spy swap
Covert personnel trade
A spy swap is an exchange of captured intelligence agents between rival countries, typically conducted at a neutral location.
The practice became iconic during the Cold War, with dramatic exchanges on bridges between East and West.
Modern spy swaps often involve multiple prisoners on each side, negotiated through diplomatic back channels: The spy swap freed detained journalists along with convicted agents.
- prisoner exchangeTrading detained individuals
- prisonerConfined criminal detainee
- exchangeMutual giving and receiving
- Cold WarProlonged East-West standoff
- iron curtainDivider of forged metal
bridge · diplomat · agent · defector · intelligence · state secrets · hostage · negotiation · embassy · back channel · border · KGB · CIA · tradecraft · dead drop · safe house · double agent · turned agent
- diplomatic incidentspersona non grata, hostage crisis, border incursion, airspace violation, territorial claim
- espionagedouble agent, double agents, moles, secret agents, tradecraft
- defectiondefection, defect, defector, turncoat, desertion
spy swapextradition
Fugitive transfer between jurisdictions
deportation · rendition · extraordinary rendition · hostage release · defection
spy swapexecution
Completing a planned task
life imprisonment · indefinite detention · death sentence · show trial · assassination
spy, swap, spies, spying, spymaster, swaps, swapped, swapping, espionage