Aldrich Ames, CIA agent who spied for Soviet Union and Russia, dies aged 84

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Abené ClaytonJanuary 7, 2026 at 02:20 AM

AI Summary

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Aldrich Ames, a former CIA agent who spied for the Soviet Union and Russia, died at age 84 in a Maryland prison. Ames was arrested in February 1994, along with his wife Rosario, and pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for providing Moscow with classified information for nearly a decade, including the identities of Western agents. Ames admitted he was paid $2.5 million by Russia and claimed his motivation was financial troubles. His betrayal is considered one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in US history, and he was responsible for exposing a KGB colonel working for MI6. At the time of his espionage, Ames worked in the Soviet/Eastern European division at CIA headquarters.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Langley, Virginia 30% MI6 30% Federal Bureau of Investigation 40% Washington Post 40% Oleg Gordievsky ×240% Bureau of Prisons 40% Moscow ×360% Rosario Ames 60% Russia ×270% Soviet Union ×270% Central Intelligence Agency ×480% Aldrich Ames ×9100%

Keywords

aldrich ames 100% espionage 90% cia agent 80% spy 80% soviet union 70% russia 70% treason 60% intelligence breach 60% kgb 50% financial troubles 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Soviet Union

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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aldrich ames espionage cia agent spy soviet union russia treason intelligence breach kgb financial troubles

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