CIA Seeking Informants in China, Iran, and North Korea
The Central Intelligence Agency is now seeking informants in China, Iran, and North Korea, as stated by a spokesperson on Oct. 2, following successful recruitment in Russia.
“Our endeavors in Russia have been fruitful, and we are keen on extending our outreach to individuals in other authoritarian regimes,” the spokesperson mentioned.
The CIA has shared instructions in Mandarin, Farsi, and Korean on various platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, LinkedIn, and the Dark Web, detailing how to securely reach out to the agency, a statement from the CIA spokesperson disclosed. The agency is adapting to heightened state repression and global surveillance.
Potential informants are advised to connect with the CIA through official channels, utilizing trusted virtual private networks (VPNs) or the TOR network, and providing names, locations, contact information not linked to their real identities, and intelligence of interest to the CIA.
“Your safety and well-being are our top priorities,” the instructions emphasized.
Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are identified as foreign adversaries by the United States and the U.S. intelligence community, classified as “hard targets” with difficult-to-penetrate governments.
The CIA has been enlisting Russian informants since 2022, disseminating Russian-language guides on social media for secure communication. In 2023 and 2024, the CIA expanded its efforts with video content.
CIA Director William Burns stated in 2023 that discontent among certain Russians regarding the conflict in Ukraine presented a rare opportunity for recruitment, and the CIA was capitalizing on it.
One video, released on the CIA’s official social media platforms, aims to resonate with Russian patriotism, exposing corruption among high-ranking officials.
“While those around you may resist the truth, we are here to listen. You have the power,” expressed a video message.
Reuters contributed to this report.