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Seth Hettena

@hettena.bsky.social
522 followers 185 following 65 posts

National security journalist covering intelligence and special operations. Ex-AP. Author of two books. Send me tips on Signal @seth_hettena.11

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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
A former CIA officer allegedly invented a fake classified "Special Access Program" and used it to steal $40 million in gold. How do you pull that off? By exploiting the one thing that makes these black-box programs so dangerous: nobody's allowed to ask questions. open.substack.com/pub/theicema...
open.substack.com
David Rush Didn't Breach the CIA's Secrecy. He Exploited It.
A former CIA Officer allegedly used one of the government's most secret programs to stockpile tens of millions of dollars in gold.
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mrspanstreppon @jamiepeppard.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
About that senior CIA official bagged with $40m in gold bars stashed in his house? Looks like he's been a fraudster his entire career a la George Santos. From @hettena.bsky.social: theiceman.substack.com/p/the-cias-4...
theiceman.substack.com
The CIA's $40 Million Gold Hoarder: I Got His Navy Record
David Rush's official Navy service record reveals a career that bears no resemblance to the one he apparently told the CIA he had.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The CIA officer found with $40 million in gold bars washed out of SEAL training in 2001. I got his Navy record. open.substack.com/pub/theicema...
open.substack.com
The CIA's $40 Million Gold Hoarder: I Got His Navy Record
David Rush's official Navy service record reveals a career that bears no resemblance to the one he apparently told the CIA he had.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I'm not going to spread the message of hate that the two shooters left behind. But I do want to talk about what it says about loneliness, radicalization, and why San Diego keeps producing these young men. Also, I watched the video they livestreamed. Don't. theiceman.substack.com/p/i-read-the...
theiceman.substack.com
I read the San Diego mosque shooters’ "manifesto." I wish I hadn’t.
How two lonely teenagers found each other online and decided the world deserved to burn.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Eric Swalwell sat on the House Intelligence Committee for eight years. He had access to the nation's deepest secrets. And the people who put him there looked the other way while he created the kind of vulnerability that foreign intelligence services exploit. theiceman.substack.com/p/yes-eric-s...
theiceman.substack.com
Yes, Eric Swalwell Was a National Security Risk
The California Democrat's downfall isn't just a political story. It's a national security scandal.
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Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
@hettena.bsky.social calls out the ny post and the cia on their bullshit open.substack.com/pub/theicema...
open.substack.com
The CIA “Ghost Murmur” Story is Probably Bullshit
America's spies can't rewrite the laws of physics.
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eric ⭕️ @edub.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Great post from @hettena.bsky.social
theiceman.substack.com
The CIA “Ghost Murmur” Story is Probably Bullshit
America's spies can't rewrite the laws of physics.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Trump threatened tonight to destroy every electricity plant in Iran. That is not a military objective. That is collective punishment. That is a war crime. He said it on TV. Will anyone care?
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Thank you Andrew!
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Wow. Under a traditional "2-and-20" fee structure, Jared's firm collects $124 million a year regardless of performance.
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Lisa Satsun ☮️💜🤷🏻‍♀️ - at your service! @lisasatsun.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The latest via @hettena.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/theicema...
open.substack.com
A CIA Medal, a Torture Scandal, and Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein’s emails raise a question the CIA won’t answer: what did White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler do to earn a medal from John Brennan?
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Robin Brooks @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Brent is down below $100. @hettena.bsky.social and I just finished a podcast on oil and where to from here. I've been pushing back on the idea that Brent is heading for $150 or $200 for various reason, including the risk of a Trump TACO. And here we are... robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/reschedule...
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Tom Hannen @tomhannen.ft.com · 04/03/2026
This was all over Reddit number stations channels yesterday - new Farsi number station transmission theiceman.substack.com/p/a-new-spy-...
theiceman.substack.com
A New Spy Radio Signal Has Appeared. It's Broadcasting in Farsi.
