Ana Belen Montes

Arrested Thursday, 20 September 2001 at DIA Hqs

Sentenced Wednesday, 16 October 2002 to 25 years in prison

CI Centre coverage of sentencing

Her statement

News Stories:

(In chronological order; the latest stories are at the end)

DIA official warns about Cuban spies

…DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) analyst Ana Belen Montes, convicted of espionage in 2002, told Cuban intelligence officers about a secret U.S. Army Special Forces camp in El Salvador that she visited in 1987. Weeks later, the camp was attacked by pro-Cuban guerrillas of the Marxist group Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, DIA counterspy Scott W. Carmichael says in his book, "True Believer." Mr. Carmichael, who led the DIA's investigation of Montes, said in an interview that other Cuban agents are operating inside the U.S. government. "I believe that the Cuban Intelligence Service has penetrated the United States government to the same extent that the old East German intelligence service, the Stasi, once penetrated the West German government during the Cold War,"…(Washington Times, 15 Mar 07)

Turncoat analyst an effective spy for Cuba, book says

Enemies: How America's Foes are Stealing Our Vital Secrets and How We Let it Happen, by Bill Getz

Cuban spy Ana Belen Montes gave Havana detailed information on U.S. eavesdropping programs against the Castro government, allowing Cuba to mount effective counterintelligence and deception operations for years, according to a new book on U.S. intelligence failures. The book, by Washington Times defense writer Bill Gertz, also describes Alberto R. Coll, a Cuban American and former deputy assistant secretary of defense in the early 1990s, as ''an apparent spy'' -- a charge Coll vehemently denied….(Miami Herald, 15 Oct 06)

Book outlines how spy exposed U.S. intelligence secrets to Cuba

Enemies: How America's Foes are Stealing Our Vital Secrets and How We Let it Happen, by Bill Getz

A senior Cuba analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency gave Havana detailed information on U.S. eavesdropping programs aimed at the Castro government, allowing Cuba to mount effective counterintelligence and deception operations for year, according to a new book on U.S. intelligence failures. Cuban spy Ana Belen Montes, who was born in Puerto Rico, enjoyed nearly unfettered access to classified information until she was caught in 2001. She's now serving a 25-year prison term….(Mercury News, 13 Oct 06)

Pentagon Analyst Accused of Spying

An analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency was charged with conspiracy to spy for Cuba, the Justice Department said Friday.....(AP, 21 Sep 01)

FBI charges analyst with spying for Cuba .....(Washington Times, 22 Sep 01)

U.S. intelligence analyst charged with spying for Cuba......(Miami Herald, 22 Sep 01)

Area Cubans Relieved By Charges In Spy Case

Cuban American groups yesterday applauded the arrest of a top-level Defense Intelligence Agency analyst on charges of spying for Cuba, asserting that her alleged actions could help terrorists and bring further harm to the United States....(Washington Post, 23 Sep 01)

Spy Betrayed Agents to Cuba, Officials Say......(New York Times, 23 Sep 01)

Defense Analyst Charged in Cuban Spy Case.....(Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep 01)

Attacks Expedited Arrest in Espionage Case

The FBI accelerated the arrest of a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst on charges of spying for Cuba because of concerns that she would pass along classified information about the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.....(Washington Post, 28 Sep 01)

Cuba spy suspect was rising into senior intelligence ranks

Before her arrest as a spy for Cuba last week, Ana Belen Montes was rising rapidly into the senior ranks of the U.S. intelligence community and appeared to have made a direct impact on U.S. policy toward the island, according to a variety of sources who knew or worked with the 44-year-old defense analyst.....(Miami Herald, 29 Sep 01)

Intelligence Analyst Charged With Spying for Cuba

A few days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Ana Belen Montes, a top Defense Department intelligence analyst, sent an e-mail note to an old friend saying she was all right and had not known anyone who died at the Pentagon.....(New York Times, 30 Sep 01)

Spy suspect was a loner on her way up

A textured portrait is emerging of Ana Belen Montes, who was rapidly rising into the senior ranks of the U.S. intelligence community before her arrest more than a week ago as a spy for Cuba......(Knight-Ridder, 30 Sep 01)

Defense Analyst Pleads Guilty to Spying for Cuba

The Defense Intelligence Agency's senior analyst for Cuban issues pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Washington to being a spy for Fidel Castro's government, admitting that for 16 years she used her highly classified position to steal top-secret information and pass it along to a nation the State Department lists as supporting international terrorism.....(Washington Post, 20 Mar 02)

Cuban spy passed polygraph at least once

Even though confessed Cuban spy Ana Belen Montes already outwitted a lie-detector test, the government plans to rely on polygraph exams to check her honesty as they debrief her about her 16-year spying career while working for U.S. military intelligence. Montes took a polygraph examination at least once during her career as an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency, her attorney says.......(Miami Herald, 28 Mar 02)

Castro's Top Spy

“The Pentagon received praise from an unlikely source,” the article stated, “Cuban President Fidel Castro.” What Castro was citing was a Pentagon intelligence review leaked to the press, which had concluded Cuba posed no serious military threat to the United States, due especially to a severely weakened Cuban military. The report, Castro said, was “an objective report by serious people.” There was good reason for Castro to be pleased with the leaked report. It was prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency in cooperation with other intelligence arms of the Government, and was written by Ana Belen Montes, Castro’s top spy in the United States......(FrontPage magazine, 29 Mar 02)

