Advertisement

International Affairs Agency

InvisibleHeroImage

Not to be confused with the Internal Affairs Division (I.A.D.)
For the purchasable properties in Grand Theft Auto Online, see Agencies.

“We all know you Agency boys are balls deep in a plot to drive up your funding by any means necessary.”
— Steve Haines

The International Affairs Agency (IAA) is an intelligence agency featured in Grand Theft Auto IV (as the U.L. Paper), The Ballad of Gay Tony, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.

Description

The agency appears to be based on both the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.

The IAA makes its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV, using the name of "United Liberty Paper Merchants" name as cover. The agency's name is never explicitly revealed; however, interior props found inside the United Liberty Paper contact's office with the real-life CIA logo, alongside the character's cutscene model file name "cscia", indirectly reveals which agency he and Karen Daniels are from.

In Episodes from Liberty City, men-in-black pedestrian models identified as "CIA" agents in the game files are introduced. These characters, however, are used for other unrelated law enforcement organizations (including NOOSE and FIB). The character models are only seen as actual "CIA" agents during The Ballad of Gay Tony introductory mission cutscene in I Luv LC, featuring agent Aleks Thornton.

The agency was later given a proper in-universe name in Grand Theft Auto V, where it is confirmed that the United Liberty Paper is a front for the IAA, with both the United Liberty Paper contact and Karen Daniels being identified as IAA agents.

According to Steve Haines, the IAA is apparently heavily corrupted and abducts public funding for their own benefits - the IAA's moral flexibility is further confirmed by Karen at the end of The Humane Labs Raid, where she comments about how the IAA can get anyone to do their dirty work by paying them.

Events of the Grand Theft Auto series

Events of Grand Theft Auto IV

In 2008, Karen Daniels is dispatched to watch over Niko Bellic upon his arrival in America, under the fake name of Michelle. The two have a date and things seem to be going well between them. Unbeknownst to Bellic, Karen was using him as a way for the IAA to find known criminals located in Liberty City. After Bellic obtains stolen cocaine for drug dealer Elizabeta Torres, Karen/Michelle exposes her real identity to Niko and an accomplice of his, Jacob Hughes. Karen orders Niko to hand over the cocaine, whilst also telling him that her superiors are interested in utilising Niko's abilities in their own operations.

A little while after this, Karen calls Niko and asks him to meet her at the United Liberty Paper building located in the city. This is where Niko is introduced to Bernard, codenamed Agent ULP. Bernard blackmails Bellic into doing several off-the-book jobs for the agency, under threat of leaking his criminal file to "those clowns in the FIB". These jobs include taking out a known government conspirator, eliminating a terrorist financer, and stealing a helicopter to aid in bringing down a known businessman that also financed terrorist acts. After the completion of all these jobs, Bernard agrees to help Niko locate the man he has been searching for.

In the meantime, Bernard introduces Niko to Jon Gravelli, the head of the Gambetti Crime Family. Gravelli also has Niko complete several tasks of his own. Meanwhile, the IAA locates and abducts Darko Brevic in Bucharest, Romania. When Darko gets smuggled into Liberty City, Bernard informs Niko that "he has his man" before cutting all ties with him. Niko then confronts Darko over his betrayal to his military unit before deciding his fate.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online in 2013

Around 2013, during the events of the Heists update, Don Percival has scientists develop a nerve agent inside Humane Labs and Research. The IAA formulate a plan to extract the current data about the device to prevent its use by Percival or his private military, Merryweather.

By using the ethernet and getting in contact with a user named "Mr. Crest", the Agency is put in touch with the GTA Online Protagonist and their associates. An agent known as Agent 14 visits the planner's house to discuss a job: breaking Maxim Rashkovsky, one of the founders of Humane Labs, out of Bolingbroke Penitentiary. After several different preparations, the GTA Online Protagonist successfully escorts Rashkovsky out the prison and out of the country. With Maxim freed, he was able to give the IAA details about the laboratory for them to plan a raid.

