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Welcome to Spycast.

My name is Dr. Andrew Hammond, a historian and curator here at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

Every week, Spycast explores a world of intelligence and espionage by bringing you in-depth conversations, spies, spymasters, intelligence officers and authors.

We explore the stories, secrets, tradecraft and technology of a world that looms beneath the surface of everyday life.

Welcome to this week's episode of Spycast.

On the streets, location, unknown.

From counter-narcotics to counter-terrorism, from Latin America to the Middle East, and from the back streets of a war zone to the centre of events in Washington, D.C.

Karen Schaefer has had, how should we say, an eventful career as an intelligence officer?

Charming, smart, thoughtful, and you haven't even met Karen yet.

But seriously, it was a pleasure to talk to this week's guest who had all of those qualities and more.

So enjoyable, it will be released as a double header.

This week, part one focuses on her time as an operator for the CIA, while part two focuses on her time as a serial collaborator, when she worked with special operations, the FBI and the NSC.

Station for part two, but first, part one.

If there's ever anything that you think, here's an important ingredient and the dish that makes up Karen Schaefer, I haven't been cooking.

Yes, but you haven't.

And as you listen, I will flag you down.

Yes, absolutely.

So I wonder if just the start.

Could you tell us how you got into the world of intelligence?

Sure, sure.

I actually, as they say in Spanish, I, I grew up overseas.

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