The intelligence community sees a growing threat to foreign assets seeking safe havens in the US.
Russia Assassination Attempt on CIA Asset:
U.S. A 2020 attempt by Russian agents to target and kill CIA assets on the ground, the U.S. The U.S. is concerned about the threat posed by foreign informants who are critical to intelligence gathering. It represents a major shift in how the intelligence community makes assessments.
Earlier this week, The New York Times revealed Moscow’s unprecedented effort to go after Alexander Potaev, a former high-ranking Russian intelligence official turned informant for the CIA living in Miami.
An operation was launched within an operation, according to information to be released later this month in a book titled “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West” by Calder Walton, a scholar of national security and intelligence at Harvard University. “Modern-day Mercador” — a reference to Ramon Mercador, a secret agent of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin who assassinated Leon Trotsky in Mexico City in 1940.
Russia has a long and notorious reputation for targeting informants at home and abroad, including in the West. In a well-documented case from 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury, England.
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According to Rebekah Koffler, a Russian-born former DIA intelligence officer who worked with the CIA’s National Clandestine Service on operational projects involving defectors and the author of “Putin’s Playbook,” Moscow’s pursuit of U.S. property on American soil is “a game changer.”
“We have a lot of people risking their lives for us… providing really sensitive information in Russia. In some cases, we let them out when their cover is blown and their lives are in danger,” she told Fox News Digital. “It’s a game changer.”
The U.S. The intelligence community was forced to flee their homeland and the U.S. in exchange for their intelligence services. A former intelligence official explained that forcing informers to seek protection at borders goes to great lengths to ensure safety and security.
“If they try to kill this guy, they’re going to try to kill our other boys here,” she explained.
Kofler, who has personally been targeted by Russian harassment, said that while the US intelligence community has previously threatened Russians who aid Washington, the threat level on assets and within US borders is still believed to be low — an assessment that is no longer accurate.
“It’s an extremely concerning development,” she expressed. “We’ve come to the realization that none of these individuals are safe any longer, and that’s deeply unsettling.”
The assassination plot targeting Poteyev was foiled when a Kremlin operative botched a surveillance operation, catching the attention of a security guard who promptly alerted the U.S. intelligence community.
In an attempt to gather information on Poteyev, Russia forcefully recruited an unsuspecting Mexican scientist named Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes.
It was discovered that Fuentes had two wives: one Russian, residing in Germany with their two daughters, and the other living in Mexico—a rather unusual arrangement that Moscow exploited.
Upon their return to Russia for a visit, Fuentes’s wife and children were detained, preventing them from leaving the country. This compelled Fuentes to travel to Russia to be with them.
While in Russia, a man believed to be a Russian agent approached Fuentes and eventually instructed him to rent an apartment in Miami, using an alias, in close proximity to Poteyev’s presumed residence.
He was then instructed to conduct surveillance and locate Poteyev’s vehicle, noting down its description, the location where it was kept, and its license plate number.
Reportedly, Fuentes was explicitly told not to photograph the car.
However, the scientist compromised the operation when he attempted to enter a complex where Poteyev’s vehicle was suspected to be stored. He managed to gain access by tailgating the car in front of him through the entry gate.
Upon reaching the complex, Fuentes was halted by a security guard. At that moment, his wife distanced herself from the situation, located Poteyev’s car, and captured a photograph of it—all of which was recorded on security camera footage, as per The New York Times report.
Koffler emphasized that the failure of Russia assassination attempt highlighted the effectiveness of the security protocols implemented by the U.S. intelligence community to safeguard defectors.
“In light of the Russians’ involvement in covert operations on U.S. soil, it may be necessary for us to allocate additional resources,” she stated, acknowledging the need to enhance measures now that it is evident that Russia is carrying out clandestine and potentially lethal activities such as poisonings.
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“Moving forward, U.S. intelligence will likely reassess the risk level for Russian defectors, which is already alarmingly high. We will likely bolster our security protocols to ensure their safety,” she added. “This particular case serves as a reminder that Russian defectors should not harbor a false sense of security solely because they are residing in the United States.”
“Putin has an extensive network of operatives. It is crucial for defectors to heed the guidance of their case officers and meticulously adhere to security instructions in order to protect themselves,” Koffler emphasized.