Sometime later, Agent 14 approaches the GTA Online Protagonist again to inform the heist crew about another heist: raiding Humane Labs to steal the nerve agent data located on the building's computer terminals. After multiple more job preparations, the heist is pulled off. The GTA Online Protagonist and their associates raid the Humane Labs and Research building and manage to steal the nerve agent data. Agent 14 expresses his gladness at the fact that the crew weren't lost on the job before telling them to meet another agent for the payment. The crew meet Karen Daniels at the Land Act Reservoir, where she expresses her surprise that all the Agency had to do was pay them to get the crew to do their operations. Karen tells them that although the team was useful to the IAA, their usefulness has "run out". She hands them over a grenade to destroy the Valkyrie that was used in the raid, before leaving with an unnamed associate. With their main goal achieved, the IAA cut contact with the GTA Online Protagonist.

Events of Grand Theft Auto V

Later in 2013, the IAA begin to lose funding as terrorist activity had calmed down. This causes the IAA and the FIB to be involved in a bureaucratic fight over which agency will receive more government funding. The IAA kidnap Ferdinand Kerimov, a home theater technician who associated with an alleged terrorist, and fake his death to "remove him from the record". After a break-in at the Los Santos County Coroner Office orchestrated by the FIB that confirmed Kerimov was alive, the IAA move him to their headquarters for torture and interrogation. Michael De Santa, on Steve Haines' order, abducts Kerimov in the middle of a torture session, with the help of Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton. Michael and Dave Norton use the knowledge gained from Trevor and Steve torturing Ferdinand to take out Tahir Javan, the alleged terrorist. Tahir's death being under the hands of the FIB gives them a funding advantage over the IAA.

Haines then gets Michael, Trevor, and Franklin to hijack an IAA funding truck containing corruption-related fundings from drugs. This further decreases their fundings.

Whilst Michael and Trevor are in hiding in Sandy Shores from the threat of the Madrazo Cartel, Steve approaches them yet again with the claim that the Agency, ironically, had tasked Humane Labs and Research to develop a strong neurotoxin. When it is finished, the IAA would then release the same neurotoxin in a major metropolitan area and pass it off as a terrorist attack to hopefully re-instate their budget due to the demand by the public to stop terrorism. After acquiring necessary funding via a bank robbery, the alleged plan is foiled by Steve, Dave, and Michael, in yet another infiltration through the facility. Said operation ended up with Haines captured, but the helicopter piloted by Trevor that was carrying out the refrigeration unit with the neurotoxin managed to fly away with it.

With the events of The Humane Lab Raid that occurred a few months prior, it is unknown whether the neurotoxin was being developed by the IAA or potentially Merryweather again. But, considering the amount of IAA guards encountered whilst escaping the lab in Monkey Business, it is likely that the IAA themselves were having the toxin created.

An IAA team led by Bernard manage to intercept Michael, Dave, Steve, and FIB associate Andreas Sanchez during a confrontation at the Kortz Center. The agents manage to corner the three men, up until rogue FIB agents and Merryweather Security ambush the entire group. It leads to a huge firefight, and the IAA agents get killed except for Bernard, who canonically survives the incident.

Following the shootout, Dave Norton manages to pin the blame of all the prior events onto Sanchez. Because Sanchez is already dead (due to Haines shooting him during the Kortz Center shootout for ratting him out), the IAA stop pursuing the FIB.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online after 2013

In 2017, during the events of The Doomsday Heist update, the IAA is involved in stopping a plot by Avon Hertz to destroy the surface world with nuclear weapons. The event includes working with some rogue Russian agents and a group of operatives led by Agent 14.

In the summer of 2022, the IAA hires the GTA Online Protagonist as a special IAA field agent to investigate a budding criminal conspiracy in Southern San Andreas.

Characterization

While the IAA do work to protect America, their methods in doing so can be highly pragmatic and morally gray, such as using extreme interrogation techniques and threats of forcing objects into their detainees' orifices.

The IAA are known to use criminals for off-the-book missions and will use blackmail, threats, or simple payment to motivate them. As stated above, Steve Haines claims they are corrupt and they have indeed proven to be morally flexible when needed, but it should be noted that Haines himself was highly corrupt, and his career was apparently threatened.

