July 2019 Intelligence News

US intelligence community 'running amok,' Trump says Press TV 31 Jul 2019 -- US President Donald Trump says the American intelligence community has "run amok," voicing hope that his pick for the spy chief would "rein in" the agencies.
Ukraine Detains Ex-Police Officer Suspected Of Spying For Russia RFE/RL 31 Jul 2019 -- Ukraine's security service (SBU) says a former police officer has been detained in the southern region of Zaporizhzhya on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Taiwan Raises Suspicion Rival China Is Influencing Elections VOA 30 Jul 2019 -- China is using media, money and more to influence the January 2020 presidential election in Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that Beijing calls its own, officials and experts on the island assert.
Senate Intel Chairman Burr Statement on Departure of Director Coats Office of Senator Burr 29 Jul 2019 -- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) released the following statement on the departure of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats:
Trump's Pick for Intelligence Chief is Longtime Loyalist VOA 29 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's choice for the next director of national intelligence is an ardent supporter of the president who was harshly critical of former special counsel Robert Mueller during his congressional hearing last week.
US spy chief to resign, Trump taps John Ratcliffe Press TV 29 Jul 2019 -- The US' National Intelligence director Dan Coats is expected to step down amid chronic differences with Donald Trump over such issues as Iran and Russia, with the president nominating a congressman, who recently defended the commander-in-chief during the highly-publicized Mueller testimony.
U.S. Intelligence Chief To Step Down After Tenure Marked By Clashes With Trump RFE/RL 29 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is replacing the director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, whose assessments of security threats from Iran and Russia were often contradicted by the president.
Texas Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Trade Secrets US Dept. of Justice 29 Jul 2019 -- Following a nine-day trial, Shan Shi, 54, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. Shi was originally indicted in June 2017 for conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, and a superseding indictment containing one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering charges issued in April 2018. Shi was acquitted on the other charges.
DNI Daniel R. Coats Resignation Letter Director of National Intelligence 28 Jul 2019 -- Attached is the letter Director of National Intelligence Daniel R. Coats submitted to President Donald J. Trump today. His resignation will be effective August 15, 2019.
US Director of National Intelligence to Step Down on August 15, Trump Says Sputnik 28 Jul 2019 -- US director of national intelligence Dan Coats, who had several disagreements with US President Donald Trump over assessments involving Russia, Iran and North Korea, is expected to step down in the coming days.
US Spy Chief Dan Coats to Resign VOA 28 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has announced his national intelligence chief, Dan Coats, is resigning after two years on the job and frequent policy clashes with the White House.
Austria Issues Arrest Warrant For Russian Man Suspected Of Spying RFE/RL 26 Jul 2019 -- Austria has issued European and international arrest warrants for a Russian man on suspicion of espionage and working for Russia's Military Intelligence (GRU).
Russia Dismisses Austria's New Spying Claims as Pure Disinformation Sputnik 26 Jul 2019 -- Moscow regrets the fact that Vienna is trying to revive the "spy mania" by putting a Russian national on a wanted list on suspicion of spying for the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) "to the detriment of the Republic of Austria", the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Senate Intel Releases Election Security Findings in First Volume of Bipartisan Russia Report Senator Burr 25 Jul 2019 -- Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) released "Russian Efforts Against Election Infrastructure," the first volume in the Committee's bipartisan investigation into Russia's attempts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. elections.
Israel claims busted 'Iran-directed' spy recruitment ring Press TV 25 Jul 2019 -- Israel claims it has dismantled an Iran-linked network that tried to recruit spies in the occupied territories, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip via social media.
Austrian Police Say Searching for Russian National Suspected of Spying for Moscow Sputnik 25 Jul 2019 -- The Austrian Interior Ministry said a Russian national on a wanted list on suspicion of spying for the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) "to the detriment of the Republic of Austria".
