Arrest of Walter Kendall Myers

On June 4, 2009, the FBI arrested former Department of State employee Walter Kendall Myers on charges of serving as an illegal agent of the Cuban government for nearly 30 years and conspiring to provide classified U.S. information to the Cuban government.

Mr. Myers' arrest is the culmination of a three-year joint FBI/Department of State Diplomatic Security investigation. Based on general information provided by the FBI, Diplomatic Security (DS) conducted a comprehensive internal investigation that resulted in the indentification of Mr. Myers by Diplomatic Security as the probable Cuban agent, and ultimately led to his arrest Thursday.

Mr. Myers is a retired State Department employee who first worked as a lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute and later as a European analyst in the Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) from 2000 until his retirement in October 2007.

Mr. Myers' State Department service was primarily in domestic positions, Mr. Myers' spouse, Gwendolyn Myes, also was arrested on the same charges; she was never employed by the U.S. Department of State.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has directed Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security and former Director of Security for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Eric J. Boswell, to conduct a thorough review of this case and assessment of past and current Department of State security procedures and practices and provide recommendations for any appropriate or necessary improvements to ensure effective measures are in place to protect sensitive and classified information.

In addition, Secretary Clinton has directed the Department to conduct a comprehensive damage assessment in coordination with the intelligence community in accordance with established damages protocols and regulations and to share its findings with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Suitability and Security Clearance Performance Accountability Council, which is responsible for establishing uniform and consistent security clearance standards across the government - to inform, and as appropriate, strengthen the national standards by which all agencies operate.

Department of State

CI Centre - Myers Spy Case

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
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