Aldrich Ames, a former agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who was found guilty of espionage for the USSR in 1994 and sentenced to life imprisonment, has died at the age of 84.
Modern.az reports that "CBS News" disseminated this information, citing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Aldrich Ames died in a Maryland prison.
O. Ames is considered one of the most influential American intelligence agents recruited by the USSR. He specialized in Soviet affairs, working at the CIA since 1962. Later, in 1985, he voluntarily went to the USSR embassy in Washington and offered his services. Aldrich Ames received approximately 2.5 million dollars for his services.
The FBI was only able to expose him in 1993 as a result of a covert investigation. O. Ames was apprehended a few days before his planned trip to Moscow.
During several years of cooperation with Soviet and later Russian intelligence agencies, O. Ames revealed the names of at least 10 foreign agents recruited by the “KGB”, as well as classified information regarding the CIA's covert operations in the USSR.
According to CNN, Ames's case led to significant changes within the CIA. Specifically, the circle of people with access to classified information was narrowed. Furthermore, more attention was paid to the financial situation of employees, as well as their international travels.
