Biography: Who was Garbo the Spy?
Garbo’s journey as a double agent began with the critical support of his wife, Araceli González. Fiercely loyal and determined, Araceli played a vital role in pushing her husband into espionage. She believed in his abilities and supported his efforts to align with British intelligence. Early on, when Garbo’s initial approaches to the Allies were rejected, it was Araceli who encouraged him to persevere and helped him craft false reports for the Germans from their base in Lisbon. She even participated in fabricating information, helping to build the fictional network of agents that would later convince German intelligence that her husband was a trusted and highly capable spy.
The Germans, unaware of his true allegiance, recruited Garbo as their agent and codenamed him “Arabel.” Pujol created a web of fake spies who fed the Germans detailed, entirely fabricated intelligence. This work impressed the Germans so much that they rewarded him financially and promoted him as a top asset. Eventually, MI5 recognized his potential and recruited him as a double agent. Araceli and Garbo relocated to Britain, where he fully immersed himself in the Allied cause, working closely with British intelligence.
Garbo’s crowning achievement came during Operation Fortitude, a deception campaign to mislead the Germans about the location and timing of the D-Day invasion. He used his fictitious network of spies to convince the Germans that the main attack would occur at the Pas de Calais, not Normandy. His carefully timed messages supported a broader Allied effort, including fake radio transmissions and inflatable tanks, all designed to sell the illusion of a massive invasion force targeting Calais.
The fact that Garbo's wife was involved created complications. Frustrated by the secrecy and danger of their new life, she once threatened to expose the operation. Her outburst was quickly resolved by MI5, which reassured her of the importance of their mission. Despite this moment of tension, Araceli’s contributions remained critical to Garbo’s success.
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Garbo’s deceptions reached their peak. He continued feeding misinformation to the Germans, claiming that the Normandy landings were merely a diversion for the “real” invasion at Calais. Hitler and his commanders trusted him so completely that they delayed sending reinforcements to Normandy, giving the Allies the crucial time they needed to secure their beachheads.
Garbo’s efforts saved thousands of lives and played a pivotal role in the Allied victory. After the war, he was honored by the Member of the Order of the British Empire from the Allies. Despite his fame, Garbo and Araceli eventually separated, and he disappeared into anonymity, living under a new identity in Venezuela until his death in 1988. His legacy as a master of deception, aided by his wife’s unwavering early support, remains one of the most extraordinary stories in the history of espionage.
AP News, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, History.com
