Agent, whose problems with alcohol and general ineptness had kept him from rising further in the ranks of the agency. Aldrich ames s name made the bureaus short list of 20 suspects, but he passed two polygraph tests. Sandy grimes is a twentysixyear veteran of cias clandestine service, who spent most of her career working against the former soviet union, supporting some of cias most valuable penetrations of the kgb and gru. The assets, a miniseries about aldrich ames on abc the new. With the arrest of aldrich ames in 1994, it seemed that the mole hunters had found their quarry. In this april 28, 1994, file photo, former cia officer aldrich ames leaves federal court in alexandria, va. Cold war soviet spies in the usa in the 1980s cia mole. Learn the true story behind this spy movie that stars chris cooper and ryan phillippe. At the time of his arrest, ames was a 31year veteran of the central intelligence. Ames would place a horizontal chalk mark about 3 long above the usps logo to let his russian handlers know he needed a meeting. Born in may 1941, aldrich hazen ames is one of the most infamous spies in the history of cia. Aldrich hazen ames is a former operative and analyst with the american central intelligence agency cia. It lasted just two episodes before it was yanked from the schedule because of historically low overnight ratings.
Ames started at the central intelligence agency cia in 1962 in a lowlevel position. Twentyfive years ago this week, ames was arrested because of the work of a small team of cia officers led by a quiet, unassuming grayhaired woman named jeanne vertefeuille the spy hunters. One year after his arrest in 1994, the tawdry story of aldrich ames, the cia agent who peddled his nations entire moscow spy network to the russians, was served up in. Members of the house intelligence committee discussed the findings of the committees report concerning the central intelligence agencys cia handling of the case of aldrich ames, a spy within. Aldrich ames the most infamous russian spy documentarytube. He was born on may 26, 1941, in river falls, wisconsin.
The assets tells a true story about spying in the 80s. The eightpart miniseries is derived from a memoir written by the two investigators who took him down, sandy grimes and jeanne vertefeuille. He continued spying for nearly nine years, first in rome, where he served from 1986 to. Harold james jim nicholson born november 17, 1950 is a former central intelligence agency cia officer and a twiceconvicted spy for russia s foreign intelligence service svr.
He worked in the intelligence for over thirty years. It was the mid1980s, and the cias senior counterintelligence officer in the soviet division had also grown disillusioned with his employer and. Aldrich ames was partly motivated to spy because he was angry how the cia was lying to congress about the threat the soviet union posed to the us. Timothy hutton played aldrich ames, a notorious reallife spy. Amess story is dramatized in the 1998 movie aldrich ames.
The movie chronicles the true story of the fbis attempt to bring down robert hannsen who is commonly. Factbased story about a 1990s espionage case that was chronicled as the worst case of espionage in u. Harold james jim nicholson born november 17, 1950 is a former central intelligence agency cia officer and a twiceconvicted spy for russias foreign. Maria del rosario casas ames, 41, wife of confessed spy aldrich hazen ames, sits in a tiny, windowless, palegreen room at a formica table in the alexandria detention center. Central intelligence agency cia who was entrusted with discovering soviet spies and who himself became one of the most successful double agents for the soviet union and russia. Hanssen is considered the most damaging spy in fbi history. Robert hanssen shares the title of one of americas most notorious moles with aldrich ames. Twentyfive years ago this week, ames was arrested because of the work of a small team of cia officers led by a quiet, unassuming grayhaired woman named jeanne vertefeuille. On this date in 1987, a oncepromising american intelligence asset was executed with a single gunshot to the head in moscow his treachery exposed by two of the most infamous soviet moles in u. This movie follows the story of aldrich ames, the most dangerous spy in the history of the cia.
True story of aldrich ames, former head of counterespionage for the cia, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison for passing secrets to the kgb during the course of eight years in order for him and his wife rosario ames to pay off amassed debts. So far as is known, ames compromised the secondlargest number of cia assetssecond only to those betrayed by robert hanssen. It was very interesting to see how he fell into the life of a spy and how. Convicted of treason, george blake escapes from prison and remains a fugitive. Betrayal the story of aldrich ames, an american spy. Ames, the agents tracking him got their first chance to catch him in an act of spying. The resettled spy told wiser he was convinced ames had. Aldrich ames spy case members of the house intelligence committee discussed the findings of the committees report concerning the central december 17, 1997. His recruitment to the svr appears to have occurred in the wake of a much publicized arrest of senior cia officer and moscow mole aldrich ames. Sandy grimes is a former cia officer who coinvestigated and uncovered the actions of notorious spy aldrich ames. Aldrich ames himself participated in the production, so its very authentic. Their spies are obviously more interesting kim philby, the infamous british. For ames it led him to be turncoat for hire and prison. Full text of both parts and appendices can be obtained from the superintendent of documents, u.
How aldrich ames betrayed the cia by selling secrets to. Members of the house intelligence committee discussed the findings of the committees report concerning the central intelligence agencys cia handling. Nova online secrets, lies, and atomic spies aldrich hazen ames. The story of aldrich ames, an american spy kindle edition by weiner, tim, johnston, david, lewis, neil a download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. She is a far cry from the spy hunters portrayed in movies. Until the revelation of the extent of robert hanssens spying seven years later, ames compromised more cia assets than any known soviet mole in american history. This movie is based on the real aldrich ames, who was the cia operative who sold secrets to the russians as the cold war was. He compromised numerous cia assets in the soviet union, some of whom were executed. With timothy hutton, joan plowright, elizabeth pena, c. The ames spy scandal is symptoiilatic of a much deeper problem that persists today. A cia operative who spent more than 30 years with the agency and specialized in soviet and russian. More chilling than fiction, this taut drama chronicles the cias search to prove that one of its agents has succumbed to greed and is exchanging highly classified government secrets for money. But ames was not influenced by ideology it was something else.
