A former CIA agent, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, has pleaded guilty to spying for China, the US Department of Justice announced on Friday. Ma, a naturalized US citizen from Hong Kong, admitted to providing a large volume of classified US national defense information to Chinese authorities in 2001, despite not being employed by the CIA for 12 years.
According to the Justice Department, Ma’s espionage activities were initiated by another former CIA agent, his blood relative, who was born in Shanghai and also became a naturalized American. The two met with representatives of the Shanghai State Security Bureau in a Hong Kong hotel, where they agreed to provide classified information to Chinese intelligence.
Ma received $50,000 in cash from Chinese intelligence officers during the meeting and agreed to continue assisting them. In 2003, he was hired by the FBI as a linguist in Hawaii, where his activities were monitored, and his contacts with China were probed.
In 2006, Ma convinced his co-conspirator to provide the identities of at least two individuals depicted in photographs provided by Chinese intelligence. Ma confessed that the information he provided would be used to injure the United States or benefit Chinese authorities.
As part of his guilty plea agreement, Ma will cooperate with US authorities and faces a 10-year prison sentence, which could be handed down on September 11. The case highlights the threat of Chinese espionage and the importance of counterintelligence efforts to protect national security.
Ma’s betrayal is a significant breach of trust, and his actions have put American lives at risk. The FBI’s investigation and the Justice Department’s prosecution demonstrate the commitment to holding accountable those who compromise national security.