A new shortwave numbers station appeared the day the bombs fell. Nobody knows who's running it.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I updated my story about the Anthropic-Pentagon dispute with a quote from Sen. Ron Wyden. theiceman.substack.com/p/the-pentag...
theiceman.substack.com
The Pentagon Wanted a Spy Machine. Anthropic Said No (Updated)
The press is covering the dispute over the use of AI in military systems as a contract squabble. They're missing what's actually at stake.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
This is the perfect bookend for a man who rocketed to the presidency on the back of the racist lie that Barack Obama was not born in the US.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
I've been off Bluesky for a while. Wondering if there's any interest here in my military/intelligence writing on Substack. theiceman.substack.com/p/congress-i...
theiceman.substack.com
Congress Is Asking Who We’re Killing at Sea. This San Diego Lawyer Has an Answer — and No One Has Called
Attorney Jeremy Warren defended one of the few known survivors of US boat strikes and says he's no narco-terrorist: "He's a glorified bus driver."
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Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
The Meidas Touch Meiselas brothers grew up with Diddy as a close family friend via their dad, his close friend and longtime attorney. They even went to a bunch of Those Parties and Ben interned with his dad for Diddy.
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Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Law enforcement is violently targeting press at protests around Los Angeles, from easily recognizable "mainstream" outlets to freelancers and independents. ALL press have explicit legal protections in California. #JournalismIsNotACrime. This evidence thread may get graphic. 🧵👇
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Alan Cunningham @cadetcunningham.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Wanted to highlight this read by @hettena.bsky.social on his Substack It is not a big stretch to say US SOF trained cartel members; we’ve already seen that back in the 1980s/90s in Colombia and Mexico with Israeli SOF open.substack.com/pub/theicema...
open.substack.com
Did Former U.S. Special Operators Train a Cartel’s Kill Squad?
A former Delta Force soldier and two SEALs are accused of training Jalisco Cartel’s paramilitary force
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Joshua Eaton @joshuaeaton.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
People who haven’t done a lot of FOIA tend to think of it as some sort of magic spell. It’s more like ordering delivery if everyone involved actively resented you.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
And he will have billions more if and—let’s be honest—when some “unidentified party” buys his shitcoins to shift US policy.
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Chad Loder @chadloder.dev · 24/01/2025
When exchanging your @signal.org contact info over an insecure channel (like a text message or DM), it's a good idea to generate a Signal link (URL) from the app, then you should RESET that link after you connect with the other person on Signal. Thanks to @micahflee.com for reporting.
theintercept.com
Signal’s New Usernames Help Keep the Cops Out of Your Data
Ephemeral usernames instead of phone numbers safeguard privacy — and makes the Signal messenger app even harder to subpoena.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
On Elon’s trip to Auschwitz: www.facebook.com/share/p/15Ue...
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Tame Impala’s Lonerism is good listening for a long run.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
I somehow missed that Geragos & Geragos, the firm that counts Meidastouch’s Ben Meiselas as a partner, is now a litigation consultant to the RNC. www.politico.com/f/?id=000001...
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Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Since I'm doing Betar USA news today, here's an interesting nexus: Famed defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman (repped John Gotti and El Mayo, currently repping Diddy's son) has been doing work for the group since their June launch.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
The NYTimes waits until the very end of Biden’s term to report how aides protected an aging and faltering president. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/u...
nytimes.com
How Biden’s Inner Circle Protected a Faltering President
“Your biggest issue is the perception of age,” Mike Donilon, the president’s longtime strategist, told him in 2022, according to people who heard him.
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Alan Cunningham @cadetcunningham.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Great article from @hettena.bsky.social right here. Definitely go and give it a read theiceman.substack.com/p/the-truth-...
theiceman.substack.com
The truth the Navy SEALs couldn't handle
The controversy over John Chapman's Medal of Honor is casting a shadow over a $270 million set to open in Texas
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Harry Dunn @libradunn1.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Sergeant Gonell @sergeantaqgo.bsky.social sent me this picture. This is his call log. Each call is an automated Dept of "Justice" notification saying "The defendant you testified against is being released from the dept of corrections." Each defendant assaulted him.
Call log showing multiple calls from the dept of justice
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Mark Cuban @mcuban.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Exactly why @bsky.app is so important. Engaging on this platform is important. As is growing this platform. Which one of these men joins Tom Anderson and MySoace in the annals of history first ? Their greed is our opportunity.