Valery martynov, betrayed by aldrich ames and robert. Nova online secrets, lies, and atomic spies aldrich. The assets is based on the true story of aldrich ames, a cia operative who worked as a spy for the soviet union until his arrest in 1994. Senate select committee on intelligence 01 november 1994 part one. The story of aldrich ames, an american spy, a 1995 book by a team of new york times reporters.
He is serving a life sentence, without the possibility of parole, in the federal correctional institution in terre haute, indiana, united states. Harold james jim nicholson born november 17, 1950 is a former central intelligence agency cia officer and a twiceconvicted spy for russias foreign intelligence service svr. While spending nine years working in cia counterintelligence, he declared an. The failed abc mini series the assets comes to netflix. Nova online secrets, lies, and atomic spies aldrich hazen. More chilling than fiction, this taut drama chronicles the cias search to prove that one of its agents has succumbed to greed and is exchanging highly classified government secrets for.
Spy robert hanssen, fbis eric oneill breach movie true story. Vertefeuille was part of the small team who toiled for eight years to reveal aldrich ames for what he truly was. Spy robert hanssen, fbis eric oneill breach movie true. Spy hunters the women who caught aldrich ames youtube.
Earlier this year abc rolled out an eightpart mini series about the aldrich ames spy case called the assets. One day in september 1993, four months after the f. But then the soviets never had a spy like rick ames. Ames had compromised the safety of soviets, who had sought to help the us, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars, with which he bought a large home and fancy cars. A joint ciafbi investigation had found that aldrich ames, a longtime agency employee, had sold intelligence secrets to the soviet union. In the 1980s aldrich ames, a cia agent, supplied the soviets with significant numbers of classified american intelligence files and it was not until after the cold war finished that he was caught. He played another notorious reallife spy, christopher boyce, in the falcon and the snowman 1985. Edwin wilson illegally sold explosives to a libyan dictator. The story of the cia mole who sold the soviets identities. Valery martynov, betrayed by aldrich ames and robert hanssen.
His recruitment to the svr appears to have occurred in the wake of a much. It was june th, 1985, that aldrich ames, everyone knew as rick. The resettled spy told wiser he was convinced ames had betrayed him, but he confirmed that he. Ive been watching movies for threequarters of a century and in several languages and this is near. Sandy grimes on catching spy aldrich ames editorial cartoonists of course had a field day with the story how could the cia of all agencies have failed to put two and two. Former cia agent sandy grimes and actor who plays spy aldrich ames discuss new abc tv miniseries. How aldrich ames betrayed the cia by selling secrets to the. Aldrich amess name made the bureaus short list of 20 suspects, but he passed two polygraph tests. It stars timothy hutton, who also played a spy in the falcon and the snowman. Sep 18, 20 the interactive transcript could not be loaded. He started his career in the central intelligence agency, but after a while, he defected and started spying for the kgb. Memoir of a kgb officer the true story of the man who. Aldrich ames, in full aldrich hazen ames, born may 26, 1941, river falls, wisconsin, u.
Aldrich ames, an american cia official arrested in 1994 on charges of committing espionage for the soviets and later russia, has earned the dubious distinction. In 1986 and 1991, ames passed two polygraph examinations while spying for the soviet union and russia. Jan 26, 2018 aldrich rick ames was desperate for money. Mar 12, 2009 she is a far cry from the spy hunters portrayed in movies. Aldrich hazen ames was arrested by the fbi in arlington, virginia on espionage charges on february 21, 1994. Aldrich ames cia spy this replacement mailbox is ident. Feb 19, 2019 aldrich ames was one of the most damaging moles in cia history. Aldrich ames was one of the most damaging moles in cia history. Jeanne vertefeuille is a far cry from the spy hunters portrayed in movies, but appearances can be deceiving. The inside story of the biggest molehunt in the history of american intelligence. Back in 1985, when aldrich ames wa apparently receiving. Ames, the agents tracking him got their first chance to. So far as is known, ames compromised the secondlargest number of cia assetssecond only to those betrayed. Jan 31, 2019 in the 1980s aldrich ames, a cia agent, supplied the soviets with significant numbers of classified american intelligence files and it was not until after the cold war finished that he was caught.
He compromised the second largest number of cia agents, making him second only to robert hanssen. Aldrich hazen ames born may 26, 1941 is a former central intelligence agency counterintelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the soviet union and russia. Aldrich hazen ames born may 26, 1941 is a former central intelligence agency counterintelligence officer and analyst, who in 1994 was convicted of spying for the soviet union and russia. The eightpart miniseries the assets, premiering thursday at 10 p. Rating is available when the video has been rented. Investigate the real fbi spy robert hanssen and operative eric oneill behind the movie breach. Aldrich hazen rick ames is a former central intelligence agency cia officer turned kgb. Nonetheless, the musketeers, roch included, enlisted in the project and, over the next few years, as the movie was being developed and revised, helped. For the british diplomat, author, diarist and politician, see harold nicolson. The terrible secret of rosario ames washington post. It was very interesting to see how he fell into the life of a spy and how he was able to avoid detection for some 8 years. Aldrich ames cia spy this replacement mailbox is identical to the one, and in the same location that convicted spy aldrich ames used to signal his russian counterparts. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading betrayal.