FBI's spy hunting squads hit with deep cuts even as foreign espionage threats soar
The FBI is experiencing significant staffing shortages in its counterintelligence squads as resources are diverted to address violent crime and immigration. Experts warn that this shift leaves the U.S. vulnerable to espionage from adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.
Why it matters
The reduction in counterintelligence capabilities during a period of heightened geopolitical tension poses a direct risk to national security and the protection of sensitive research.
FBI counterintelligence squads—specialized units dedicated to tracking and ferreting out foreign spies—have been hit with deep cuts across the country, even as the U.S. faces a growing array of adversaries intent on stealing the nation's secrets, according to five people familiar with the matter.
The staffing shortages are so significant that in many of the FBI's 56 field offices, counterintelligence squads only have 50% to 60% of positions filled. In multiple field offices, the number of squads doing such work has been reduced by half.
The cuts come as the U.S. is mired in a war with Iran, and as China—a geopolitical strategic rival—wages what American officials say is a relentless campaign to steal U.S. government secrets as well as cutting-edge research and technology. Russia also remains a formidable adversary with highly capable and aggressive intelligence services.
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