They always make sure they catch them red-handed, whenever possible... just like John Walker was caught as he was dropping off stuff at his "dead drop".
This scenario was all right out of the 'ol spying handbook... deap drops in remote locations... pieces of tape on signs indicating a drop was planned... all classic tradecraft.
I'm sure they were attempting to try and pinpoint who his handlers were... And I can guarantee you that if they knew where the dead-drop was, they know who to eventually declare as "persona non-grata" over at the Russian embassy.
What's amazing is that this guy VOLUNTEERED to spy for the Soviets (at that time in 1985)... He has to be some really twisted personality, craving the "suspense" of such a dual life, or someone with a serious grudge against his agency.
Very tough to judge the motivations since the money didn't seem to be an issue (although he was highly paid for a Russian asset). He apparently didn't spend much of it, if any (the FBI is usually pretty thorough in doing in financial checks on their folks if they suspect they are living beyond their means. In contrast, Aldrich Ames was notorious for spending his "earnings", claiming that his wife Rosario had come into an "inheritance".
Personally, I'm not sure how long they delayed this apprehension, but I hardly would believe that Louis Freeh would left his activities go on any longer than necessary to insure they had the strongest case possible.
Regards,
Ron |