In an apparent contradiction to Haines' accusations that the IAA created a chemical weapon at the Humane Labs, an IAA agent known as Agent 14 would organize a similar raid on the Humane Labs himself, claiming that the nerve agent there is being developed by Merryweather. While either of them could potentially be lying, 14 would ultimately prove to be more trustworthy than Haines, as the IAA seems to retain assets rather than kill off loose ends, as Haines would try to do with those that he conscripted. Subsequent operations at the Humane Labs would lend further credence to Agent 14's claims as both a gunrunning operation, a casino heist and a security contract show that the lab is operated by Merryweather and not the IAA.

The IAA is also involved in the gunrunning business. Though this may also be off-the-books, they are known to use motorcycle gangs and organizations to do sales and resupplies, as well as stop unsanctioned sales. It is also known that there may be rogue agents within the agency, as seen in the mission Work Dispute.

In addition to their apparent rivalry with the FIB, the IAA seem to dislike Merryweather, as Agent 14 can be quoted as saying that while Merryweather may work government contracts, it doesn't even remotely make them the "good" guys, which the IAA seem to consider themselves. They also seem to have a far more openly hostile interaction with Merryweather compared to the FIB, as IAA agents have been kidnapped by the mercenaries while the IAA frequently attempts to stop Merryweather operations such as their weapon sales.

According to Mrs. Rackman, there seems to be a system in place that acts as an insurance against potential infighting, as checks won't cash if a number of agents are dead. Apparently it is to prevent agents from killing each other if they have a conflict with one another.

Uniform

IAA agents can be seen wearing various tops, of different colors. They can wear either a tucked-in polo, a jacket, or a sweater. They sometimes may wear a lanyard around their necks with an ID on it, a badge and gun holster made for a Glock on their belts, a communication device on their right ear, sometimes a police-like tool belt, and a watch on their left wrist.

Employees and Associates

Employees

Associates

Equipment

Vehicles

Grand Theft Auto IV

Maverick (only in Dust Off)
Maverick (only in Dust Off)

Grand Theft Auto V and Online

Zion (Driven by Karen during Humane Raid - Key Codes)
Zion (Driven by Karen during Humane Raid - Key Codes)
FIB Buffalo (IAA agents affiliate with Agent 14 during Prison Break - Plane seen inside the hanger and during Prison Break - Bus)
FIB Buffalo (IAA agents affiliate with Agent 14 during Prison Break - Plane seen inside the hanger and during Prison Break - Bus)
Baller LE (Armored) (Used by IAA field agents in the end of various setup missions of The Doomsday Heist Act 3[2] and in Planning Work: Security Pass)
Baller LE (Armored) (Used by IAA field agents in the end of various setup missions of The Doomsday Heist Act 3[2] and in Planning Work: Security Pass)
Insurgent Pick-Up (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Insurgent Pick-Up (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Mobile Operations Center (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Mobile Operations Center (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Buzzard (only in Kortz Survival)
Buzzard (only in Kortz Survival)
Annihilator Stealth (only in Kortz Survival)
Annihilator Stealth (only in Kortz Survival)
Police Maverick (Used by IAA agents in Prison Break - Bus)
Police Maverick (Used by IAA agents in Prison Break - Bus)
Insurgent (Seen next to the IAA agents in Mole Hunt)
Insurgent (Seen next to the IAA agents in Mole Hunt)
Greenwood (only in ULP - Cleanup)
Greenwood (only in ULP - Cleanup)
Unmarked Cruiser (Cop Raid, Nightclub Sales, Undisclosed Cargo and Operation Paper Trail)
Unmarked Cruiser (Cop Raid, Nightclub Sales, Undisclosed Cargo and Operation Paper Trail)
FIB Granger (During Dispatch III and Time To Get Away)
FIB Granger (During Dispatch III and Time To Get Away)
Granger (Used by Phoenicia Rackman and her team including Agent 14 at the end of Setup: Air Defenses[3])
Granger (Used by Phoenicia Rackman and her team including Agent 14 at the end of Setup: Air Defenses[3])
Hauler Custom (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Hauler Custom (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Buzzard Attack Chopper (Three's Company)
Buzzard Attack Chopper (Three's Company)
Valkyrie (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Valkyrie (Used by rogue IAA agents during Work Dispute)
Baller (Seen next to the IAA agents in Crime Scenester)
Baller (Seen next to the IAA agents in Crime Scenester)
White Patriot (Exit Strategy and The Bogdan Problem only)
White Patriot (Exit Strategy and The Bogdan Problem only)
Conada (only in ULP - Cleanup)
Conada (only in ULP - Cleanup)

