The mole hunt team.
Jeanne Ruth Vertefeuille (December 23, 1932 – December 29, 2012) was a distinguished CIA officer known for her pivotal role in uncovering the actions of Aldrich Ames, one of the most damaging moles in CIA history. Her career spanned nearly six decades, during which she made significant contributions to counterintelligence and blazed a trail for women in the Directorate of Operations.
Early Life and Career
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Jeanne Vertefeuille earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Connecticut in 1954, where she also learned German and French. She joined the CIA as a typist in 1954, at a time when professional opportunities for women in the Agency were limited. However, her dedication and expertise soon led to assignments at various posts overseas, including Ethiopia, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Vertefeuille’s career took a significant turn when she developed an interest in counterintelligence. In 1976, she authored The GRU Today, a study on the operations of the Soviet Union’s foreign military intelligence organization. Her expertise in Soviet affairs and counterintelligence grew, and she became a key figure in the CIA’s efforts to combat espionage.
The Ames Investigation
In the spring of 1985, the CIA faced a crisis as an alarming number of Agency assets run against the Soviet Union disappeared in rapid succession. Vertefeuille was called upon to lead a five-person investigative team to determine the cause of these losses. Despite initial skepticism from some colleagues who believed the cause might be external interception of CIA communications, Vertefeuille and her team persisted in their investigation.
The breakthrough came in August 1992 when Vertefeuille’s colleague, Sandy Grimes, discovered that Aldrich Ames, a CIA officer working in the Soviet Division, had made large bank-account deposits after every meeting with a particular Soviet official. This discovery led to the realization that Ames had been spying for the USSR since 1985, compromising numerous Soviet assets, some of whom were executed.
The FBI took over the investigation and used surveillance to build the case against Ames. He was arrested on February 21, 1994, with further incriminating evidence discovered in his house and on his home computer. Ames pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence in federal prison.
Legacy and Impact
Jeanne Vertefeuille’s dedication to her work and her role in uncovering Ames’s treachery left an indelible mark on the CIA. She had reached the mandatory retirement age in 1992 but immediately returned as a contractor to see the investigation through to its completion. Vertefeuille continued to work for the CIA until just before her death in 2012.
Throughout her career, Vertefeuille was known for her intense personal privacy and solitary nature. She passed away from brain cancer at the age of 80. Her legacy lives on as a trailblazer for women in intelligence and a symbol of unwavering dedication to national security.
In popular culture, Vertefeuille’s story has been dramatized in the TV movie Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within and the ABC miniseries The Assets, based on the book Circle of Treason.
Resource
Central Intelligence Agency
CIA.gov