Ex-CIA agent who spied for Soviets dies

Aldrich Ames, the Central Intelligence Agency spy who was sentenced to life in prison for selling secrets to Moscow, costing the lives of a dozen double agents, died on Monday in custody, US authorities said.

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US marshals escort Aldrich Ames out of federal court 28 April 1994 after he pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion charges and was sentenced to life in prison.

(AFP)

He was 84, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

Ames worked as a counterintelligence analyst for the CIA for 31 years and, along with his wife Rosario, was convicted of selling information to the Soviet Union between 1985 and 1993 — compromising secret missions and costing lives — in exchange for more than $2.5 million (78.2 million baht).

Ames had been head of the Soviet branch in the CIA's counterintelligence group, and gave the Kremlin the names of dozens of Russians who were spying for the United States.