Weapons

Grand Theft Auto V and Online

Pistol
Pistol
SMG
SMG
Pump Shotgun
Pump Shotgun
Assault Shotgun (only in Kortz Survival)
Assault Shotgun (only in Kortz Survival)
Carbine Rifle
Carbine Rifle
Combat MG (only in Kortz Survival)
Combat MG (only in Kortz Survival)
Flashlight (only in cutscene and animation)
Flashlight (only in cutscene and animation)
Combat Pistol
Combat Pistol
Micro SMG (Time To Get Away and Planning Work: Security Pass only)
Micro SMG (Time To Get Away and Planning Work: Security Pass only)
Bullpup Shotgun (Planning Work: Security Pass only)
Bullpup Shotgun (Planning Work: Security Pass only)
Assault Rifle (only in Kortz Survival)
Assault Rifle (only in Kortz Survival)
Bullpup Rifle (only in The Agency Deal/Finale)
Bullpup Rifle (only in The Agency Deal/Finale)
Sniper Rifle
Sniper Rifle

Stations

Prominent Appearances in Gameplay

Grand Theft Auto IV

The Ballad of Gay Tony

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto Online

Heists

Gunrunning

The Doomsday Heist

Los Santos Tuners

The Criminal Enterprises

The Chop Shop

Trivia

  • Prior to the release of Grand Theft Auto V, IAA used the name of its real-life counterpart "CIA" in the ULP offices interior props in Grand Theft Auto IV and on the card given by IAA agent Aleks Thornton to Luis Fernando Lopez during I Luv LC.
  • The symbol of the IAA features what appears to be an eye, along with arrows that resemble missiles. This could be a reference to how the CIA (and to an extent the NSA) is notorious for spying on people and sending drone strikes.
  • According to Karen, its standard procedure is to sodomise suspects during interrogation without lube. This is likely an exaggeration intended for intimidation.
    • It is possible that it is a reference to the CIA's enhanced interrogation techniques which included sodomizing the interrogated.
    • A flashlight can be found in the desk where Mr. K is sitting at in Three's Company. They can also be found in each desk in the Act 1 Finale of the Doomsday Heist, where the IAA's "relatively-innocent agents" are being held. Agent ULP mentions taking a flashlight over Cliffford any day of the week.
  • In the game files, the character file for the agent has "cia" in the file name.
  • In GTA Online, IAA agents can rarely be seen standing in the plaza between FIB and IAA building.
  • In GTA Online, as of 1.17, players are now able to place IAA agents down in the Content Creator.
  • Though IAA agents mostly appear in missions, the player can encounter one accompanied by San Andreas Highway Patrol state troopers in Raton Canyon at around 7 pm on a ledge south of the Altruist Camp. The agent can be seen approaching the vehicle likely in an attempt to reason with the two women until the two women drive off the cliff.
    • The IAA agent seems to be a reference to Detective Hal Slocumb from the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, who ran after the vehicle in an attempt to stop Thelma & Louise from driving off the cliff.
  • FIB agents can be seen using IAA agents's model during The Bureau Raid (Roof).
  • The IAA necklace/lanyard says "Special Agent" following a signature that looks like "Michael Abc" or Michael Abe".
  • In Heist Prep: Hacking Device (NOOSE HQ mission variant) Lester Crest refers to an IAA ped model as a NOOSE agent.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ m_y_ciadlc_01.wtd
  2. ↑
    TDHBallerLEIAAAgentAppearence
  3. ↑
    TheDoomsdayHeistGrangerAppearance

More Information

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
  NODES
admin 1
COMMUNITY 7
INTERN 7
Note 3