Lankford, Cornyn, Rounds Introduce SPIES Act to Deter Foreign Espionage

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the Strengthening Prosecution Integrity for Espionage Statutes (SPIES) Act, which would help hold foreign spies who commit espionage crimes against the United States accountable by removing the statute of limitations for certain offenses such as gathering or delivering classified information to aid foreign governments:

“Foreign spies who target our national security should be held accountable, no matter how long ago the espionage happened. Oklahomans want to know bad actors will face consequences. The SPIES Act ensures every foreign spy knows America will never stop pursuing them,” said Lankford.

“Espionage is a serious crime, and foreign agents stealing sensitive information can cause immense harm to the United States and our interests,” Cornyn. “This legislation would crack down on espionage-related crimes by eliminating certain statutes of limitations, which would help ensure that perpetrators can be brought to justice no matter how much time has passed.”

“Foreign spies who infiltrate our nation to feed information to foreign governments and inflict harm on the United States should not have the benefit of an expiration date on their crimes,” said Rounds. “Our legislation would repeal the statute of limitations for certain foreign intelligence acts against the United States. This makes it easier to hold these spies accountable and deters future offenders.”  

Background

Former US Ambassador Manuel Rocha, a spy of the criminal Cuban regime, pled guilty in 2024 to the crime of anti-American espionage. The magnitude of Rocha’s criminal behavior extended to a range of crimes, but his offenses have restrictive statutes of limitations, meaning prosecutors must charge the offender within a certain timeframe. The Strengthening Prosecution Integrity for Espionage Statutes (SPIES) Act would repeal the statute of limitations for certain sections of the United States Code to ensure crimes like Rocha’s, which often go undiscovered for decades, can still be prosecuted.

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