Aldrich Ames, CIA agent who sold secrets to the Soviets, dies aged 84

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 7, 2026 at 03:54 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Aldrich Ames, a former CIA officer who became a double agent for the Soviet Union and later Russia, died at age 84 while serving a life sentence in a Maryland prison. Ames was jailed in 1994 after admitting to selling classified information, beginning in 1985, in exchange for approximately $2.5 million. His betrayal compromised over 100 clandestine operations and exposed more than 30 agents spying for the West, leading to the deaths of at least 10. Motivated by debt, Ames provided the KGB with the identities of CIA spies, using the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. His wife, Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy, was also charged as an accomplice. Ames's CIA career began in 1962 after his father helped him get a job there.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Nancy Segebarth 30% Mexico City 30% Cumberland, Maryland 35% Maria del Rosario Casas Dupuy ×240% Federal Correctional Institution 40% United States ×250% Russia 60% KGB ×265% Soviet Union ×375% Central Intelligence Agency ×585% Aldrich Ames ×795%

Keywords

aldrich ames 100% cia agent 90% soviet union 80% double agent 80% espionage 70% selling secrets 70% counterintelligence 60% kgb 60% life sentence 50% clandestine operations 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

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

Topic Connections

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

No topic relationship data available yet. This graph will appear once topic relationships have been computed.

aldrich ames cia agent soviet union double agent espionage selling secrets counterintelligence kgb life sentence clandestine operations

Explore Full Topic Graph