CIA Agent Who Betrayed US for Years, Dies in Prison at Age 84
Aldrich Ames, a former CIA agent who spied on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia, has died in a Maryland prison at the age of 84. His death was confirmed by the Bureau of Prisons.
Ames' betrayal of the United States is considered one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in US history. He was arrested in February 1994, along with his wife Rosario, who pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his espionage activities. Ames himself admitted to passing on sensitive information to Moscow over nearly a decade, including the identities of western agents operating behind the Iron Curtain.
Ames was sentenced to life without parole for his crimes, while his wife received a sentence of over five years. During his trial, Ames claimed that he had been motivated by financial troubles and professed "profound shame and guilt" for betraying the trust of his country. However, he downplayed the significance of his actions, stating that spy wars were merely a sideshow with little impact on US security interests.
Ames worked in the Soviet/Eastern European division at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, before approaching the KGB and beginning his espionage activities. He continued to pass secrets to Moscow while stationed in Rome for the CIA and after returning to Washington.
The case of Aldrich Ames was revived in 2018 with the publication of Ben Macintyre's book "The Spy and the Traitor", which detailed the rescue of a KGB colonel working for MI6 named Oleg Gordievsky from Moscow in 1985. Ames is often referred to as the "traitor" due to his role in tipping off Moscow to Gordievsky's activities.
Ames' death brings an end to a saga that has left many questioning the motivations and consequences of espionage activities. The investigation into his betrayal continues, and it remains to be seen how this latest chapter will unfold.
Aldrich Ames, a former CIA agent who spied on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia, has died in a Maryland prison at the age of 84. His death was confirmed by the Bureau of Prisons.
Ames' betrayal of the United States is considered one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in US history. He was arrested in February 1994, along with his wife Rosario, who pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his espionage activities. Ames himself admitted to passing on sensitive information to Moscow over nearly a decade, including the identities of western agents operating behind the Iron Curtain.
Ames was sentenced to life without parole for his crimes, while his wife received a sentence of over five years. During his trial, Ames claimed that he had been motivated by financial troubles and professed "profound shame and guilt" for betraying the trust of his country. However, he downplayed the significance of his actions, stating that spy wars were merely a sideshow with little impact on US security interests.
Ames worked in the Soviet/Eastern European division at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, before approaching the KGB and beginning his espionage activities. He continued to pass secrets to Moscow while stationed in Rome for the CIA and after returning to Washington.
The case of Aldrich Ames was revived in 2018 with the publication of Ben Macintyre's book "The Spy and the Traitor", which detailed the rescue of a KGB colonel working for MI6 named Oleg Gordievsky from Moscow in 1985. Ames is often referred to as the "traitor" due to his role in tipping off Moscow to Gordievsky's activities.
Ames' death brings an end to a saga that has left many questioning the motivations and consequences of espionage activities. The investigation into his betrayal continues, and it remains to be seen how this latest chapter will unfold.
! You'd think with all that info spillin out, he'd get himself killed before life without parole came knocking 
. I always wondered what went through his mind when he knew what he was doin. Did he ever have any remorse? I mean, the guy's family got some major time too 
. Still, it's kinda sad that the US has lost this one piece of intel forever 
. Guess you can say justice was served eventually 
.
at 84 he's been in prison for decades and still manages to spit out excuses like "i was motivated by financial troubles" 
who cares about that when u betray ur country?!?! i mean idc how many yrs hes served but its about time someone got held accountable for all the damage he did 
his whole story is wild especially with him trying 2 downplay the impact of his actions 
"spy wars r just a sideshow" lol what a joke! 
This guy was a master manipulator... I mean, who needs a script when you've got a fake smile and a convincing story? 
. Anyway, I'm glad justice was served and he's finally facing the consequences for his crimes 
. RIP Aldrich Ames 
what's up with these prison updates? always got some old dude passing away while serving life sentence 
i mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like he was just chillin' in the yard or anything 
but seriously, can we just have some closure on this whole thing already? it feels like we're stuck in some kind of spy thriller forever 
.
... 84 years old is old news, he's been locked up for over 30 years already 
... the fact that he got away with such a massive betrayal of his country's trust for so long is still mind-boggling to me 
... and now his death just kinda feels like closure, but also raises more questions than answers 
at least his wife got a slap on the wrist 
compared 2 all the lives he ruined 
meanwhile, his betrayal put lives at risk for yrs... still wondering what drove him to do that 
. This whole thing just leaves you wondering, how did this happen? And what can we learn from it? 
Aldrich Ames was a master manipulator who got away with one heck of a long sentence 
. I mean, the guy betrayed his country for money and a better lifestyle 
might be a good thing though - it's always better to shine a light on these kinds of betrayal so we don't let them go unaccounted for 
. But, at the end of the day, Aldrich Ames will forever be remembered as one of the most damaging spies in US history 
.
. He was like a ticking time bomb of treason for years, putting innocent lives at risk. It's crazy to think he got away with so much damage before being caught in 1994 
.
but let's not celebrate just yet 
i mean what was he really thinking? was it just about the benjamins or did he have ulterior motives? and what about his wife, was she in on it too? 
I mean come on, 84 years old? That's like getting caught mid-life crisis 
. The fact that he downplayed the significance of his actions is just laughable 
. I mean who does that? It's like saying "oh, spy wars are no big deal" when you're behind bars waiting for the other shoe to drop 
.