FSB Officials Detain Alleged CIA Agent in Moscow

May 14, 2013
U.S. Embassy Moscow. Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Federal Security Service (FSB) agents arrested an alleged CIA agent who was accused of trying to recruit a Russian officer to work as a US agent. Ryan C. Fogle was the third secretary in the political section at the US Embassy in Moscow.

As reported by Interfax agency, “Late at night on May 13, FSB agents detained CIA operative Ryan Christopher Fogle, who was trying to recruit an agent of one of the Russian security services. Mr. Fogle worked undercover as the third secretary of the political section at the US Embassy in Moscow.”

According to the FSB, the detained CIA agent had in his possession special equipment, written instructions for the Russian agent he tried to recruit, a large amount of money and some means of disguise.

Christopher Fogle was taken to the FSB office and “upon completion of the necessary procedures was turned over to US Embassy officials.”

What are the United States so afraid of that they would spend billions of dollars on spying?

In 2012 the US intelligence community budget amounted to $80 billion. This money was spent on supporting spy satellites, payments to Taliban leaders, searching the Internet, among other purposes.