<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-21-what-happened-on-this-day/9a6e4c22-b812-45b4-8641-6189b0f15893" rel="" target="" title="CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames"><span>CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames</span></a><span>, who betrayed Western intelligence assets to the Soviet Union and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/russia" rel="" target="" title="Russia "><span>Russia</span></a><span> in one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in US history, has died in a Maryland prison. He was 84.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons confirmed Ames died on Monday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ames, a 31-year CIA veteran, admitted being paid $3.8 million by Moscow for US secrets from 1985 until his arrest in 1994.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/uk-france-troops-ukraine-keir-starmer/71637d79-7cd8-4242-9d81-83c5fb2457e3" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>UK, France considers sending troops to Ukraine</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His disclosures included the identities of ten Russian officials and one Eastern European who were spying for the United States or Great Britain, along with spy satellite operations, eavesdropping and general spy procedures.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His betrayals are blamed for the executions of Western agents working behind the "Iron Curtain" and were a major setback to the CIA during the Cold War.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He pleaded guilty without a trial to espionage and tax evasion and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors said he deprived the United States of valuable intelligence material for years.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/cia-turncoat-aldrich-ames-who-sold-us-secrets-to-the-soviets-dies-in-prison-at-84/2f672544-78dd-4396-afdf-c60306f8e69e" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He professed "profound shame and guilt" for "this betrayal of trust, done for the basest motives" — money to pay debts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he downplayed the damage he caused, telling the court he did not believe he had "noticeably damaged" the United States or "noticeably aided" Moscow.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/greenland-usa-donald-trump/2e9bb3bf-7892-4ab8-85ef-5580989224fb" rel="" target="" title="Why Donald Trump wants Greenland"><strong><span>Why Donald Trump wants Greenland</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These spy wars are a sideshow which have had no real impact on our significant security interests over the years," he told the court, questioning the value that leaders of any country derived from vast networks of human spies around the globe.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a jailhouse interview with </span><em><span>The Washington Post</span></em><span> the day before he was sentenced, Ames said he was motivated to spy by "financial troubles, immediate and continuing".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ames was working in the Soviet/Eastern European division at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, when he first approached the KGB, according to an FBI history of the case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He continued passing secrets to the Soviets while stationed in Rome for the CIA and after returning to Washington.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/cooking-temperatures-health-authorities-issue-warning-for-sasuages-rissoles-and-burgers/73422311-f20a-44b6-8150-4e9fa987eaad" rel="" target="" title="Health authorities issue warning for sausages, rissoles and burgers"><strong><span>Health authorities issue warning for sausages, rissoles and burgers</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, the US intelligence community was frantically trying to figure out why so many agents were getting discovered by Moscow.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ames's spying coincided with that of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/former-fbi-agent-and-russian-spy-robert-hanssen-dead/045ebbf6-d449-4dfa-93c1-374cabd224f4" rel="" target="" title="FBI agent Robert Hanssen"><span>FBI agent Robert Hanssen</span></a><span>, who was caught in 2001 and charged with taking $2.1 million in cash and diamonds to sell secrets to Moscow. He died in prison in 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ames's wife, Rosario, pleaded guilty to lesser espionage charges of assisting his spying and was sentenced to 63 months in prison.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-21-what-happened-on-this-day/9a6e4c22-b812-45b4-8641-6189b0f15893" rel="" target="" title="When a CIA agent bought a house in cash, co-workers got suspicious"><strong><span>When a CIA agent bought a house in cash, co-workers got suspicious</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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