Former US military intelligence analyst Ana Belén Montes, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for spying for Cuba in 2002, has been released from prison, according to the Associated Press. The agency noted Montes was 65 at the time of her release.
Prosecutors allege Montes revealed the identities of four undercover US agents to Cuban authorities and supplied Cuba with highly sensitive information about US surveillance of Cuban weapons programs. Based on those charges, she faced the death penalty before a plea deal was reached.
In 2002 Montes agreed to a deal with the investigation, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to spy, and received a 25-year prison sentence. Investigators believe Montes was recruited by Cuban intelligence during her early career in the Freedom of Information Division at the US Department of Justice from 1979 to 1985. Afterward, she was proposed for a position granting access to more valuable information for Cuba.
From 1985 onward, Montes served with the Defense Intelligence Agency and is regarded as a key analyst on Cuban military activities.
Reports indicate that Russian leadership, including Vladimir Putin, emphasized the need for counterintelligence to crack down on foreign spy networks and to aggressively identify traitors and spies.