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Dead Drop

NOUN

  1. A location to secretly pass information without a face-to-face meeting.

Each week we hope to give our readers tidbits of gossip from the world of national security and intelligence. The Dead Drop is a source of fun or intriguing news you can’t get anywhere else.

Got a tip for us? Email us at  thedeaddrop@thecipherbrief.com  and share the scoop. We promise to protect our sources and methods.

Below is our recent intelligence collection:

Dead Drop: April 5 - 11

RUMOR HAS IT — According to an Axios report, President Trump was ready to fire Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard over her failure to fully endorse the Iran war during recent congressional testimony — that is, until longtime Trump friend and adviser Roger Stone reportedly stepped in and saved her job. Axios cites sources saying the troubles began with the resignation of former counterterrorism director Joe Kent, after which Trump reportedly “scolded” Gabbard in a private meeting and questioned her loyalty given her closeness with Kent. Trump then reportedly polled his Cabinet on [...] Read More

Dead Drop: March 29 - April 4

DIA - UNCONFIRMED – We’re hearing from the rumor mill that DIA Deputy Director Christine Bordine’s last day in that role was today (Wednesday) and [...] More

Dead Drop: March 22 - 28

YOUR PRIVACY TOOL IS WATCHING YOU: The whole point of a VPN (virtual private network) is to hide who you are and where you are. Turns out, that may [...] More

Dead Drop Archive

Dead Drop: March 15 - 21

THE BUZZ AT BARKSDALE: Earlier this month, a swarm of unidentified drones repeatedly buzzed Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home to [...] More

Dead Drop: March 8-14

CLAWS FOR CONCERN: While the administration has spent a lot of time talking about waste, a government watchdog outfit called “Open the Books” quietly [...] More

Dead Drop: March 1-7

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND JOB INSECURITY: In a move that came as a surprise to almost no one (including apparently, the prediction markets) President [...] More

Dead Drop: February 22-28

WHAT’S THE STRATEGY HERE? ABC News was the first to report this week that Madhu Gottumukkala, who has been serving as acting director of the [...] More

Dead Drop: February 15 - 21

FROM A BUNKER IN UKRAINE: TWO FORMER CIA OFFICERS SHARE INTEL — In this week’s State Secrets podcast, former CIA Chiefs of Station Ralph Goff and [...] More

Dead Drop: February 8-14

BLANKET COVERAGE: Turns out the turbulence at the Department of Homeland Security isn’t just contained to the border or even in the briefing room. A [...] More

Dead Drop: February 1-7

OUT WITH THE FACTS — After first being launched in 1962, the CIA’s World Factbook is no more. As the agency described on its website, the World [...] More

Dead Drop: January 25 - 31

REEL INTELLIGENCE: BEIJING TAKES SPIES TO THE SILVER SCREEN: If you plan on being in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year (around February 17), you [...] More

Dead Drop: January 18 - 24

HEAD GAMES ON THE USS FORD - Fresh from supporting U.S. operations off the coast of Venezuela, the USS Gerald R. Ford appears locked in a stubborn [...] More

Dead Drop: January 11 - 17

LICENSE TO EXPEL — DIPLOMACY GETS THE BOOT: Russia has ordered an unnamed British diplomat to leave Moscow within two weeks, accusing the official of [...] More

Dead Drop: January 4 - 10

NSA ENDS DEPUTY DIRECTOR DROUGHT: After a notably long stretch without a permanent senior civilian at Fort Meade, the National Security Agency has [...] More

Dead Drop: December 28 - January 4

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE DEAD DROP: If 2026 is anything like 2025, there will be no shortage of headlines full of absurdities, oddities and just plain [...] More