An American citizen convicted of spying for Cuba, Ana Montes, has been released from US federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, according to Federal Bureau of Prison online records. Montes, an analyst for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, was arrested in September 2001 and charged with spying for Cuba.
Cuba had recruited Montes for spying in the 1980s and she was employed by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency as an analyst from 1985-2001. In 2002, she pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The FBI and DIA began investigating her in the fall of 2000 and, in response to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, she had access to plans for US attacks against Afghanistan and the Taliban. Montes acknowledged revealing the identities of four undercover agents for the U.S. to Cuban authorities and had faced a possible death sentence if convicted.
Montes’ release comes after serving more than 20 years in prison. Her sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017. She is the longest-serving female spy in US history.
The release of Montes is a reminder of the long-standing tensions between the US and Cuba. While the two countries have recently taken steps to improve relations, the case of Montes serves as a reminder of the complex history between the two nations.
Key takeaways:
- Ana Montes, an analyst for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, was arrested in September 2001 and charged with spying for Cuba.
- Montes pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
- Montes’ sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2017 and she is the longest-serving female spy in US history.
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