FBI Hopes To See Indicted Russian Intelligence Officers Imprisoned In US - Director

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been more aggressive in calling out the actions of Russia's GRU and hopes to see indicted foreign intelligence officers imprisoned, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been more aggressive in calling out the actions of Russia's GRU and hopes to see indicted foreign intelligence officers imprisoned, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Friday.

"Some people sometimes question whether it makes sense to charge and indict foreign intelligence officers," Wray said in remarks at the Council of Foreign Relations in Washington. "I actually happen to believe that it makes sense because sometimes in foreign intelligence arena when you get into questions of attribution, I am tempted to say nothing says attribution more than an indictment."

The United States in October filed charges against seven alleged Russian military intelligence officers for taking part in what it says was a conspiracy to hack US, Canadian and international organizations, according to the Justice Department.

Wray said foreign intelligence officers' ability to operate and travel becomes restricted once they are indicted.

"The FBI has a long memory and a broad reach, and I would not be surprised if we see some of these people in orange jumpsuits one day," he said, in a reference to the orange uniforms of prison inmates.

The FBI is so confident that is right in the cases of indicted foreign military officers that is willing to risk having them come to the United States to face a trial by jury, Wray said.

He added that the FBI has taken a number of steps to be more aggressive in calling out GRU actors for what he said were the more brazen actions around the world.

"For example, we charged a number of GRU officers for their role in an extensive hacking campaign to undermine in an international anti-doping arena," Wray said.

The seven Russian military officers under indictment allegedly targeted a nuclear power company in the US state of Pennsylvania, multiple anti-doping agencies and athletes, according to the Justice Department. The company, Westinghouse, based in Pittsburgh, supplied nuclear fuel to Ukraine, Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania Scott Brady said in October.

The Justice Department said at least 250 athletes from 30 different countries were also targeted, as well as multiple anti-doping agencies in the United States, Canada and internationally and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).