China probes ex-military official for discipline violations, denies espionage claims Global Times 24 Jul 2019 -- China's defense ministry said Wednesday that former military official Qian Weiping is being investigated for suspected discipline violations and duty-related crime, dismissing reports that the probe was linked to espionage allegations.
Former officer being investigated for discipline violations, not espionage People's Daily 24 Jul 2019 -- China's Ministry of National Defense denied on Wednesday that a former senior military officer, Qian Weiping, is suspected of espionage.
Jury Convicts Flynn Intel Group Founder of Conspiring to Act as an Undisclosed Agent of Turkey US Dept. of Justice 23 Jul 2019 -- After three hours of deliberations a federal jury convicted a California man today on charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government, conspiring to make false statements and willful omissions in a FARA filing, and acting as an agent of a foreign government.
Exiled Venezuelan Spy Chiefs Speak Out About Corruption, Cuban Ties VOA 23 Jul 2019 -- Two former ranking generals in Venezuela's security services, now in exile, have been speaking out about what they see as rampant corruption and pervasive Cuban influence in the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
US worried about Chinese intelligence gathering: Perry Press TV 23 Jul 2019 -- The United States is worried about Chinese intelligence-gathering activities, says US Energy Secretary Rick Perry, amid an ongoing row between Washington and Beijing over what American officials insist is a Chinese espionage campaign through telecommunications giant Huawei.
FBI Director: China Main Culprit in Intellectual Property Theft Probes VOA 23 Jul 2019 -- The FBI has more than 1,000 active investigations into attempted theft of U.S. intellectual property, with nearly all involving China, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday, underscoring a previous designation of China as the No. 1 counterintelligence threat to the United States.
Pompeo Doubts Iran's Spy Ring Claims, Seeks Coalition To Secure Strait of Hormuz RFE/RL 23 Jul 2019 -- Anything Iran says should be taken "with a grain of salt," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview to WFTV 9 on July 22 while on a work visit to Orlando, Florida.
Pompeo Doubts Iran's Spy Ring Claims, Seeks Coalition To Secure Strait of Hormuz RFE/RL 23 Jul 2019 -- Anything Iran says should be taken "with a grain of salt," U.S. Secretary of State said in an interview to WFTV 9 on July 22 while on a work visit to Orlando, Florida.
Trump Rejects Iran's Spy Ring Accusations, Says It's Getting Harder To Make Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has vehemently denied claims from Tehran that Iranian security agencies have arrested 17 suspects and sentenced some of them to death after dismantling a CIA spy ring.
Trump Slams Reports of Iran Capturing CIA Spies as 'Totally False' Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier Monday, Iranian media revealed details on a major cyber-espionage ring run by US intelligence, saying that a total of 17 CIA-trained spies had been identified, and publishing photo and video evidence of alleged US attempts to recruit Iranians to work against their government.
Iran Stokes Mideast Tensions, Announces Death Sentences for Alleged US Spies VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran appears to be further stoking tensions with the West, announcing Monday it has captured 17 U.S. spies and sentenced some of them to death, an allegation the U.S. president denied.
Iran intelligence says identified 17 CIA spies IRNA 22 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Intelligence Ministry official said on Monday that 17 spies affiliated with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been identified.
Iran arrests 17 CIA spies ISNA 22 Jul 2019 -- 17 CIA-trained spies have been identified and arrested in Iran, Director General of anti-spy department of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence announced on Monday.
Iran dismantles CIA "spying network," sentences some to death People's Daily 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry on Monday announced that it has dismantled a spying network inside the country serving the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States.
Mole hunt: Story of busting CIA's 'house of cards' Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- The recent identification and destruction by Iran's Intelligence Ministry of an integrated network of operatives serving the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) inside the country has proven that despite the inflated image that the West, especially the Hollywood, want to project of the CIA, Iran's intelligence operatives have always had the upper hand in covert and overt confrontations with their American counterparts and inflicted humiliating defeats on them.
Iran dismantles CIA spy network: Ministry Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry says it has identified and destroyed an integrated network of operatives serving the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) inside the country.
