Aldrich Ames, a former high-ranking CIA officer recognized as one of the most destructive spies in US history, died at the age of 85 in a federal prison in Maryland. He was serving a life sentence for spying for the Soviet Union and Russia.
Ames, who worked in the CIA’s counterintelligence department on Soviet affairs, began collaborating with the KGB in 1985. According to the investigation, he voluntarily approached Soviet diplomats in Washington and handed over a huge amount of secret information, including the names of dozens of CIA and allied intelligence agents working in the USSR. His actions led to the failure of more than 100 American intelligence operations and, according to experts, to the arrest and execution of at least 10 CIA sources in the Soviet Union.
Over nine years of espionage, Ames received approximately $2.5–2.7 million from the KGB and later the SVR—the largest amount ever paid to an American agent. The money allowed him to live a luxurious lifestyle: buying an expensive house, a Jaguar car, and traveling abroad, which ultimately aroused suspicion among his colleagues.
Ames was arrested in February 1994. He pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, avoiding a jury trial, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. His wife, Rosario Ames, received five years in prison for complicity.
Ames’ death has been confirmed by the US Federal Bureau of Prisons. The cause of death has not yet been officially announced; according to some reports, he died on January 5.
The Ames case is considered one of the most serious blows to American intelligence during the Cold War. It led to reforms in the CIA and FBI to strengthen control over employees and identify “moles.” Many experts compare it to the case of Robert Hanssen, another well-known FBI agent who worked for Moscow.