Ana Montes risked the death penalty for her espionage but instead was sentenced to 25 years in prison. According to the records, she was released on Friday after spending twenty years in a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas.
A former American army intelligence specialist who spied for Cuba during the Cold War has been released from prison.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons website indicates that Ana Montes, age 65, was freed after serving twenty years of a quarter-century sentence.
During her stint as an analyst, she admitted disclosing the identities of four American covert agents to Cuban officials. Also divulging facts so sensitive that they cannot be described publicly.
According to court filings, she also gave documents including information about U.S. surveillance of Cuban armaments.
The 65-year-old spied for Cuba for nearly two decades.
She was detained in September 2001 and pled guilty to espionage conspiracy a year later.
Former DIA investigator Chris Simmons, who assisted in the investigation of Montes. Stated that she was prolific and effective in providing damaging intelligence to the Cubans, who are suspected of selling it to other US enemies.
Mr. Simmons was quoted by NBC as saying, “Historically, many spies have turned over intelligence. But she persistently tried to have Americans killed in combat.”
“An extremely lethal and dangerous woman.”
Officials at the time suspected that Montes was recruited by Cuban intelligence. When she worked in the Justice Department’s Freedom of Information office between 1979 and 1985 and was asked to seek employment at an agency that could offer Cuba more helpful information.
Encrypted messages
In 1985, she transferred to the Defense Intelligence Agency. Where she was regarded as a top analyst in the Cuban military and was even awarded for her efforts.
Prosecutors said throughout this time, Montes received regular coded signals from Havana via a short-wave radio as strings of numbers. Which she would type onto a decryption-equipped laptop to translate to English.
At her sentencing, Montes stated she had obeyed her conscience and that US policy to Cuba was harsh and
unfair. “I felt morally bound to assist the island in resisting our efforts to impose our ideals and political system on it.
system on it,” she stated.
Under President Joe Biden, the US has relaxed some sanctions on Cuba. But maintained its Cold War-era blockade on the island. And toughened up restrictions on illegal migrants, coming in record amounts amid rampant inflation and medication shortages.
