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CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, who sold US secrets to the Soviets, dies in prison at 84

The Hill's Headlines - January 7, 2026

The 1994 arrest of CIA double agent Aldrich Ames

Aldrich Ames Dead at 84: CIA’s Most Dangerous Double Agent Who Sold U.S. Secrets to the Soviets Aldrich Ames, one of the most damaging spies in U.S. intelligence history, has died at age 84 while serving a life sentence in federal prison. A former CIA counterintelligence officer, Ames secretly sold classified American secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia, exposing more than 30 Western agents and leading to multiple executions. His betrayal, driven by greed and debt, remains one of the da

Inside story of CIA traitor Aldrich Ames

1994: Aldrich Ames Arrested for Espionage

Aldrich Ames: How an alcoholic became Soviet Union's biggest asset inside the CIA