Number of Russian spies in U.S. ‘way too big,’ FBI director says

While it may seem like a relic of the past, Russian spies are still very much a presence in the U.S., the FBI's director warned Thursday.

While it may seem like a relic of the past, Russian spies are still very much a presence in the U.S., the FBI’s director warned Thursday.

“The Russian traditional counter-intelligence threat continues to loom large,” Christopher Wray said during a talk at Washington’s Spy Museum.

“The Russian intelligence footprint, and by that I mean intelligence officers, is still way too big in the United States.”

Wray said that the U.S. has made strides over the last few years in kicking out Russian spies, but the country still has a “disproportionately large intelligence footprint” in the U.S.

“It’s something we’re constantly bumping up against and trying to block and prevent and disrupt in every way we can,” he said.

Wray said that Russia also uses “cut-outs,” such as a Mexican citizen who was in the U.S. and was enlisted to spy for them.

The U.S. is not the only country Russia may have networks within. On Friday, Cuban authorities arrested 17 people that they say comprised a network to recruit Cubans to fight in Ukraine.