The CI-Press Podcast

CI Press, Episode 119: USMC CI/HUMINT Panel Discussion: Marines on Elicitation, AI, and Fieldcraft

Former U.S. Marine Corps Counterintelligence and HUMINT professionals Mike Houle, Damon Mathews, Nick Vidulich, and Dan Williams join CI Press for a candid roundtable on the evolving state of CI/HUMINT operations. The panel discusses training gaps, elicitation techniques, and the challenge of maintaining perishable skills in an era with fewer overseas deployments and limited real-world collection opportunities. The conversation explores the balance between the art and science of counterintelligence, cultural awareness, and practical ways collectors can sharpen their tradecraft at home. The group also tackles modern challenges including social media, AI, resource constraints, and authority limitations offering practical insights for collectors, security professionals, and corporate partners on recognizing, reporting, and responding to emerging threats.

CI Press, Episode 118: Universities as Battlegrounds, Unmasking Foreign Influence in Research with Mike Shannon

Join hosts Joe Sheridan and Jeremy Clark for an in-depth conversation with former intelligence and National Institute of Health (NIH) official Mike Shannon as they examine the growing challenges facing America’s research enterprise. Drawing on decades of experience in national security and federal oversight, Shannon explains how foreign influence operations, overseas talent recruitment programs, undisclosed financial relationships, and underreported gifts to universities can create vulnerabilities within U.S. research institutions and federally funded science programs. The discussion explores the intersection of academic openness and national security, including how adversarial governments seek access to cutting-edge biomedical and technological research through partnerships, grants, and talent initiatives. Shannon shares insights from his time investigating research security concerns tied to the NIH and discusses the difficulties universities, scientists, and government agencies face when balancing international collaboration with the need to protect sensitive research and taxpayer-funded innovation. Shannon also discusses the broader implications for public trust in science, federal grant oversight, and institutional accountability. The episode covers real-world examples of compliance failures, the cultural tensions between academia and security professionals, and the evolving role of intelligence and law enforcement agencies in safeguarding American research. Finally, Shannon outlines practical steps universities, policymakers, and researchers can take to strengthen transparency, rebuild trust, and better defend U.S. national and economic interests without undermining scientific progress and global collaboration.

CI Press, Episode 117: From the Gulf War to DHS, the Counterintelligence Career of Vince Smith

Join hosts Dave Turner and Jeremy Clark for a conversation with Vince Smith, a retired counterintelligence professional whose 42-year career spans the Nebraska National Guard, U.S. Army counterintelligence, and the Department of Homeland Security. Vince shares firsthand stories from the Gulf War, the evolution of Tactical HUMINT Teams, and the challenges of building insider threat and counterintelligence programs at DHS. He also discusses advising state and local fusion centers on emerging threats, including election security and rare earth mineral espionage. From mentorship and leadership to bureaucracy and personal sacrifice, this episode offers a candid look inside the realities of a life spent protecting national security.

CI Press, Episode 116: TJ Trent - From Soldier to Cyber Guardian: A Senior NCO’s Journey

CI Press, the counterintelligence podcast by IXN Solutions.  Where security, compliance, and counterintelligence converge. In this episode, Dave Turner and Ryan Rambo sit down with soon-to-be retired SGM TJ Trent to unpack a post-9/11 Army career shaped by multiple deployments and a transition from IT to cybersecurity. TJ brings a grounded perspective on the human side of cyber defense - why relationships with counterintelligence matter, how realistic training builds resilience, and what accountability actually looks like in high-pressure environments. The conversation also dives into managing mental health and operational stress, along with TJ’s next chapter advising on human performance.

CI Press, Episode 115: Katherina Gonzales - Inside the Spy Catcher’s World: From FBI to CIA to NSA

On this episode of CI Press, hosts Jeremy Clark and Joseph Sheridan sit down with retired counterintelligence officer Kathy Gonzalez to break down the 2026 threat landscape - insider threat trends, evolving adversary tactics, and the enduring challenge of Russian “illegals.” Drawing on more than two decades with the FBI, NSA, and CIA, Kathy brings a practitioner’s perspective to the human side of cyber operations - where trust, access, and behavior matter more than tools alone. She makes the case for standardized counterintelligence training, stronger interagency coordination, and a more unified approach to protecting emerging technologies and U.S. national interests.