Convicted Soviet spy Aldrich Ames dies while serving life sentence

Former CIA agent Aldrich Ames, who worked for the Soviet Union, has died in prison.

According to a report by CBS News citing an FBI official, former CIA agent Aldrich Ames died in a Maryland prison at the age of 84.

Ames was found guilty of spying for the Soviet Union in 1994 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The most effective Soviet spy

Ames is considered one of the most effective American intelligence employees ever recruited by the Soviet Union. Having joined the CIA in 1962, Ames specialized in the “Soviet desk.”

According to testimony he gave during the investigation, Ames went to the Soviet Embassy in Washington in 1985 and volunteered his services.

Exposed dozens of agents

During the years he cooperated with Soviet and later Russian intelligence services, Ames exposed the names of at least ten agents working for Western intelligence within the KGB.

He also leaked sensitive information regarding the CIA’s secret operations on Soviet territory. Ames did not perform these activities for free; he received a total of approximately $2.5 million in exchange for his services.

“The Soviet threat was not as great as described”

In later statements, Ames noted that a Pravda newspaper correspondent he met in the 1970s influenced his views. Ames stated, “I concluded at that time that the Soviet threat was not as great as we were told.”

The FBI was only able to identify Ames in 1993 following a secret investigation known to very few people. It is stated that the decision to detain him was made just a few days before a trip Ames had planned to Moscow.

Led to deep changes within the CIA

According to a report by CNN, the Ames case brought about serious changes within the CIA.

In particular, the number of personnel with access to classified information was reduced. The agency also tightened oversight regarding employees’ financial situations and foreign travel.