WASHINGTON — Aldrich Ames, the CIA officer whose treachery for Moscow is considered one of the most devastating intelligence breaches in American history, has died in a Maryland prison at the age of 84.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed Ames passed away Monday, closing the chapter on a life marked by betrayal and controversy.
A 31-year veteran of the CIA, Ames admitted to taking $2.5 million from the Soviet Union and later Russia in exchange for classified U.S. secrets between 1985 and 1994. Among his disclosures were the identities of ten Russian agents and one Eastern European operative working for Western intelligence, along with critical details on satellite operations, wiretapping, and espionage techniques. His actions are believed to have directly led to the execution of Western agents behind the Iron Curtain and left the CIA reeling during the Cold War.
Ames pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, bypassing a trial, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors emphasized that he had deprived the United States of invaluable intelligence for nearly a decade.
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