15 WORST Things the CIA Has Done

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the worst (known) atrocities committed by the CIA in the name of defending freedom.

A Stolen Italian Election (1948)

In 1948, as Italy stood at a political crossroads, the CIA stepped in to tip the scales. Fearing a communist victory in the Italian general elections, the Agency flooded the country with cash. They led the US effort to funnel the modern equivalent of $130-260 million into the campaigns of centrist parties. They hoped to sway public opinion against the leftist Popular Democratic Front. Beyond just financial support, the CIA orchestrated a massive propaganda campaign. Millions of letters suddenly appeared in mailboxes; anti-leftist radio programs flooded the airwaves; anti-communist publications pushed dire warnings. Their efforts paid off, with their coalition winning by millions of votes.

A CIA-Backed Civil War (1975-2002)

In the mid-1970s, Angola's quest for independence erupted into a fierce civil war. The CIA gleefully seized the opportunity and launched a covert operation: Operation IA Feature. Fearing the spread of communism, the U.S. shunted tons of cash and guns to anti-communist factions. This clandestine support aimed to counteract Soviet involvement on the other side. Unhappy with this unsanctioned intervention, Congress stepped in. It passed the Clark Amendment in 1976, which barred further U.S. military assistance in Angola. Of course, it seems it didn't take long for the CIA to find an end-around: it's been reported that Israel had acted as a middleman to get around the law.

Decades of Failed Coup Attempts in Cuba (1961-2006)

The CIA's obsession with toppling Fidel Castro led to a series of audacious - and often absurd - schemes. Wile-E-Coyote couldn't have done worse. The most infamous, the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, saw a CIA-trained brigade of Cuban exiles attempt to invade. The operation was a catastrophic failure, a stain on the Kennedy administration that strengthened Castro's position. Undeterred, the CIA spent decades embroiled in multiple assassination plots. Cuban officials have claimed that, before his death, Castro survived 634 attempts. These ranged from poisoned cigars to exploding seashells, coming across like a bad James Bond ripoff. These relentless efforts not only failed but also strained U.S.-Cuba relations for the rest of the century.

The CIA Torture Memo (2001)

In August 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel issued memos. Normally, not newsworthy. These, however, have since become known as the "Torture Memos." They provided legal justifications for the CIA's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on detainees during the "War on Terror." The DOJ argued that practices such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and stress positions could be legally permissible under an expansive interpretation of presidential authority. In real life, these techniques were literally torture. From threats of sexual assault to confinement in coffin-sized boxes, the abuse was severe. The CIA inflicted profound physical and psychological harm on its detainees, sparking global outrage.

Australia’s Forgotten Coup (1975)

In 1975, Australia faced an unprecedented political upheaval. The leftist Prime Minister Gough Whitlam found himself on the business end of a coup. Whitlam's government had pursued policies asserting Australia's autonomy. He bristled at U.S. presence on Australian soil, including challenging U.S. military interests like the secret CIA base in Pine Gap. The CIA and MI6 each bristled at Whitlam's interference. The U.S. and U.K. each saw Australia as a subordinate nation. Evidence suggests that both agencies played roles in Whitlam's ousting. While concrete evidence of direct CIA involvement remains unsubstantiated, the event sent long-lasting shockwaves through the political system of a close ally.

A CIA Coup Leads to Slaughter in Indonesia (1965)

In 1965, Indonesia was plunged into turmoil following an alleged failed coup attempt. The Indonesian military, under Major General Suharto, took aim at members and sympathizers of the Communist Party of Indonesia. The resultant anti-communist purge was a bloodbath. Estimates suggest that between 500,000 and one million people were killed. Declassified documents reveal that the U.S. government provided key support to Suharto. The CIA gave the aspiring dictator a vetted hit-list of dissidents. This assistance not only facilitated the mass killings but also paved the way for Suharto's rise to power. He controlled Indonesia in an iron grip for the next 31 years.

Support of the Nicaraguan Contras (1979–90)

Without the help and initiative of the CIA, the Nicaraguan Contras might never have existed. The U.S. government saw the leftist Sandinista government as a threat to private American interests. In a now familiar story, the CIA found a way around Congressional attempts to prevent their aid. The Iran-Contra affair was a scheme to launder financial support to Nicaragua. Profits from illegal arms sales to Iran were diverted to support the Contras, circumventing congressional restrictions. Even worse rumors soon bubbled to the surface. Some claimed that the CIA was complicit in drug trafficking operations to finance the Contras. There also were claims that the Contras were secretly involved in cocaine distribution in U.S. cities.

The Installation of Mobutu Seko (1961–65)

The CIA bears some responsibility for the Democratic Republic of the Congo being one of the most dangerous places on earth.. After the country's independence in 1960, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba veered towards the Soviet Union, which the U.S. couldn't tolerate. So of course the CIA supported Colonel Joseph Mobutu in a coup. Mobutu, later known as Mobutu Sese Seko, maintained a pro-Western stance, aligning with U.S. interests during the Cold War. His loyalty earned a blind eye to his atrocities. In 1966, he publicly executed four political rivals before a crowd of 50,000. Two years later, Pierre Mulele, a former minister and rebel leader, was lured back from exile under false promises of amnesty. They cut him to pieces. Slowly.

