Shawn Ryan Show #230 Summary: Keith Stansell – Operation Jacque & Surviving FARC Captivity

Date: August 25, 2025
Guest: Keith Stansell — Former Marine, Northrop Grumman contractor, co-author of Out of Captivity
Host: Shawn Ryan

Episode Overview

This gripping episode features the extraordinary survival story of Keith Stansell, who, while working counter-narcotics aviation missions in Colombia, was taken captive by the FARC and endured 1,967 days (over five years) as a hostage in the Colombian jungle. Keith shares his life story, the mission that led to the capture, the details of daily captivity, the harsh realities of jungle imprisonment, the relationships with fellow prisoners and guards, and his reflections on survival, family, and the long road home.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Keith's Background and the Path to Columbia (06:07–18:27)

• Upbringing: Raised in rural Florida, childhood marked by stable, loving parents but upended by his mother's sudden death from lung cancer at age 14.
• Impact of Early Loss: Keith’s tractable, happy childhood gave way to anger and instability, marked by frequent moves and switching high schools. This period shaped his resilience.
• Military Service: Enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17, serving as an avionics technician—notes how the discipline and hardship were formative:
  "Everything I have today, surviving captivity, is because I went to Parris Island at 17 years old." (12:49)
• Transition to Counter-Drug Contracting: After leaving the Marines and a stint in the National Guard, Keith’s aircraft experience led to contract work with the State Department and later Southcom Reconnaissance Systems conducting surveillance and spray missions targeting coca fields in Colombia under Plan Colombia.

Counter-Narcotics Missions & The FARC (20:01–47:56)

• Operations Details: Keith describes the OP tempo, working alongside a mixed group of ex-military and civilian pilots using OV-10 Broncos and Caravans, taking regular small arms fire, and flying high-risk spray and surveillance missions.
• Colombian Politics & FARC Influence: Discusses the massive scale of coca cultivation, government corruption, and how attempts to eradicate coca were hampered by political realities:

  "At every circle and turn, we were being stopped from being effective." (22:20)

• Who Are the FARC? A detailed explanation of how the leftist guerrilla group shifted from a Marxist revolutionary movement to the world’s largest drug-trafficking network:

  "What was once a revolution that I think they actually believed in … just manifested itself into a type of cancer." (34:11)

Capture and the Beginning of Captivity (55:22–77:41)

• Lead-Up to the Crash: On a morning flight over FARC-controlled territory, Keith’s aircraft suffers engine failure—or possibly is shot down—crashing deep in hostile territory.
• Crash Details:
  "We were coming down out of 15,000 feet … if we ever go down here, we’re dead. We crossed it every day." (58:36)
• Moments After Crash:
  • The crew is separated by the guerrillas.
  • Two crew members (Tommy Janis and Sgt. Cruz) are executed after attempting to escape.
  • The remaining three Americans (Keith, Mark, and Tom) are taken captive.
• Immediate Survival Instincts: Crushing exhaustion, horrific injuries, and a forced death march:

  "Almost three weeks … fresh group would walk us for 8, 9, 10 hours, then we just turn over to another group." (75:00)

Life in Jungle Captivity (100:02–195:15)

• Brutal Conditions: Repeated relocations, sleeping in boxes or open jungle hammocks; severe food deprivation; illnesses; makeshift medical "care".
• Psychological Hardships:
  • Extended periods with no contact or conversation—even losing their voices over months of silence.
  • Resorting to counting cockroaches to stay sane.
  • Learning to adapt to “prisoner brain”—letting go of control, coping with utter uncertainty.
• Interpersonal Dynamics:
  • Relationships with Colombian military and political hostages—stark class differences even in captivity.
  • The solidarity and friction among the American trio, including petty arguments and moments of dark humor to break monotony.
  • Relationship with guards: attempts at mutual respect, occasional small acts of kindness, and complex human connections forming over years.
• Stories of Suffering and Mercy:
  • The harrowing birth of a baby by a fellow hostage via jungle C-section (147:32).
  • Other hostages dying slow deaths from untreated illness or wounds, including a Colombian police captain whose daughter and the Pope appealed on the radio for mercy.
  • Politicized exchanges and propaganda: proof-of-life videos, the psychological games played by the FARC.
• Notable Quote:

