Walter Ken Myers And Wife Gwendolyn Arrested By FBI For Allegedly Spying For Cuba

A (some sources say “former”) state department employee and his wife were arrested by FBI last night on suspicion that they were spying for Cuba on behalf of Castro’s government. Walter Ken Myers, 72, and Gwendolyn Myers, 71,  were arrested Thursday night.

The Justice Department alleges they have been spying for the communist nation for a period of thirty years. The couple were charged with acting as illegal agents, conspiracy to act as illegal agents, sharing classified information with Cuba’s government and wire fraud. Fun facts for the criminally minded: Wire fraud carries a maximum  20 years in prison, whereas serving as serving as an illegal agent of a foreign government can get you put away for 10 years, tops.  And conspiracy? A scant 5 years in prison.

In the official statement from the Justice Department, Mr. Myers is known as “Agent 202,” and his wife as “Agent 123,” and “Agent E-634.” 

In April 2009, the FBI launched an undercover operation in which they convinced the Myers that one of their agents was a Cuban intelligence officer. Mr. Myers met with the agent in Washington D.C, where the undercover official handed him a (Cuban?) cigar and wished mim a happy birthday. Sassy!

Mr. Myers agreed to meet up with the agent later that day at a hotel, and that he would bring his wife. The couple agreed to provide information on U.S. personnel working with Latin America and were open with their past activities related to spying, such as receiving coded messages via shortwave radio. The Myers also agreed to provide information about the 2009 Summit of the Americas.

Turn them into delicious picadillo! Or, worse, send them to live in Cuba.

State Dept. employee arrested by FBI [Washington Times]