NEWS ADVISORY

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican

CONTACT:  Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, March 26, 2007

                     Lee Cohen, (202) 226-1139

Alex Cruz, (Ros-Lehtinen’s office) (202) 225-8200

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen to Hold Wednesday Press Conference with U.S. Counterintelligence Investigator

on Cuban Spy and Former DIA Analyst Ana Belen Montes

Ros-Lehtinen Also Schedules Thursday Classified Briefing to Learn Extent of Damage

(WASHINGTON) - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has scheduled a press conference on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 10 a.m. in Room H-139, The Capitol with Scott Carmichael, senior counterintelligence investigator for the Defense Intelligence Agency and author of the book “True Believer.” The book details the investigation and capture of Cuban spy Ana Belen Montes, former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) senior analyst.

By virtue of her position at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Ms. Montes had access to the most sensitive information about U.S. intelligence-gathering and operations relating not just to Cuba, but to the Western Hemisphere.  The timing of her arrest following the 9/11 attacks coincided with concerns that she would compromise U.S. operations in response to the terrorist attacks. U.S. officials feared that she would share highly classified information with the Castro regime which, in turn, would release it to other state-sponsors of terrorism. Montes, was convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage in 2002 and is currently serving a 25-year prison term.

Her espionage activities may have been connected to the death of Army Sgt. Gregory A. Fronius and put at risk the lives of intelligence personnel operating in Cuba whom she had identified to the Castro regime.  Upon her arrest, these agents had to be pulled from their assignments.

WHO:               -Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

-Other invited Members

-Scott Carmichael, senior counterintelligence investigator for the Defense Intelligence

 Agency and author of “True Believer” on the investigation and capture of Cuban spy Ana  

Belen Montes.

WHEN:           Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 10 AM

WHERE:         Room H-139, The Capitol, Washington, DC

On Thursday, Ros-Lehtinen has scheduled a classified briefing for interested House Members with officials from the Office of the Director for National Intelligence to learn the extent of the damage Montes caused to our intelligence networks and our operations in Latin America and other regions.

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