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Aldrich Ames, convicted CIA double agent, dies in prison
Aldrich Ames, the former U.S. counterintelligence officer who spied for the Soviet Union and Russia, has died at the age of 84. He was serving a life sentence without parole at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland, when he passed away on Monday, according to CBS News.
Espionage and betrayal
Ames was arrested on April 28, 1994, after pleading guilty to selling classified U.S. intelligence to Moscow. His actions compromised over 100 covert operations and exposed the identities of more than 30 Western spies, resulting in the execution of at least 10 CIA assets.
Motivated by financial gain, Ames began his treachery in April 1985, providing the KGB with the names of CIA operatives in exchange for $50,000. Over the next nine years, he received approximately $2.5 million for his services, far exceeding his annual CIA salary, which never surpassed $70,000.
"To my enduring surprise, the KGB replied that it had set aside for me $2 million in gratitude for the information."
Ames, in a statement read to the court
A life of excess and deception
The illicit funds fueled a lavish lifestyle, including a $540,000 home, a Jaguar car, and luxury vacations. Despite his modest government salary, Ames lived well beyond his means, driven by personal debts and his second wife's expensive tastes.
Ames joined the CIA in 1962, following in the footsteps of his father, a CIA analyst. His career spanned 31 years, during which he held key counterintelligence roles, including a posting in Turkey and later as head of the CIA's Soviet counterintelligence division. However, his professional success was marred by personal struggles, including alcoholism and marital issues.
Personal and professional downfall
Ames's first marriage, to fellow CIA officer Nancy Segebarth, ended in divorce amid his growing alcohol problems. In 1981, he met Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy, a Colombian cultural attaché and CIA asset, who later became his second wife and accomplice. Rosario was convicted of conspiracy and served five years in prison after admitting she knew about Ames's espionage activities.
Despite multiple security violations-including leaving classified documents on a subway-Ames continued to rise within the CIA. His access to sensitive information made him a valuable asset to the Soviets, who codenamed him Kolokol (The Bell).
Arrest and legacy
Ames's espionage unraveled in 1994 after a lengthy mole hunt. He was arrested on February 21 of that year and later cooperated with authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence for his wife. At the time, CIA Director R. James Woolsey condemned Ames as a "malignant betrayer of his country," stating that the agents he betrayed died because "a murdering traitor wanted a bigger house and a Jaguar."
"It was about the money, and I don't think he ever really tried to lead anybody to believe it was anything more than that."
FBI agent Leslie G. Wiser, in a 2015 interview with BBC's Witness History
Ames's actions remain one of the most damaging cases of espionage in U.S. history, leaving a lasting stain on the CIA's counterintelligence operations.
