The U.S. Pentagon is cultivating agents disguised as entrepreneurs to prepare for economic warfare
The U.S. Pentagon is developing a plan to deploy spies for economic warfare. Under the initiative, operatives would conduct covert operations under the guise of businessmen or representatives of the private sector, with no publicly acknowledged ties to the U.S. government.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, economic espionage has become a new focal point for the Department of Defense. However, the Pentagon has not achieved significant results in intelligence gathering. The proposed initiative aims to establish a more efficient deep-cover illicit intelligence program targeting China and other U.S. strategic competitors in the realm of economic warfare. Sources familiar with the matter confirm that the plan is currently in development.
Officials say this next-generation spy operation will serve as a clandestine component of the Pentagon’s broader economic warfare strategy. American intelligence officers would operate under civilian identities—such as executives or employees of private enterprises—with no visible connection to the U.S. government. The new program, involving “unofficial undercover personnel,” is being overseen by Tom Lacquement, a CIA veteran with 39 years of experience, who currently serves as a senior advisor to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Farnbrough. Due to the classified nature of the operation, sources requested anonymity.
Lacquement, who retired from the CIA in 2021, previously served as deputy director of operations at the agency—the highest-level body responsible for directing espionage activities—starting in 2017. The new initiative has drawn participation from experts across military branches and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
According to available information, the program remains in the planning phase and has not yet entered active implementation.
It is unclear at this stage what institutional role the program will occupy within the Pentagon. Implementation could involve establishing a new, independent, and highly secretive unit, or alternatively, strengthening and expanding existing intelligence collection systems within the department.
In a speech in September, Michael Ellis, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, stated that the United States is intensifying intelligence operations targeting Chinese firms, with specific focus on companies involved in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and advanced semiconductors. While U.S. intelligence agencies have long monitored leading Chinese enterprises, Ellis’s public acknowledgment of a shift in priorities represents an uncommonly direct admission from senior leadership within the agency.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879998152071180/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author