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Frank Figliuzzi @frankfigliuzzi.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
The FBI’s Acting Director announces he too is retiring today. www.whec.com/national-wor...
whec.com
FBI acting director says in email that he's retiring from bureau
A longtime FBI deputy director who had been expected to replace Director Christopher Wray on an acting basis is retiring from the bureau. That's according to an email deputy Paul Abbate sent to senior...
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Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
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Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
In all seriousness: the last 2 weeks of TikTok posturing and Zuck grovelling, combined with the X insanity of the last year, should show you that an app with a feed that you don’t control serves *other people’s interests* - not yours.
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Holy shit I assumed this was more NFTs but it’s specifically a *fungible* asset meaning he’s selling his own crypto coin. On top of that, it has a crazy fucking disclaimer and all the hallmarks of a fucking rugpull. This is fucking nuts.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
The consequences keep piling up, but his enablers keep enabling him. Rudy Giuliani still hasn't hit his bottom.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Insane goings on over on X... Elon Musk leaked the private DMs of @zackrawrr.bsky.social, a Twitch streamer who called Elon out for lying about being a top-level player on Path of Exile 2, which is a FUCKING VIDEOGAME.
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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Working out a scenario where Pornhub has to launch a prestigious monthly print magazine in order to stay online in Tennessee. This is how we bring the business back: ransoming access to stepsister-stuck-in-washing-machine content with long-form literary criticism and Malcolm Harris book excerpts.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Poland's leader accuses Russia of planning “acts of air terror” against “airlines around the world.” apnews.com/article/pola...
apnews.com
Poland's leader accuses Russia of planning acts of sabotage against 'airlines around the world'
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accused Russia of planning acts of sabotage worldwide including “acts of air terror” against airlines.
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Senator Tim Kaine @kaine.senate.gov · 14/01/2025
GOP members complaining about reduction of military standards while using a chart that misspells the word military!
A group of men sit in front of a chart that incorrectly spells "military" as "miltary."
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Regina Mullen, whose son Kyle died in 2022 after completing Hell Week in SEAL training, was featured on Good Morning America today. www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/m...
goodmorningamerica.com
Mother of Navy SEAL recruit who died during ‘Hell Week’ speaks out
Regina Mullen, whose son Kyle died in 2022, tells "GMA" the Navy has dismissed the cases brought against the men she blames for her son's death. 
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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 15/01/2025
the crazy part is this means the facebook we’ve all been experiencing for the past 5 years was the *good* version
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
“In her meeting with Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.), Gabbard couldn’t clearly articulate what the role of director of national intelligence entails” www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
wsj.com
Tulsi Gabbard’s Charm Offensive Draws Skepticism From Republican Senators
In private meetings, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to become U.S. spy chief has mixed up details about a key surveillance law.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
ASEAN = The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Members are Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia.
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Josh Manning @joshmanning.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
J F C 🤮
NYT headline indicating “Pete Hegseth dresses for defense,” as if his stupid shit suit somehow makes up for his absolute corrupt core.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
"According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, is one of the senators who have turned down offers to hear privately from Hegseth’s accuser," The New Yorker's Jane Mayer reports. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
newyorker.com
The Pressure Campaign to Get Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary
Supporters of Donald Trump’s nominee have intimidated potential witnesses and suppressed the F.B.I. background check of the former Fox News host in the run-up to his Senate hearing.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
From Mike Davis' Ecology of Fear: "Large Malibu fires, moreover, would later be used by researchers to model the behavior of nuclear firestorms."
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Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
One of the largest Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian industrial facilities, with hits in Kazan, Samara, Engels and Bryansk overnight.
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Imagine how insecure Elon Musk must be to brag about being a pro gamer but actually suck at it.
a.sucks
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Seth Hettena @hettena.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
“Putin, in short, does not have time on his side. He sits on a ticking financial time bomb of his own making. The key for Ukraine’s friends is to deny him the one thing that would defuse it: greater access to external funds.” www.ft.com/content/61ad...
ft.com
Russia’s war economy is a house of cards
The financial underpinnings look increasingly fragile
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