  “Torture is denial of basic human needs... Go five years…” (161:04)

Survival, Resistance, and Small Acts of Hope (181:02–188:01)

• Physical and Mental Survival:
  • Making a stair climber out of logs, carving chess pieces out of a broken machete to pass time and maintain sanity.
  • The Bible—reading in Spanish and English—became a crucial moral anchor and comfort.
• Escape Attempts and Guard Relationships:
  • Contemplated, but discarded, violent escape plans—outnumbered, outgunned, deep in jungle.
  • Some guards, mere teenagers, secretly sympathized, sneaked small items, and asked for advice about life on the outside.
  • Humor: FARC guards asking if U.S. Special Forces really trained Keanu Reeves’ moves in The Matrix.

The Rescue Operation (198:11–236:54)

• The Sting:
  • Colombian intel, with U.S. assistance, used HF radio spoofing to impersonate FARC command, order hostages moved, and staged a false humanitarian transfer.
  • Hostages were taken, under the belief it was a Red Cross pick-up, to a rendezvous where Colombian SF, in disguise, pulled off a bloodless rescue.
• Memorable Scene:

  “We get on the bird … clapping and yelling. They’re yelling, ‘Colombian Army! Police!’ The euphoria—I’ve got to be careful not to cry right now.” (213:36)

• Return Home: Overwhelming sensory and emotional overload—reuniting with family, adapting to a world that had changed, and adjusting to freedom after so long as a captive.

Reflections on Justice, Reintegration, and Community (245:00–299:11)

• Adapting to Freedom:
  • Difficulties with simple tasks, anxiety triggers (e.g., helicopter noise), and need for continued counseling and peer support.
  • Value of tight, authentic relationships:

    “I value a real relationship more than I used to … a real relationship, yes. Wife, yes. Those in the peripheral … people move in and out of each other’s lives.” (277:35)

• On Giving Back:
  • Stresses the importance of community, network, and being open to accepting help.
  • Warns of the danger that support for vets and wounded warriors could diminish as public attention moves on.
• Powerful Message for Veterans and Survivors:

  "It’s a network. Don’t be the lone man on the hill ... Accept some help. Lean on each other. Because nobody's going to take care of us except ourselves." (288:13–294:39)

• The Larger Mission:
  • The U.S. commitment to rescue and "never leave people behind" sends a crucial message to allies and adversaries alike.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “This too will pass. … One thing that the three of us always said to each other … was, we’re going home one day.” – Keith Stansell (04:38)
• “We were just hanging meat. They don’t want anything from us. We’re just a commodity.” (161:13)
• On resisting despair:
  "My mindset was, all we’re gonna do is fucking live. … I wanted to live to fight another day." (130:51)
• On the importance of supporting each other:
  "It’s a network. Don’t be the lone man on the hill by yourself… Accept some help, man." (294:35)
• Epilogue, on the gift of survival:
  "In the long run, this was a gift for me, but it’s enabled me to do some things otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to do … surviving is my justice." (270:02)
• On the message of U.S. commitment:
  “No matter the what, we’re going to bring you back. That means others are going to believe in us and that we’re coming to get them.” (269:58)
• On relationships:
  “Just because you’re family doesn’t mean you’re more valuable than a friend who’s a true friend.” (283:35)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro/background: 06:07–18:27
• Counter-drug missions, FARC overview: 20:01–47:56
• Capture and initial captivity: 55:22–77:41
• Jungle life, guards, and coprisoners: 100:02–195:15
• Survival and mental strength: 181:02–188:01
• Rescue operation: 198:11–236:54
• Homecoming, reintegration: 237:07–299:11
• Advice on survival, veterans, justice: 288:03–299:11

Tone & Style

Keith’s retelling is candid, at times sardonic, darkly humorous, and always deeply human. Heartbreak, anger, hope, and gratitude all shine through—his and Shawn’s rapport makes the trauma, lessons, and camaraderie palpable.

Conclusion

This episode is a raw, unfiltered look at the costs of service and survival, the moral ambiguities of war and politics, and above all, the power of resilience and community. Keith’s experience is not abstract heroism—it’s a daily, grinding test of spirit, one that leaves indelible marks but also reveals the profound strength in refusing to surrender.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking real-world stories of endurance, leadership, and the unbreakable will to return home.