Podcast Summary: “This Is Your FBI: The Pan American Patriots”

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Date: January 11, 2026 (original air date: 02/22/1946)
Host/Announcer: Choice Classic Radio

Episode Overview

This vintage radio episode from This Is Your FBI dramatizes a real-life-inspired story from the FBI’s “secret war diary” during WWII. It’s one of the rare tales focusing on foreign operations, specifically the Bureau’s efforts to root out Nazi espionage in South America. Set in 1942, the plot centers around American and allied agents racing to dismantle a Nazi spy ring transmitting shipping information to Berlin from a South American port city.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: Post-VJ Day Secrecy [02:39]

• The episode opens with context: after WWII, the FBI’s covert battles against Nazi agents are made public—especially those beyond U.S. borders.
• Importance of South America is established as a key bridge for Allied supply lines; Nazi agents use hidden transmitters in the region.

2. Introducing the Main Players at Casa Managua Nightclub [04:15]

• Vera Morgan: A mysterious, witty, attractive woman (supposedly American or English).
• Raphael Corinto: A young South American tied to a major shipping company, seemingly smitten by Vera.
  • Their early exchange is playful and flirty, with Vera keeping Raphael at arm’s length:

    “Raphael, if you don't mind. You're crushing my corsage.” – Vera Morgan [04:15]

3. FBI Intelligence Operation [06:22]

• Special Agents Jim Phillips and Stanley Douglas set up a radio receiver to trace the Nazi transmission.

• Local police and FBI collaborate after arresting a suspected Nazi agent, gaining access to the Nazi codebook.

• Urgency increases as high-level shipping movement details—valuable to the Nazis—are sent out.

  “German agents have just transmitted to Berlin some very important information on American ship movements and cargo going out of this port.” – Jim Phillips [08:16]

4. The Disappearance of Raphael Corinto [08:34]

• Raphael vanishes; suspicion quickly shifts to connections between his disappearance and leaked shipping data.
• The authorities hypothesize that finding the illegal transmitter will lead them to both the Nazi ring and Corinto.

5. Vera’s Betrayal and the Nazi Lair [09:46]

• Raphael regains consciousness and realizes he’s been held by Nazis, who’ve extracted information from him using drugs.
• Vera is revealed as the ringleader—her affectionate facade turns sinister:

  “That's right. But why should he work for me?” – Vera Morgan, after being exposed as a double agent [10:58]

6. Locating the Spy Hideout [11:23, 12:01]

• FBI agents triangulate the transmitter to a mountain lodge outside the city.
• Police organize a raid, but Vera and her accomplices prepare to flee.

7. Murder at the Lodge and Clues Left Behind [13:53, 17:10–18:15]

• Vera shoots Raphael before escaping.
• Law enforcement arrives moments too late, finding only evidence: a small-caliber shell and a lipstick-marked cigarette.
  • “Looks like it might have been fired by one of those little pearl handle jobs that women use.” – Agent Douglas [17:48]
  • Clues include imported cigarettes and the murder weapon, leading them to focus on Vera.

8. Pursuing Vera: The Tobacco Clue & Undercover Work [20:47–24:39]

• Agents trace the rare Turkish/Egyptian cigarettes to Vera Morgan.
• Jim Phillips attempts to befriend and surveil Vera at her hotel and at the pool under the pretense of romantic interest.
• Vera remains elusive, but suspicions grow:

  “I guess I just wasn’t cut out for the job of tackling a Mata Hari, Stan.” – Jim Phillips [23:47]

9. Final Confrontation & Vera’s Capture [25:23–26:42]

• At a dinner party hosted by Vera at Casa Managua, the FBI and police set a trap.
• Vera tries to recreate her earlier seduction and murder, but this time Phillips is ready.
  • “We're all under arrest, I'm afraid. That means you. You too, Vera.” – Jim Phillips [26:29]
  • Evidence, including the pistol and cigarettes, ties Vera to the murder.

10. Resolution & Reflections [27:06–27:53]

• Vera and her accomplice are tried and convicted by local authorities.
• The narrator reflects on the importance of the FBI’s clandestine operations outside the United States.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Seriousness and Deception:

  “You see, I do have my serious moment.” – Vera Morgan [05:55]

• Revelation of Double-Cross:

  “He called you Fräulein?” – Raphael Corinto
  “That's right. But why should he work for me?” – Vera Morgan [10:58]

• On Evidence at the Crime Scene:

  “Small caliber, too. Looks like it might have been fired by one of those little pearl handle jobs that women use.” – Agent Douglas [17:48] “Cigarette stub, lipstick on it. Yes.” – Mr. Solano [17:54]

• On the Spy’s Psychology:

  “Agents of an enemy country differ from the average professional criminal in their objectives only. Both employ the same general methods: treachery, cunning, deception, surprise, violence.” – Narrator [16:28]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:39] – FBI narrator opens with wartime secrecy and the South American espionage setting
• [04:15] – Casa Managua nightclub: Vera and Raphael’s first scene
• [06:22] – FBI’s radio surveillance introduced
• [08:34] – Revelation that Raphael has gone missing
• [09:46] – Raphael’s confrontation with the Nazis and Vera’s betrayal revealed
• [11:23], [12:01] – Agents map the location of Nazi radio; authorities ready a raid
• [13:53], [17:10–17:52] – Scene at the mountain lodge, murder of Raphael Corinto, and discovery of evidence
• [20:47–21:15] – Investigation of the Turkish cigarette clue
• [23:06–24:39] – Jim Phillips attempts to trap Vera through a social encounter
• [25:23–26:42] – Dinner at nightclub, FBI trap is sprung, Vera arrested
• [27:06–27:53] – Epilogue: justice served, significance of FBI foreign operations

Style & Tone

• The dialogue is classic 1940s radio drama: clipped, clever, with a film-noir sensibility.
• Agents and criminals trade quips amidst international intrigue; Vera’s femme fatale role is especially pronounced.
• The narrative emphasizes patriotism, sacrifice, and the FBI’s perseverance in the shadowy world of espionage.

Conclusion

The Pan American Patriots blends romance, deception, and international intrigue, highlighting the FBI’s critical wartime role outside U.S. borders. This suspenseful episode demonstrates how keen observation, scientific analysis, and dogged fieldwork intersected to dismantle a Nazi spy ring—and ultimately, to bring murderers to justice.

Ideal for fans of old-time radio, mystery, and historical spy thrillers, this episode offers an engaging glimpse into both classic dramatic storytelling and the real, often unsung, dangers of WWII counterintelligence.