Former CIA Officer Facing Espionage Charges for Alleged Chinese Spying Set to Enter Guilty Plea in Honolulu Court

Former CIA Officer Expected to Plead Guilty to Spying for China

HONOLULU (AP) — Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a former CIA officer and contract linguist for the FBI, is set to plead guilty to charges of spying for China for over a decade. The 71-year-old has been in custody since his arrest in August 2020, and the U.S. Justice Department has compiled a substantial amount of evidence against him.

According to court filings, Ma was caught on video providing classified information to Chinese intelligence officers in 2001, receiving $50,000 in return for his services. He also accepted thousands of dollars in cash during a sting operation and expressed his desire to see the “motherland” succeed to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Chinese intelligence officer.

The information Ma allegedly provided included details about CIA sources and assets, international operations, secure communication practices, and operational tradecraft. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but is expected to change his plea in court on Friday.

Ma, who was born in Hong Kong and became a U.S. citizen in 1975, had a top-secret security clearance during his time with the CIA. After resigning in 1989, he worked as a contract linguist for the FBI in Honolulu, where he allegedly stole classified documents and shared them with Chinese officials.

In 2021, Ma’s defense attorney claimed he was suffering from early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, but a judge later found him competent to stand trial. If convicted, Ma could face life in prison for his espionage activities.