Aldrich Ames (spy)

Aldrich Ames was a CIA officer who, in exchange for money, secretly provided the Soviet Union and later Russia with classified information about U.S. intelligence activities and agents. His betrayal compromised numerous espionage operations and led to the exposure or death of many informants. Ames's espionage activities, which began in the early 1980s, went undetected for years, making him one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. He was eventually arrested in 1994, convicted of espionage, and sentenced to life in prison, highlighting the profound risks and consequences of intelligence leaks.