CIA defector Aldrich Ames, known for leaking U.S. intelligence secrets to the Soviet Union and Russia, passed away at the age of 84 in a Cumberland, Md., prison. A spokesperson from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed his death on Monday without disclosing the cause. The CIA did not immediately comment on the news.
Ames, a long-time CIA employee, confessed to receiving $2.5 million from Moscow in exchange for classified American information between 1985 and his arrest in 1994. His disclosures included the identities of 10 Russian officials and one eastern European agent working for the U.S. or U.K., as well as details on spy satellite operations and other intelligence practices.
His actions led to the execution of Western agents and significantly harmed the CIA’s operations. Journalist Tim Weiner, who covered Ames’s case extensively, highlighted the damage caused by Ames, noting he dismantled a network of Russian agents working for the U.S. that had been established over two decades.
Ames pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, receiving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. His spouse, Rosario, also admitted to aiding his espionage activities and was sentenced to 63 months in prison.
Despite expressing remorse for his actions, Ames attributed his betrayal to financial difficulties. He believed that the impact of his espionage was minimal, claiming it had little effect on U.S. security interests. However, Weiner emphasized that Ames’s primary motivation was financial gain, acknowledging the consequences of his actions when he was eventually apprehended.
Ames, who once lived a lavish lifestyle, spent his final years behind bars after his arrest. His espionage activities began while working in the Soviet/Eastern European division at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., and continued during his time in Rome and upon returning to Washington. Concurrently, the U.S. intelligence community was grappling with the discovery of multiple compromised agents by Moscow.
Ames’s betrayal coincided with that of FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who was arrested in 2001 for selling secrets to Moscow and later passed away in prison in 2023.