In February 1986, a significant event in Cold War history unfolded at the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin, where dissident Anatoly Shcharansky was exchanged for Karel Köcher, the only known spy to successfully infiltrate the CIA. This exchange garnered massive media attention in the West, while it was scarcely mentioned in Eastern media, a fact noted by journalist Vladimír Ševela, who emphasizes that Köcher's name was not even mentioned in Czechoslovak reports. This media restraint is attributed to a deep uncertainty within the Czechoslovak State Security (StB) about Köcher's actual allegiance, sparking doubts that the Americans might have cunningly sent one of their agents back.

Upon his return to Czechoslovakia, Köcher faced skepticism from his own intelligence structures and struggled to cope with the suspicion directed towards him. As described by Ševela, Köcher did not regard his time with the CIA in the conventional sense; he primarily viewed himself as loyal to the KGB and exhibited a certain disdain towards his Czech handlers in the StB, which impacted his reintegration.

The exchange proved beneficial for the United States, as Köcher's intelligence work allowed them to gain insights into the workings of the Soviet-era intelligence apparatus. This incident serves as a reminder of the complex loyalties and dangerous climates of espionage during the Cold War, illustrating how individuals like Köcher navigated precarious allegiances between superpowers that could often lead to tragic consequences for personal identities and national narratives.