By
Cat Viglienzoni - June 29, 2010
Invisible ink, swapping identical bags and using coded
messages are apparently not out of style yet for undercover agents - at least
not for the eleven charged with spying on the United States for Russia. Two of
the eleven include a Cambridge couple.
The FBI arrested ten of the alleged spies Sunday night,
and the eleventh was arrested and set free on bail in Cyprus today. According
to the affidavit, they are accused of infiltrating U.S. society, using deep
cover identities to spy on U.S. policy makers. In addition to failing to
register as a foreign agent, charges also include conspiracy to commit money
laundering.
The Cambridge couple, who said they were Canadian when
they arrived in the U.S. in 1999, identify themselves as Donald Howard Heathfield
and Tracey Lee Ann Foley. They are among three other married couples in New
York, New Jersey and Virginia also charged with spying.
Heathfield, Foley and the others are alleged to be
members of the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence agency. The FBI sting
targeted members of the SVR's "Illegals" program, who assume long-term, "deep
cover" identities (or "legends") and hide all communications between themselves
and the SVR command center.
According to the affidavit, "illegals" often operate in
pairs under the guise of a married couple, even having children together to
deepen their cover. The affidavit states the SVR made their mission clear in a
coded message to one of the couples, which the FBI decrypted. The message
allegedly stated: "You were sent to USA for long-term service trip. Your
education, bank accounts, car, house, etc. - all these serve one goal: fulfill
your main mission, i.e. to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in
US and send intels [intelligence reports] to C[enter]."
The FBI said the alleged spies were able to get close to
a scientist working on "bunker buster" nuclear bombs and a powerful New York
financier. However, the intercepts do not suggest that they were able to
uncover any valuable information.
Russia has condemned the arrests, saying they are a
direct attempt to undermine improved U.S.-Russian relations. Moscow said the
charges were groundless and unseemly and hearkened back to the Cold War
mentality. The SVR refused to comment on the arrests.
The arrests come after President Obama declared Saturday he
would make an effort to "reset" relations with the U.S.'s former Cold War rival,
demonstrating continued suspicion between the two countries.
(Photo
courtesy: AP Images)
