Alleged Cuban Spies Fall for a Cigar

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The Myers spy case is all over the papers now. It seems so cold-warish now but the Cubans seem caught in that forever time warp. This is not the first time they have a husband and wife team for spies. There was the case of Carlos and Elsa Alvarez who were arrested in 6 January 2006. There was the case of George and Marisol Gari, indicted in August 2001 on charges of spying for the Cuban government as part of the "Wasp Network.” If the allegations against the Myers are true, that's thirty years of double life!

USA v. Walter Kendall Myers a/k/a Agent 202 and Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers a/k/a Agent 123 and Agent E-634 alleges the following violations: Conspiracy, Agent of Foreign Government, Wire Fraud, Forfeiture and Aiding and Abetting and Causing an Act to be Done.

Part of the indictment papers filed includes a portion where the Myers stated their admiration for Ana Montes.

Kendall Myers stated “I have great admiration for [Cuban spy] Ana Montes. She’s a hero …But she took too many chances in my opinion…She wasn’t paranoid enough.

Kendall Myers said that “the funny thing, of course, some of the stuff I supplied, [Ana Montes] supplied. There was duplication…Because I read the stuff that she gave. Gwendolyn Myers continued “which is terrific what they got was verified…from two different places.

Referring to Ana Montes, Gwendolyn Myers stated, “She was not paranoid enough…But she loved it…she did what she loved to do. Kendall Myers continued, saying “we have a great admiration” for Ana Montes.

Ana Montes was the Defense Intelligence Agency's senior Cuba intelligence analyst who was sentenced on October 16, 2002 for spying for Cuba (see CI Centre coverage of sentencing). Montes was sentence of 25 years in prison with no possibility of parole, followed by five years of supervised release.

It seems odd that faulting Montes for lack of paranoia, Mr. and Mrs. Myers then fell for a cigar from a stranger. Item #40 of the criminal complaint states that an undercover source (UCS) for the FBI approached Kendall Myers in front of the SAIS school, mentioned a CuIS Intelligence officer, offered him a cigar and congratulated him on his birthday. It went down for the couple from there on. Should be an interesting hearing when this unfolds in court, unless its closed to the public for national security.

Related Items:

• DOJ Press Release, 5 June 2009: Former State Department Official Walter Kendall Myers and Wife Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers Arrested for Serving As Illegal Agents of Cuba for Nearly 30 Years
• Statement, US Department of State, 5 June 2009: Arrest of Walter Kendall Myers
• Criminal Complaint, 4 June 2009: US vs. Walter Kendall Myers
• Indictment, 4 June 2009: US vs Walter Kendall Myers and Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers
• Extensive collection of court papers from cryptome