"Our surveillance wasn't close to pick up their conversation, but by all appearances it was ... fairly close to friendly. They went to a bar together, and left separately. I detailed a few men to follow Chao and make sure he wasn't being watched by his superiors without his knowledge."

Hoffman's smile slips down a few notches toward sober, and he adds: "I made the call not to move the perimeter inward to listen in when they talked, and I take full responsibility for that."