A CIA Serial Killer in Uruguay (1969)

The end of the 1960s was a globally turbulent time. Uruguay, for example, grappled with escalating social unrest and the rise of the leftist guerrilla group, the Tupamaros. Amid this turmoil, the CIA dispatched Dan Mitrione, an operative renowned for his expertise in counterinsurgency and interrogation techniques. In truth, Mitrione was essentially a CIA sanctioned serial killer. Operating under the guise of a public safety advisor, Mitrione allegedly conducted torture training sessions for Uruguayan police. He is reported to have killed homeless individuals as subjects in his demonstrations. In 1970, the Tupamaros kidnapped Mitrione, demanding the release of political prisoners. When their demands were not met, they executed him, apparently more humanely than he killed many others.

Project Mockingbird (1963-65)

Project Mockingbird may seem like an innocuous codename, but in truth it was a gross, widespread violation of privacy. The CIA launched a witch hunt, trying to discover and plug leaks to the press. They illegally wiretapped journalists receiving classified intel without judicial warrants. The Agency monitored the journalists' communications, raising significant concerns about press freedom and governmental overreach. The existence of Project Mockingbird came to light in 1975 during the Rockefeller Commission's investigations into CIA activities. They discovered the Agency's illegal intrusion into domestic affairs and its attempts to control media narratives.

Extraordinary Rendition (1995-)

One thing about CIA abuse: it's bipartisan. President Bill Clinton expanded the CIA's counterterrorism efforts by allowing extraordinary rendition. This “official” process involves capturing suspected terrorists abroad and transferring them to third countries for interrogation in a black site. America's tacit agreements with these countries allows them to avoid the law. One of the most infamous black sites was "Cobalt," a secret CIA detention facility in Afghanistan. Also known as the Salt Pit, prisoners there were subjected to extreme abuse. The facility had no proper oversight, and detainees were often shackled in total darkness for days or even weeks. Some even died in custody. The abuses at Cobalt were so severe that some CIA officials referred to it as a "dungeon."

CIA as a Drug Cartel (1940s-)

Allegations of the CIA's involvement in drug trafficking have surfaced multiple times over the decades. In the 1980s, during the Nicaraguan Revolution, reports suggested that the CIA was involved in cocaine smuggling. The illegal funds were then used to fund the Contras off the books. Investigations, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice, acknowledged that individuals associated with the Contras engaged in drug trafficking. No evidence was ever made public to acknowledge CIA involvement. Similarly, during the Vietnam War, the Agency was accused of complicity in heroin production in Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle. The CIA has consistently denied all accusations.

Operation Condor (1960-70s)

"Three Days of the Condor" was a 1970s Robert Redford spy thriller about corrupt CIA operations. The real Operation Condor was even more insidious. Over the 1970s and 80s, the CIA participated in a multinational covert campaign of political repression and state terror. They helped install or supported right-wing dictatorships in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. These regimes worked together in CIA orchestrated cross-border operations. Dissidents and rivals were abducted, tortured or assassinated all over South America. The United States provided key organizational, financial, and technical assistance to Operation Condor. The Military provided training and weapons while the CIA provided intel, cash, and technology. The overall death and suffering that resulted from those regimes is hard to quantify.

Iran & Operation Ajax (1953–1988)

Ajax wasn't just an ancient Greek hero or a household cleaner. Operation Ajax is one of the most infamous missions in CIA history. Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh ruffled Western feathers by nationalizing Iran's oil industry. British hegemony would disappear almost over night. Fearing a domino effect of nationalism and potential Soviet influence, the CIA, with British collaboration, initiated a plan to remove Mosaddegh. The operation involved propaganda campaigns, using fake protestors, and bribing officials. The chaos collapsed Mosaddegh's government from within. The turmoil culminated on August 19, 1953, when Mosaddegh was arrested. The pro-Western Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was reinstated with increased powers. This intervention seeded the generations of distrust to follow in the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

MKUltra (1953-73)

The CIA once dosed unsuspecting Americans with LSD just to see what would happen. MKUltra, the agency’s mind control experiment, was a two decades long nightmare. Beginning in the 1950s, the CIA ran illegal drug tests on unwitting U.S. and Canadian citizens. LSD, electroshock therapy, and sensory deprivation were employed to break and reprogram their minds. In Operation Midnight Climax, they even set up CIA-run brothels in San Francisco. Sex workers drugged clients while agents watched from behind one-way mirrors. Meanwhile, their "Montreal Experiments" left psychiatric patients with shattered identities. They erased memories through massive electroshock sessions and forced drug comas. Most of the CIA's records on the subject were intentionally destroyed before they could be made public.


Were other CIA atrocities renditioned from our list? Let us know in the comments below.