FBI's Failed Tunnel Under Soviet Embassy

When construction crews started work on a new embassy complex for the Soviet Union on Washington, D.C.'s Wisconsin Avenue, many local residents were not amused. After all, this was still the Cold War. The FBI, on the other hand, spotted a golden opportunity. In 1977, with embassy construction proceeding above ground, the Bureau and the National Security Agency (NSA) launched operation MONOPOLY—digging an underground tunnel to eavesdrop on unwitting Soviet diplomats above. The FBI discreetly purchased several real-estate objects in the neighborhood as observation posts, and one house as a starting point for the tunnel.