Lankford Introduces Bill to Deter Foreign Espionage

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Strengthening Prosecution Integrity for Espionage Statutes (SPIES) Act to deter anti-American espionage by removing the statute of limitations. Lankford serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

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

“America must do everything in its power to deter its enemies, including spies seeking to harm our nation and threaten our interests through espionage activity. Many bad actors are not punished for their crimes due to the existing statute of limitation for certain offenses. My SPIES Act would ensure foreign agents are punished for aiding foreign governments against the United States, regardless of how many years have passed,” said Rubio. 

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

Former US Ambassador Manuel Rocha, a spy of the criminal Cuban regime, recently pled guilty 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 limitation, meaning prosecutors have to charge the offender within a certain timeframe. Cases like Rocha’s, where crimes go undiscovered for decades, are not uncommon. Strengthening the punishment for those who infiltrate the US government and act as foreign agents would deter these crimes. 

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