Iran Arrests 17 Suspects In Alleged CIA Spy Ring RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Iranian authorities say they have arrested 17 suspects and sentenced some of them to death after breaking up a CIA spy ring.
Iranian Media Releases Photos of Alleged CIA Officers as 17 Spies Identified Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, Iranian authorities announced that a "large US cyber-espionage" network run by the CIA had been busted in the country, with several spies being arrested.
The United States Sanctions Maduro-aligned Officials of Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence Agency Priority US Dept. of State 19 Jul 2019 -- On July 19, the United States sanctioned four officials of the Maduro-aligned General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, known as DGCIM, pursuant to E.O. 13692, as amended, for being current or former Maduro-aligned officials.
Treasury Sanctions Officials of Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence Agency US Treasury 19 Jul 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four officials of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM). The DGCIM, including these officials, has been accused of systemic human rights abuses and repressing dissent and was sanctioned on July 11, 2019 pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13850, as amended. This action follows the arrest, physical abuse, and death of Venezuelan Navy Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo.
Former Government Contractor Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Willful Retention of National Defense Information US Dept. of Justice 19 Jul 2019 -- Law Enforcement Recovered Classified Material, Stolen Over Two Decades, From the Defendant's Home and Car
Pakistan Grants Consular Access To Alleged Indian Spy After ICJ Ruling RFE/RL 19 Jul 2019 -- Pakistan says it has granted consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer sentenced to death for spying, following a decision this week by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
UN Court Orders Review Of Pakistan Death Sentence For Indian Accused Of Spying RFE/RL 17 Jul 2019 -- The United Nations' top court has ordered Pakistan to review the death penalty given to a retired Indian naval officer who was convicted of being a spy.
International Court of Justice orders Pakistan to review death penalty for Indian accused of spying UN News 17 Jul 2019 -- In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to review a death sentence handed down in the case of a former Indian Navy officer accused by Pakistan of spying, finding that the country's authorities acted in breach of the Vienna Convention, which lays out rules for diplomatic relations between countries.
International Court of Justice Orders Pakistan to Review Indian Officer's Death Sentence VOA 17 Jul 2019 -- The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ordered Pakistan to review a death sentence it handed down to an Indian national convicted of spying.
Russian Scientist, 77, Under House Arrest On Treason Charges RFE/RL 15 Jul 2019 -- Authorities in Russia have arrested a 77-year-old researcher at a Russian rocket- and spacecraft-design institute on treason charges.
Priority Concerns as Norwegian Intelligence Reportedly Shares Data With US Ahead of Own Authorities Sputnik 15 Jul 2019 -- The Norwegian Intelligence Service was allegedly the first to learn of the disaster involving the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, yet chose to share the highly sensitive data with the US first.
Thirty People Condemned to Death for Espionage by Houthi Court Sputnik 12 Jul 2019 -- Thirty accused spies have been sentenced to death in a Houthi-run court in Yemen, a source in the judicial system told AFP Tuesday. They are accused of espionage on behalf of the Saudi-led coalition that invaded the country in 2015.
Trump Seeking to Remove Coats as Director of National Intelligence - Reports Sputnik 12 Jul 2019 -- US President Donald Trump is seeking to remove Daniel Coats from his post as Director of National Intelligence, media reported on Friday.
China's Huawei Reaffirms Willingness to Sign 'No-Spy' Agreements With Any Country Sputnik 12 Jul 2019 -- The chairman of the Board of Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei, Liang Hua, reaffirmed on Friday the company's readiness to conclude "no-spy, no-backdoor" agreement with countries to guarantee that the company's equipment will not be used for any espionage activities as some fear.
The United States Takes Action Against Venezuela's Counterintelligence Agency US Dept. of State 11 Jul 2019 -- On July 11, the United States sanctioned the Maduro-aligned General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, known as DGCIM, for operating in Venezuela's defense and security sector, pursuant to E.O. 13850, as amended.
