Ames admitted to spying for the Soviet Union and Russia, earning about $2.5 million from 1985 until his 1994 arrest, and compromised numerous U.S. and Western intelligence operations.

Aldrich Ames, a 31-year CIA veteran, died in a Maryland prison at age 84, with death confirmed by a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson.

He expressed profound shame for the betrayal, but downplayed the impact of his actions, saying they did not noticeably damage the United States or aid Moscow.

The report includes photo captions and mentions Ashley Carnahan as a Fox News Digital writer.

Congressional and Senate investigations criticized the CIA for failures in handling Ames’ career assignments and security, highlighting issues like drunkenness, disregard for security regulations, and administrative sloppiness.

In response to Ames and later Robert Hanssen cases, U.S. intelligence agencies strengthened insider threat programs, increased polygraph use, and heightened scrutiny of personnel with access to classified information.

Their lavish lifestyle, including driving a Jaguar and maintaining Swiss bank accounts, raised suspicions that led to Ames’s unmasking in 1994.

CIA leadership changes followed the scandal: CIA Director James Woolsey resigned, and his successor John Deutsch oversaw an overhaul that culminated in arrests and prosecutions.

Internal CIA detection was slow, but warning signs like sudden wealth, long-term alcoholism, and conspicuous purchases preceded a criminal investigation that intensified in 1993 and led to Ames’s 1994 arrest.

He married his first wife Nancy Segebarth in 1969, later formed a relationship with Rosario Rosario Dupuy, a CIA asset and accomplice, whom he funded and who faced charges related to his activities.

The disclosures and betrayal had ongoing, severe impacts on U.S. intelligence operations and personnel, according to official statements.