Aldrich Ames was one of the most dangerous double agents in American history. He passed away this Monday at the age of eighty four while serving his sentence in a Maryland prison. Ames was a former officer for the CIA who spent decades behind bars for betraying his country. He was arrested back in 1994 and was ordered to spend the rest of his life in jail without any chance of being released.
During his time as a spy Ames became incredibly wealthy by selling secrets to the Soviet Union. Experts believe he was likely the highest paid spy ever known to the world. He received millions of dollars in cash for hand-delivering classified plans to Russian handlers. He even had millions more waiting for him that he never got to spend. This greed led him to give up some of the most sensitive information the United States possessed.
Aldrich Ames contributed in the killing of atleast 10 guys
His actions had deadly consequences for people working on the side of the Americans. At least ten different spies were caught and executed because Ames gave their names to the enemy. He also ruined many secret operations that the government had spent years building. Even though he was doing this for a long time he managed to trick lie detector tests twice. He simply followed the advice of the Russians and stayed calm during the questioning.
Ames was not just selling a few secrets here and there. In the mid-1980s he basically gave up the names of every agent the CIA and FBI had working in the Soviet Union. When he was finally caught he said his actions were not about politics or beliefs. He admitted that he mainly did it for the money because he wanted to live a much more expensive life. He felt that the battles between different governments were not as important as his own personal needs.
Aldrich Ames’s wife’s role
He did not work alone and was actually helped by his wife Rosario. She was also involved in the spying and helped him hide what he was doing. They were both arrested on the same day after a long investigation by the FBI. While she served a few years in prison Ames was given the much harsher life sentence. They left behind a young son who had to grow up while his father was locked away.
Even though he only made a modest government salary Ames lived like a very rich man. He bought a luxury home with cash and drove a high-end sports car to his office at the CIA. He told his coworkers that the money came from his wife’s family in South America. Surprisingly no one at the agency questioned how he could afford such an expensive lifestyle for many years. His death marks the final chapter for one of the most damaging figures of the Cold War era.