She led two lives -- dutiful analyst, and spy for Cuba
In a brief e-mail message laden with emotion, the mother of Ana Belen Montes -- a top spy for Cuba -- lays bare the anguish she feels over her daughter's plight........(Miami Herald, 16 Jun 02)

Pentagon Aide, a Cuban Spy, Is Described as Unapologetic

A high-ranking Pentagon intelligence analyst who spied for Cuba because she opposed American policies toward Latin America "in no measure apologizes for her betrayal of the United States," federal prosecutors said in a court document filed yesterday. The analyst, Ana B. Montes, pleaded guilty to espionage last March, acknowledging that for 16 years she provided Fidel Castro's government with top-secret information, including the true identities of four American undercover intelligence officers......(New York Times, 12 Oct 02)

Confessed Spy for Cuba Gets 25 Years

A defiant U.S. intelligence analyst, who confessed to spying for Cuba throughout her 16-year career, harshly criticized American policy toward Fidel Castro and was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison......(AP, 16 Oct 02)

U.S. Spy for Cuba Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison
Ana Belen Montes, a former American intelligence officer convicted of conspiring to spy for Cuba, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison after saying she opposed U.S. government policy toward Cuba and wanted to help the communist island nation defend itself......( Reuters, 16 Oct 02)

Confessed Spy for Cuba Gets 25 Years

Ana Belen Montes, the daughter of an Army psychologist who grew up to be the most adept Cuban spy to ever infiltrate the U.S. military, was sentenced to 25 years in prison today in U.S. District Court, a somber end to a stealthy career of espionage in the nation's capital....(Washington Post, 16 Oct 02)

US jails woman who spied for Cuba

An American woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for spying for Cuba. Ana Belen Montes, who worked for US military intelligence, said she had wanted to defend the island against US injustice......( BBC, 16 Oct 02)

Unrepentant Spy Gets 25 Years
Saying she put her conscience before her country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison for conspiring to spy for Cuba, becoming one of the few women in American history convicted of espionage.....(Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct 02)

Ex-U.S. Aide Sentenced to 25 Years for Spying for Cuba

A former Pentagon intelligence analyst who spied for Cuba for 16 years said as she was sentenced today that she had wanted to help the island's Communist government defend itself against unjust American policies.....(New York Times, 17 Oct 02)

Spy for Cuba Sentenced to 25 Years

Ana Belen Montes, the daughter of an Army psychologist who grew up to be the most adept Cuban spy to infiltrate the U.S. military, was sentenced to 25 years in prison yesterday, a somber end to a stealthy career of espionage in the nation's capital.....(Washington Post, 17 Oct 02)

Spy for Cuba gets a 25-year term
The most senior spy for Cuba ever to penetrate the top ranks of the U.S. intelligence community declared at her sentencing Wednesday that U.S. policy toward Cuba is ''cruel and unfair'' and that she felt ``morally obligated to help the island defend itself.''.....(Miami Herald, 16 Oct 02)

Statement by Ana Belen Montes, who received 25-year sentence for spying...

This is the statement read in federal court Wednesday by Ana Belen Montes, who received a 25-year jail sentence for a lengthy spying career for Cuba. Before her arrest in September 2001, Montes was a senior analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Her specialty was Cuba.....(Miami Herald, 17 Oct 02)

Spy for Cuba gets 25-year term, calls U.S. policy cruel and unfair

.....(Sun-Sentinel, 16 Oct 02)

Confessed Spy Sentenced, Calls U.S.-Cuba Policy 'Cruel And Unfair'

A former intelligence analyst who confessed to spying for Cuba rebuked U.S. policy toward the Communist island as she was sentenced to 25 years in prison as part of a plea deal.....(MSNBC, 17 Oct 02)

The one spy motivated by idealism

The Americans who have spied against their country represent an almost unrelieved line of avarice and aggrievement.....(Scripps-Howard News Service Op-Ed, 17 Oct 02)

Ex-analyst sentenced to 25 years for spying

A former senior Defense Department intelligence analyst was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for giving U.S. defense secrets to Cuba, after telling a federal judge she felt "morally obligated" to help defend that communist nation against U.S. policies.....(Washington Times, 17 Oct 02)

“I felt morally obliged…”

Ana Belen Montes, the former senior analyst at the US Defense Intelligence Agency, had been in charge of the Cuban case, was sentenced to a 25-year imprisonment. The Pentagon employee is accused of spying for Cuba.....(Pravda, 17 Oct 02)

Woman jailed for spying for Cuba

A FORMER senior analyst at the US Defence Intelligence Agency has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for spying for Cuban President Fidel Castro's communist regime.....(The Advertiser, 17 Oct 02)

Cuba Expresses Respect for U.S. Spy

In Cuba's first comments about a U.S. intelligence analyst who confessed to spying for the communist island for 16 years, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque on Friday expressed "profound respect and admiration" for the convicted spy.....(AP, 18 Oct 02)

Cuba admits ties to jailed US intelligence analyst