Tony Mendez
Antonio Joseph Mendez (November 15, 1940 – January 19, 2019) was an American technical operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He worked in support of covert CIA operations. He wrote three memoirs about his CIA experiences.
| Tony Mendez | |
|---|---|
.gif) | |
| Birth name | Antonio Joseph Mendez |
| Born | November 15, 1940 Eureka, Nevada, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 2019 (aged 78) Frederick, Maryland, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/branch | Template:Seal |
| Years of service | 1963–1990 |
| Rank | SIS-2 |
| Unit | Graphics and Authentication Division |
| Battles/wars | Iran hostage crisis, Cold War |
| Awards | Intelligence Star (1980) CIA Trailblazer Award (1997) Order of the Sphinx (2000) |
Mendez was known for his on-the-scene management of the "Canadian Caper" during the Iran hostage crisis. He helped rescue six American diplomats from Iran in January 1980 by arranging to have them pose as a Canadian movie crew. As part of their cover, the diplomats carried passports issued by the Canadian government to document them as Canadian citizens.[1] This was loosely made into the 2012 Academy Award-winning movie Argo.[2]
In 2009, Mendez was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.[3] He died on January 19, 2019 from complications of the disease in Frederick, Maryland, aged 78.[4]
References
- ↑ Bearman, Joshuah (April 24, 2007). "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran". Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- ↑ Rosenwald, Michael S. (January 14, 2013). Golden Globes: A big night for the real Tony Mendez. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/golden-globes-a-big-night-for-the-real-tony-mendez/2013/01/14/16579a70-5e63-11e2-90a0-73c8343c6d61_blog.html. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
- ↑ Owens, Donna M.. ""Argo" subject now battling Parkinson's" (in en-US). baltimoresun.com. http://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-hs-tony-mendez-parkinsons-20150520-story.html. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ↑ Kilkenny, Kate (January 19, 2019). "Tony Mendez, Former CIA Officer Portrayed in 'Argo,' Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
This short article about a person from the United States can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.