"If you do not comply with our request for your suicide, we cannot guarantee the safety of your children, Samantha, currently in 3rd grade in Glaveston Primary, and John, named after your father, who is a star quarterback on Washington High's team. We trust you do what is necessary."

This is over the top even for the CIA, but they were definitely capable of being monsters. In the case of Gary Powers the agency fought hard to avoid a prisoner exchange and even internally claimed he had defected intentionally. His wife was even committed to a psychiatric institution: not so much to threaten Powers, but just to keep her from embarrassing the agency with her drinking. Ultimately they went ahead with the exchange partly out of fear that Powers would learn what they’d done to his wife.

Imagine joining a government agency to protect your country and your family... And the government not only betrays you personally but also threatens your wife and children.

Surely even the CIA has limits on the atrocities they are willing to commit?

If they did so, who would ever agree to go on a mission like that or join CIA at all?

We are talking about US citizens for whom this is a job, they are not like foreign prisoners. CIA -agents are 'one of their own'.

This is like Taliban-level stuff

> If they did so, who would ever agree to go on a mission like that or join CIA at all?

This assumes the others would know that it happened. Who would tell them? Certainly not the guy who complied with the request for suicide.