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Biography
Chris Simmons was born in Washington, D.C. in 1960, the third of five sons born to Jerry and Nancy Simmons, both former members of J. Edgar Hoover's Federal Bureau of Investigation. His mother was one of Hoover's personal stenographers and his father a fingerprint specialist. Raised in Fairfax City, in the (then) sleep suburbs of Northern Virginia, after high school he attended the Virginia Military Institute, graduating with a BA in History and a Commission as an Army 2nd Lieutenant. To his surprise and delight, he received orders to the elite 82nd Airborne Division as his first unit assisgnment -- the only member of his graduating class to receive this honor.
Government Career
Simmons is one of the most successful spy-catchers since World War II, having helped end or cripple the careers of over 80 spies. A Counterintelligence (CI) Special Agent with the Army, he later transitioned to the Army Reserve and became a supervisory CI Officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Pentagon's counterpart to the CIA. There he became a key figure in most U.S. counterespionage successes against Cuba from 1996 through 2004. More specifically, he was a primary figure in the identification, investigation, and debriefing of convicted spy Ana Belen Montes – the highest-ranking Cuban agent ever arrested. Shortly thereafter, he was the Defense Department lead behind the expulsion of 16 Cuban spies serving under diplomatic cover -- the third largest removal of diplomats in U.S. history. He also identified the anomaly that led to the investigation and arrest of Dr. Alberto Coll, a Naval War College professor and former deputy assistant secretary of defense. His leadership ultimately resulted in Agency's CI Research and Analysis Section twice receiving the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation. The Intelligence Community's highest honor, it remains the only times the organization received this award. Promoted out of operational support, Simmons hated the idea of life at a boring desk job. This and other factors led to his voluntary return to active duty Army service, whereupon he was selected to head detainee operations for the elite, Iraq-based Special Mission Unit (SMU) known as Task Force 6-26.
In one of the great ironies of the Iraq war, the detainee abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison in 2004 provided him the leverage to create an interrogation center so feared and effective that Al-Qaeda dubbed it "The Cemetery" and "The Devil's Den." Their alarm was well founded. Staffed with a hand-picked team of specialists, his 140+ personnel interrogated 732 detainees in 10 months, culling information from an unprecedented 99% of his detainees. Making it though "The Cemetery" without breaking became a badge of honor for AQ detainees, although only seven earned that distinction. After Iraq, Simmons was assigned to Afghanistan with an affiliated SMU known as Task Force 328.
Given his expertise, Simmons has lectured throughout the U.S. Intelligence Community, testified or briefed Congress six times, the Florida legislature once and academia on a recurring basis.
Writing Career
Nearing the end of his government service, he became a periodic columnist for the Miami Herald, where he wrote a recurring feature on Cuban intelligence. The public's enthusiastic response to his spy stories resulooted in a promise to himself that the incredible successes he and his colleagues had enjoyed would not go untold. To aid in pursuing this dream, he earned an MFA in Creative Writing from National University and is currently completing an MFA in Film & Television (Concentration in Script & Screenwriting).
CASTRO'S NEMESIS: True Stories of a Master Spycatcher was his first published book. It weaves together the compelling story of Ana Belen Montes, the highest-ranking American to ever spy for Cuba, and the Wasp Network - the largest foreign spy ring to ever operate in the United States. Havana's arrogance and missteps ultimately triggered several international crises; one of which almost led to a shooting war. Forthcoming works include two nonfiction books, a teleplay and a stage play.
Media
Now an internationally renowned commentator on Cuban national security issues, Chris Simmons has appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, Fox, Univision, Telemundo, the CW, OWN, Lifetime, Investigation Discovery, America TeVe, France TV, MEGA TV, GenTV, NPR and numerous other networks/independent stations. Additionally, he has been cited by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Time, El País (Spain), Washington Times, Miami Herald, Time, Newsweek, the Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, Agence France Presse, the Spanish press agency - EFE, and Notimex (Mexican news agency). He is also the founding editor of the blog; Cuba Confidential: The Source For News on Cuban Espionage Worldwide.