Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

CIA turncoat who caused the death of western agents dies in prison

Aldrich Ames
Aldrich Ames (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
  • Aldrich Ames, a notorious CIA turncoat, has died at the age of 84 in a Maryland prison.
  • He confessed to receiving over $2.5 million from Moscow between 1985 and 1994 for providing US secrets.
  • His treachery involved revealing the identities of ten Russian officials and one East European agent working for the United States or Great Britain.
  • These betrayals are widely attributed to the executions of Western agents operating behind the Iron Curtain and inflicted a significant blow to the CIA.
  • Ames pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, receiving a life sentence without parole, and cited financial troubles as his motivation.
In full

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in