Treasury Sanctions Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence Agency Following the Death of a Venezuelan Navy Captain US Treasury 11 Jul 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Government of Venezuela's General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, or La Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar, most commonly known as the DGCIM. This action, taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13850, as amended, targets the DGCIM for operating in Venezuela's defense and security sector.
US Imposes Sanctions against Venezuelan Counterintelligence Agency VOA 11 Jul 2019 -- The United States Department of Treasury announced sanctions against Venezuela's counterintelligence agency Thursday, in reaction to the death of a Venezuelan captain in the organization's custody.
US Slaps Sanctions on Venezuela's General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence Sputnik 11 Jul 2019 -- The United States imposed several rounds of sanctions against Venezuela after the country's opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally declared himself interim president in late January.
Ex-US State Department Employee Sentenced for Conspiring With Chinese Agents Sputnik 10 Jul 2019 -- A former US State Department employee has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for allegedly conspiring with Chinese intelligence agents, the Justice Department said in a press release.
Former State Department Employee Sentenced for Conspiring with Chinese Agents US Dept. of Justice 09 Jul 2019 -- Candace Marie Claiborne, a former employee of the U.S. Department of State, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $40,000 for conspiracy to defraud the United States, by lying to law enforcement and background investigators, and hiding her extensive contacts with, and gifts from, agents of the People's Republic of China, in exchange for providing them with internal documents from the U.S. State Department.
Deadly Arctic Submarine Blaze Casts Light on Russia's Underwater Intel Service VOA 08 Jul 2019 -- The blaze on board a nuclear-powered Russian deep-diving submersible that killed 14 elite crewmen last week has cast some light on Russia's top secret underwater intelligence service as well as its growing focus on the resource-rich polar region.
UK Intelligence Pushes for "Ghost Protocol" to Give State Spies Access to Private Chats - Reports Sputnik 07 Jul 2019 -- UK spy agency MI5 and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) intelligence gathering unit earlier admitted in court that they act illegally in their use of bulk data.
Polish Court Convicts Former Government Worker Of Spying For Russia RFE/RL 06 Jul 2019 -- A Polish court has convicted a former government employee of passing classified energy information to Russian military intelligence.
Russian Security Agency Detains Aide To Presidential Envoy On Treason Charges RFE/RL 05 Jul 2019 -- Russia's main security agency detained an aide to a Kremlin-appointed envoy on treason charges, in what appeared to the first such case targeting a government official since the Soviet collapse.
UN expert urges ban on spy tech sales to Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi's murder Press TV 03 Jul 2019 -- A UN expert, who recently concluded a probe into the state-sponsored assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, has called for sanctions on surveillance technology sales to Riyadh, amid reports that the regime has been using such spyware to keep track of the dissidents living abroad.
Electrical Engineer Convicted of Conspiring to Illegally Export to China Semiconductor Chips with Missile Guidance Applications US Dept. of Justice 02 Jul 2019 -- An electrical engineer has been found guilty of multiple federal criminal charges, including engaging in a scheme to illegally obtain integrated circuits with military applications that later were exported to China without the required export license. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California and Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
Russian Man Detained On Treason Charge RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- A court in Moscow has sent a man to pretrial detention on the charge of high treason.
341st Military Intelligence takes part in Panther Strike '19 Army News 01 Jul 2019 -- For eight years, Panther Strike has set the standard for military intelligence training for the U.S. Army. The multi-national, multi-echelon military intelligence training exercise challenges soldiers on the skills associated with counterintelligence, human intelligence, geospatial, all-source and signal intelligence.
Bellingcat: Top GRU Officer Coordinated Skripal Attack From London RFE/RL 01 Jul 2019 -- The Bellingcat investigative organization says it has obtained evidence suggesting that a senior Russian military intelligence officer worked from a hotel in central London to coordinate the March 2018 nerve agent attack against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

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