Department 50

As early as 1937, Nazi spy networks operated in Chile, which the Chilean Navy discovered via radio (perhaps in 1939). The department had the support of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation's wartime Special Intelligence Service. The investigators broke up one spy ring in 1942 and another in 1944. Initially some agents attempted to flee to other countries, but due to Argentina severing ties with the Axis, many opted to remain in Chile. The Nazis captured intelligence regarding the routes of Allied merchant ships and planned to attack mines in northern Chile. About 100 spies were arrested in the 1944 raid, including coordinator Bernardo Timmermann. Expansion into Latin America Due to the counterespionage effort, the center of Axis espionage operations shifted fully to Buenos Aires, where a diplomatic pouch was used; some captured spies disclosed details of agents operating in that city. Nazi espionage networks were dismantled in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. {{gallery|mode=packed|title=Nazi activity in Latin America (–) == Legacy ==

or phoenixlike bird, with segments near the beak J. Edgar Hoover hailed the department's work as "an important contribution to the security of the hemisphere". Chilean politician Gabriel Silber stated that previously "this was a state secret," and that "unfortunately some political and business figures in Chile supported the Nazis." The show's hosts implied the activity to evidence a Fourth Reich. ==See also==