EXCLUSIVEFORSUBSCRIBERSMoney is rarely the prime motivator for foreign agents who sign on to spy for the U.S., but it helps grease the wheels, former CIA officers say.Former intelligence officers say their work can make for unorthodox expense reports at the CIA.Leila Register / NBC News; Getty ImagesJuly 5, 2026, 6:00 AM EDTRecruiting a foreigner to spy for America is a delicate art. It requires a mixture of empathy, manipulation and usually some kind of compensation — and it isn’t always an envelope stuffed with cash.Just a moment.We are getting your experience ready.
Cash, diamonds and Viagra: How the CIA recruits foreign spies
Money is rarely the prime motivator for foreign agents who sign on to spy for the U.S., but it helps grease the wheels, former CIA officers say.
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