Notorious CIA Mole Aldrich Ames Dies at 84; Betrayed Dozens of Agents

Aldrich Ames, the former CIA officer whose treason crippled American intelligence during the Cold War, has died at age 84. Ames was one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. While working for the CIA, he secretly spied for the Soviet Union and later Russia. For nearly a decade, Ames sold secrets for money. His actions compromised more than 100 intelligence operations. He also directly betrayed the identities of more than 30 agents working for the United States and its allies. Many of those agents were executed. Ames and his wife were arrested in 1994. He pleaded guilty to espionage and received a life sentence without parole. His betrayal led to a complete overhaul of U.S. counterintelligence practices. Ames spent the rest of his life in federal prison.