military and intelligence agencies now directly involved, a new, more aggressive phase of the War on Drugs had begun.

Join Gordon and David as they explore how Escobar, facing a relentless manhunt, leverages his position to strike an extraordinary deal with the Colombian state. Discover how he uses his “plata o plomo” (silver or lead) strategy - a mix of bribery, kidnapping, and murder - to bend the government to his will and secure his ultimate prize: the outlawing of extradition.

This is the tale of Escobar’s political manoeuvring, a new president's desperate attempts to end the violence, and a surrender that was, in fact, a stunning victory.

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Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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76. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: From Narco to Global Terrorist (Ep 3) Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

By the late 1980s, Pablo Escobar’s grip on the cocaine trade was unmatched. But a new threat loomed: extradition to the United States. To Escobar, it was a fate worse than death. His answer was brutal - declare open war on the Colombian state.

In this episode, Gordon and David trace the rise of the so-called “Extraditables,” a loose alliance of cartel bosses who vowed to stop extradition at any cost. Through car bombs, political assassinations, and the murder of anyone who stood in their way, Escobar sent a single message: you cannot take me alive.

It’s the beginning of a bloody showdown that would push Colombia to the brink.

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Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

75. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: The War on Drugs (Ep 2) Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

In the early 1980s, Pablo Escobar reinvented himself. He was no longer just the man who could smuggle tonnes of cocaine into Miami - he was the successful businessman, the philanthropist, the proud family man. To the poor, he built homes and football fields. To the powerful, he offered campaign donations and political loyalty.

Listen as Gordon and David chart Escobar’s transformation from feared trafficker to aspiring statesman. He buys his way into Congress, rubbing shoulders with Colombia’s elite while his cartel tightens its grip on the cocaine trade. But fame and politics bring scrutiny, and enemies determined to bring him down.

This is the tale of how Escobar’s reach extended from the backstreets of Medellín to the heart of Colombian democracy.

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FX’s Alien: Earth, an original series now streaming exclusively on Disney Plus. 18 plus subscription required. T&Cs apply.

-------------------

Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

74. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Rise of a Drug Lord (Ep 1) Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

Colombia in the mid-20th century was a place of beauty and bloodshed - where jungle mountains sheltered rebels, the cities were ruled by oligarchs, and outlaw legends became folk heroes. Into this world stepped Pablo Escobar. Charming, calm, and calculating, he would become one of the richest men in history - and one of the deadliest.

In this first episode of our Escobar series, Gordon Corera and David McCloskey explore Escobar’s early years: petty crime in Medellín, his first forays into smuggling, and the moment cocaine transformed from a fringe luxury into a multi-billion-dollar industry.

From stolen cars to international drug routes, this is how Escobar built the foundation of the Medellín Cartel - and how the war to bring him down began.

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To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

-------------------

Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

73. Destroying the Nazi Nuclear Program: Saving the World From War (Ep 2) Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Who was the Nazi General who called the Allied Gunnerside mission “the most splendid coup I have seen?” How did the Norwegians stop the Nazis' nuclear program for good? And how did one commando use a large amount of laxatives to save his mother's life?

Operation Gunnerside was a dangerous mission to destroy a Nazi heavy water plant in Norway. Led by Joachim Rønneberg, a team of commandos had to climb down, and then up, a 600-foot gorge to reach their target. They successfully planted explosives and destroyed the heavy water cylinders, but the team's escape would be just as perilous. Pursued by an entire German division, they had to navigate the freezing Norwegian wilderness, facing blizzards and close calls with the enemy.

Listen as Gordon and David conclude their series on this extraordinary mission and reveal what ultimately happened to the Nazi bomb program and its heroic saboteurs.

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To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

-------------------

FX’s Alien: Earth, an original series now streaming exclusively on Disney Plus. 18 plus subscription required. T&Cs apply.

-------------------

Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

72. Destroying the Nazi Nuclear Program: Bombing Norway (Ep 1) Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

What was the most dangerous mission of World War II? How did a small team of Norwegian skiers stop the Nazis from building a nuclear bomb? And, what exactly is heavy water, and why was it so important to the Nazis?

Operation Gunnerside was a high-stakes, real-life mission to sabotage a Nazi nuclear program in Norway. Led by the young and fearless Joachim Rønneberg, a team of Norwegian commandos were tasked with a seemingly impossible mission.The Germans had increased heavy water production at the Norsk Hydro plant in the remote Telemark region, and the Allies feared they were close to developing an atomic weapon. This is the story of a daring sabotage mission that changed the course of history.

Listen as Gordon and David begin their explosive two-part series on the mission to stop the Nazis from getting the bomb.

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To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com.

To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

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Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee

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Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

71. Israel Attacks Iran: The Dawn of Cyber Warfare (Ep 4) Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

How did the Stuxnet cyberweapon, designed to be covert, break out into the wild? What were the world-changing implications of this sophisticated attack on Iran's nuclear centrifuges, and what happened when it was exposed?

Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera reach the finale of their series on the Stuxnet cyberweapon, discussing its discovery by cybersecurity researchers and the subsequent shift in tactics against Iran's nuclear ambitions.

-------------------

To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to ⁠www.therestisclassified.com⁠.

To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

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Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee

-------------------

Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Callum Hill

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

70. Israel Attacks Iran: The Virus Spreads (Ep 3) Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

What was the "horse blanket" and how did it guide Obama's decisions on cyber warfare? How did the Stuxnet virus evolve to target Iran's centrifuges more aggressively? And what were the risks and ethical dilemmas involved in unleashing such a powerful and precise cyber weapon?

Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera delve into the Obama administration's acceleration of the Olympic Games program, the sophisticated targeting mechanisms of the Stuxnet virus, and the increasing pressure on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

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To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to⁠ ⁠www.therestisclassified.com⁠⁠.

To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up⁠

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Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee

-------------------

Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠via this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-------------------

Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@triclassified⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills