FBI spent nearly decade pursuing spy suspects in bid to gain counterintelligence

Washginton Post ^ | 07/03/2010 | Walter Pincus

[OldDeckHand]

The Russian spy case that exploded into public view this week was preceded by nearly a decade of cat-and-mouse activities with the FBI, according to court documents and an interview with a senior U.S. official familiar with the case.

[OldDeckHand]

They've known about them for close to 10-years, and had listening devices installed in several of their homes for over 4 years, as well as the ability to intercept and decode their messages.

It will be interesting to learn what initially tipped off the FBI to their presence in the country, as well as what precipitated their arrest last week.

[Cacique]

What precipitated their arrests was politics and timing. This administration is wholly and totally political and has only one goal in mind. The consolidation of power and they use smokescreens to focus our attention elsewhere while they dismantle the constitution and shave away what few freedoms we have left to ourselves.

[Liz]

This couple is very strange. He is of Russian descent but was born in Peru? He now says his latino wife didn’t know anything about the spy ring but just did what he told her. Wasn’t she even curious when he told her to pick up $80,000 from a Russian at a park somewhere in Latin America. She must know something.

CAUTION: To even pretend to believe anything out of their mouths is foolhardy.

====================================

Former CUNY professor admits to being a spy for Russia (wed to El Diario columnist)
7/1/10, NY POST, By BRUCE GOLDING and DAN MANGAN With AP

A former CUNY professor---born in Peru---accused of spying for Russia used a fake name and was married to an El Diario columnist. Juan Lazaro saus he's Russian and told federal authorities after his arrest that "he would not violate his loyalty to the" Russian secret "service even for his son." The ex-prof lived in Yonkers under the fake name "Juan Lazaro."

Lazaro told told investigators that his wife, El Diario columnist Vicky Pelaez, who has US citizenship, had delivered letters to their spymasters on his behalf, and that their Yonkers home "had been paid for by the 'Service.'" Vicky Pelaez is being held without bond along with "Lazaro" -- who is refusing to provide his real name -- on charges that they acted as agents for Russia.

The filing indicated that federal authorities were monitoring their home conversations by "microphones" "for years." Judge Ronald Ellis said Pelaez who has US citizenship, could be released on house arrest with a monitoring device if someone paid the $250,000 bond ($10,000 cash needed).--SNIP--

Russian spies Juan Lazaro and his wife Vicky Pelaez, El Diario columnist.

[Liz]

I'm startimg to think the "spy" stuff was a cover for other crimes.

REFERENCE----EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE TRI-STATE JOINT SOVIET-EMIGRE ORGANIZED CRIME PROJECT. RUSSIAN-EMIGRE CRIME IN THE TRI-STATE AREA

Gangsters from the former Soviet Union have established a strong and abiding presence in the New York/New Jersey/Pennsylvania region, engaging in a wide array of crimes that range from sophisticated financial frauds to narcotics trafficking to murder.

Evidence also shows that members of disparate Russian-emigre crime groups here have the potential to develop into one of the most formidable organized crime challenges to law enforcement since the advent of La Cosa Nostra.

These are among the key findings of the Tri-State JointSoviet-Emigre Organized Crime Project, a cooperative research andinvestigative effort launched four years ago by four agencies in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania - the New York Organized Crime Task Force, the New York State Commission of Investigation,the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.

Investigative agents and staff from these agencies conducted the project in conjunction with criminal justice experts from Rutgers University. The Project's report presents the first comprehensive publicassessment of the threat posed to this region by criminal elements emanating from within the former Soviet Union.

The report catalogues the history and growth of Russian-emigre crime networks, from their core base in the Brighton Beachsection of Brooklyn to their current reach well beyond the New York metropolitan area into the counties of central New Jersey and the suburbs of Philadelphia.

One of the most troubling aspects is evidence of links between individuals here and criminal elements in the former Soviet Union, a phenomenon that lends a disturbing and complex international dimension to this emerging domestic law enforcement problem.The range of criminal and illicit activities linked to these groups is impressive.

The Project report details Russian-emigre involvement in a variety of highly sophisticated frauds and confidence schemes, financial crimes, including money laundering, counterfeiting and securities fraud, narcotics trafficking and an assortment of vice crimes.Russian-emigre criminals are no strangers to violence either.

THE NATURE OF RUSSIAN-EMIGRE CRIME

Crimes of Deception

Motor Fuel Tax Fraud

Insurance and Entitlement Fraud

Confidence Schemes

Counterfeiting

Violent Crimes

Homicide/Attempted Homicide

Extortion and Kidnapping

Drug Trafficking

Money Laundering

Vice Crimes (Regpay, a Florida credit card processing company operated by Byelorussians, was nailed for processing online child porn payments; Minx, Belarus, once a constituent republic of the Soviet Union (independent since 1991) is the country of origin of many of these predators now thieving on US soil.

--SNIP--PDF LONG READ http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Ahm0dOHcKHEJ:www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/russian.pdf

[reasonisfaith]

True.

Given the pro-marxist behavior of leftist bureaucrats and high ranking government officials driven only by personal gain, I see no reason why we should expect any government agency in this day and age to give a hoot about Russia or their spies.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Keystone Cops alert!

[Siena Dreaming]

You might be right that it's political; but I'm not sure the politics play how you view them.

I'm wondering if there are elements in the FBI who didn't want Obama's US-Russia disarmament agreements agreements to go through Congress. I read last week that this news likely brings those agreements to a standstill.

[The Comedian]

What precipitated their arrests was politics and timing.

There's only room for one anti-American communist crime syndicate in America now: The Crypto-Homo Islamic Chicago-Kenyan Executive magic Negro (CHICKEN).

No more Soviets need apply. We've got a White House, Senate, Congress, and Supreme Court full of 'em, thanks.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[OldDeckHand]

"What precipitated their arrests was politics and timing"

I'm not sure how the politics or timing benefit Barack Obama, in this instance. When you're trying to get a new Russia/US arms treaty through Congress, I'm not reminding the American public that the Russians are our enemy, and they are actively engaged in espionage in our country, furthers that goal.

Moreover, it's clear that this spy ring was compromised years ago, during the tenure of the previous president. It's tough to paint the previous administration as disinterested and feckless when they are the ones who clearly deserve credit for this lengthy counter-intelligence operation.

On balance, this story does much more to undermine Obama, than it does to help him.

[OldDeckHand]

That should have read...

...When you're trying to get a new Russia/US arms treaty through Congress, I'm not sure reminding the American public that the Russians are our enemy...

[SECURE AMERICA]

FBI and Counter Intelligence. Two terms meant to go together! Great. Probally at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to learn what a computer nerd could learn surfing the net!

[OldDeckHand]

"FBI and Counter Intelligence. Two terms meant to go together! Great. Probally at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to learn what a computer nerd could learn surfing the net!"

Golly, I'm not sure if I have ever read a more ridiculous and plainly idiotic statement.

A computer nerd is going to plant listening devices, search homes, initiate close proximity surveillance, run wire-taps, and crack Russian government crypto-software, just by surfing the internet. Please God, tell me you cut grass or something, and aren't involved in law enforcement in any way.

When did self-described conservatives become so incredibly anti-intellectual. Anyone who took the time to actually read the entire story before posting gibberish, might have learned that this was a well-run and lengthy FBI/CIA counter-intelligence operation that compromised Russian intelligence in a profound way. For a guy who picked "secure America" as a moniker, you really haven't a clue.

[Skepolitic]

It will be interesting to learn ... what precipitated their arrest last week.

Putin and the Russian FSB are now convinced that they have a pliable socialist in the White House and that pliable socialists run Congress. Why have a covert program to influence American policy when you can do so directly?

[MediaMole]

The “nearly a decade” is as interesting as why they were arrested when they were.

The investigation would have started around the time GW Bush was sworn in. Was there evidence of this ring operating during the Clinton administration that was ignored? Had FBI counter-intelligence been prevented from acting?

Back to today... Was the DOJ or State trying to get the FBI operation shut down? Did someone in the administration do something that led the FBI to fear the investigation was compromised?

No one on the outside will notice if a covert operation is shut down, but once there are charges, it’s much more difficult for politicians to make the whole thing go away. Arrests and prosecutions are the one way to make the operation public without leaking damaging info.

[Thunder90]

I personally believe that the Justice Dept was about to quash this investigation (can’t piss off zerobama or the Russkies). Thus, the agents went in for the kill now and embarrassed their bosses.

[Melchior]

The crucial word in your screed was “lengthy.” The FBI is known for its lengthy and costly investigations that are finally called off for some political reason. Then, when the miscreants are faced with a trial, they are allowed to cop a favorable plea — and the FBI goes on doing what it dows so well. So you think I’m crazy? How long did the FBI investigate the plethora of Islamist organizations that provided funds to Hamas. Answer: The FBI had taps on Islamist meeting in Chicago in 1988, and let the bums ride for seven years. Finally, when brought to trial nearly two decades later, the result was a joke. You can look it up.

[OldDeckHand]

"The crucial word in your screed was “lengthy."

Oh boy. Another genius who thinks they understand best how to operate an effective counter-intelligence operation. Here's a clue, when the enemy is operating under compromised opsec, and you have the opportunity to surveille them, to decode their communications, to watch them attempting to run recruitment as well as establish who their handlers are and where their safe-houses are located, you don't stop them until you have to.

As for your "Islamist" meeting, you'll excuse me if I don't "look it up". We aren't talking about cave-dwelling backwater hicks here, we're talking about the internal workings of the foreign intelligence division of our largest nuclear-armed enemy. When your adversaries are making mistakes, you don't stop them.

[Melchior]

As someone who has had years of experience working with intelligence officials and writing on terrorism, I find amateurs like yourself quite amusing. As an obvious FBI apologist, I have one caustion: Please don’t read Bill Gertz’s “Braakdown.” If you do, you will have one.

[OldDeckHand]

"As someone who has had years of experience working with intelligence officials and writing on terrorism, I find amateurs like yourself quite amusing."

There's the old saying, those can't, teach, those who can't teach, write.

While you were allegedly writing about "terrorism", I was actually working as a military prosecutor, and have been involved in the prosecution of several sailors charged with violating Art. 106a. I'm not sure what you've read or written to make you think you're a "professional", but your comments here don't lend yourself much credibility. Just sayin'.

The FBI watched a cell of foreign intelligence operatives for close to 10-years without detection and that is nothing short of AMAZING. The fact that you don't understand that very elementary principle tells me all I need to know about your "expertise".

[Melchior]

You, a military prosecutor? Gosh, that’s impressive. Who am I conversing with, Lindsay Graham? Someone get me a flyswatter.