International Spy Museum's video: Operaci n Jaque - The Daring Rescue Mission That Freed 15 Hostages

Operación Jaque was one of the most daring and effective operations in intelligence history. A grand deception, entirely planned and executed by Colombian forces, it involved codebreaking, cover identities, and the successful rescue of 15 hostages held by the FARC in the Colombian jungles—and all without spilling a drop of blood. It began on July 2, 2008 - a helicopter carrying more than a dozen disguised commandos landed in the jungles of southern Colombia. Masquerading as journalists and humanitarian aid workers, the military operatives set out to rescue 15 hostages held for years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group. FARC members enthusiastically greeted the helicopter, mistakenly believing it had been sent to transfer the hostages—among them, a former presidential candidate, American military contractors and Colombian soldiers—to another one of the rebel group’s camps. Once in the air, the commandos disarmed FARC leader Gerardo Aguilar Ramírez (known by the nom de guerre César) and his bodyguard, who’d accompanied the captives on board. After months of covert planning, the Colombian military had successfully rescued the detainees, completing the mission in less than half an hour—without firing a gun or shedding blood. The top-secret plan was so complex that Colombian forces dubbed it Operación Jaque, after the Spanish word for check in chess. Now, almost 14 years later, the Spy Museum is hosting a pop-up exhibition exploring the mission’s legacy. The exhibit which opened in May and will remain on view through the end of 2022, features a collection of about 17 artifacts on loan from the Embassy of Colombia in the United States. Learn More: https://bit.ly/3n8RT5a Video Courtesy of RCN Television ------------------------------------------------------------------- Spy Museum's upcoming VIRTUAL programs: https://www.spymuseum.org/calendar/ Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntlSpyMuseum Twitter: https://twitter.com/intlspymuseum​​​​​​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spymuseum SpyCast: https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts/spycast The International Spy Museum® is an independent nonprofit organization. Generous support from viewers like you fuel our nonprofit mission and make our collection, exhibits, and educational programs like this possible. DONATE here: https://bit.ly/3NUqU9C