Ex-CIA officer held over secret files

A ragged CIA officer has been arrested within the US on prices of unlawful retention of labeled recordsdata.

Jerry Chun Shing Lee, a naturalised US citizen, used to be held at Unusual York’s JFK airport on Monday, the US justice department acknowledged.

He worked for the CIA between 1994 and 2007, when he left for Hong Kong.

The case is regarded as linked to an FBI investigation, which started in 2012, into the crippling of the CIA’s gaze operation in China.

In the two years earlier than, some 20 informants had been killed or jailed – one in every of the most disastrous failures of US intelligence in latest years.

But officials did now not know whether to blame a mole or recordsdata hack.

US media, quoting sources shut to the inquiry, say investigators now suspect Mr Lee of serving to China.

• China crippled CIA by killing US sources, says Unusual York Times

Who is Jerry Chun Shing Lee?

Mr Lee, often identified as Zhen Cheng Li, served within the US Military from 1982-86, say court docket paperwork.

He started his CIA occupation in 1994 as a case officer trained in covert communications, surveillance detection, recruitment, and the facing and rate of sources (brokers or informants), among varied tasks. He used to be given high secret clearance and signed a total lot of non-disclosure agreements.

When Mr Lee left the CIA in 2007, « these that knew him acknowledged he left the agency disgruntled after his occupation plateaued », reported the Unusual York Times.

Mr Lee remained in Hong Kong and most efficient returned to The US in 2012 to are living in northern Virginia, the court docket paperwork say – in step with one portray lured by a fraudulent job provide.

What took situation within the path of that discuss with?

The FBI’s investigation into why the US used to be shedding so many informants in China used to be by this level in stout swing.

FBI brokers searched his hotel rooms in Hawaii and Virginia and learned two puny books with secret recordsdata, the US justice department says.

They contained handwritten notes on particulars equivalent to « like minded names and stammer to numbers of sources and covert CIA workers ».

Mr Lee left the US in 2013 after being wondered on five instances by FBI brokers. He by no formulation talked about his possession of the books containing labeled recordsdata, say the court docket paperwork.

He has most efficient now been detained whereas on any other discuss with. It be unclear whether he knew he used to be peaceful below suspicion.

What has he been charged with?

The justice department says that Mr Lee, fifty three, has been charged « with unlawful retention of nationwide defence recordsdata and faces a most penalty of 10 years in jail, if convicted ».

He has now not been charged with espionage, which is able to lift the demise penalty – with some experiences suggesting the US might per chance per chance also now not have to train secret recordsdata in court docket or that the FBI has struggled to struggled to accumulate the quality of proof required to assemble a case for this kind of price.

The court docket paperwork assemble no mention of any covert hyperlink between Mr Lee and the Chinese stutter, but sources shut to the investigation say here’s the suspicion.

Mr Lee looked in Brooklyn federal court docket on Tuesday after being arrested at JFK. He’s being held there whereas looking at for transfer to Virginia, where a federal court docket has brought the costs against him.

Is that this case peculiar?

If Washington’s reported suspicions are gorgeous, this case has had huge repercussions. Some 18-20 informants might per chance per chance also had been killed as a part of China’s attempts to dismantle the US intelligence operation on its soil.

Nevertheless it be most efficient the most contemporary chapter in a protracted saga of espionage and counter-espionage between the US and China – one, say analysts, that must peaceful now not be eclipsed by the level of curiosity on Russian covert activities.

Tech giants had been banned from every worldwide locations amid concerns about industrial espionage.

In additional latest years, concerns about cyber hacking occupy practically the fore. In Might per chance presumably 2014, five Chinese military officers had been charged with hacking into US corporations in a expose for competitive earnings. Real every week later, China accused the US of the employ of the catch to gaze on its leaders and main institutions.

Earlier that twelve months, ragged CIA contractor Edward Snowden claimed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) used to be hacking 1000’s of Chinese computer networks.

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