Former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez talks about some of the tactics, gadgets and disguises CIA operatives used in the field during the Cold War.

In November 1979, 53 American employees of the U.S. Embassy in Iran were taken hostage by Islamic revolutionaries. Six diplomats managed to escape, but getting out of the country seemed impossible. Enter CIA officer Tony Mendez, who used inspiration from Hollywood to school six frightened diplomats in the art of assuming false identities and pulled off a bold rescue mission during one of the darkest moments in American foreign policy history.

As a retired CIA intelligence officer with 27 years of service, her career comprised of multiple under cover assignments. She joined the CIA’s Office of Technical Service (OTS) in early 1970, (often compared to “Q” Branch in the 007 movies), holding the position of Chief of Disguise. She also worked closely with her husband in writing Argo and Moscow Rules. Jonna is a founding board member at the International Spy Museum.

Jonna Mendez, the fomer CIA Chief of Disguise sits down with Patrick Bet-David to talk about her life in the CIA.

Join us for a conversation with a real-life spy about her experiences as a covert operative and her role in the advancement of the American intelligence strategy that helped America win the Cold War.

Join Jonna for the launch of the Mendez’s new book THE MOSCOW RULES Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War, where she and her late husband Tony tell the story of the intelligence breakthrough that turned the odds in America’s favor.

The Moscow Rules book talk by author Jonna Mendez at the Spy Museum on CSPAN BookTV

Morning Joe with Willie Geist

CBS NEWSIn 1777, Gen. George Washington established the country's first spy network to take on the British during the Revolutionary War. That is where America's spy story begins, but the $162 million International Spy Museum, in Washington, D.C., is re-imagining what spycraft looks like today.

THE WASHINGTON POSTThe familiar sleek lines of James Bond’s Aston Martin greet visitors in the modern glass lobby of the new International Spy Museum, a welcome nod to the institution’s entertaining roots. But suspended overhead is an Amber Drone, precursor of the CIA’s remotely piloted Predator aircraft and an early clue that the new version brings a little edge to the fun and games.

WIREDJonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise, takes a look at spy scenes from a variety of television shows and movies and breaks down how accurate they really are.

WDVM-TVMaryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Jonna Mendez got the chance to talk Friday at the VIP reception for the Maryland International Film Festival. Mendez says it was an honor to award Gov. Hogan with the Mendez award, named after her late husband Tony Mendez.