The Secret World of the CIA's Witness Protection Program

 

     The CIA's Federal Witness Security Program (WITSEC) provides protection and new identities for individuals. The CIA works with other government agencies to create new identities by obtaining new Social Security numbers, creating new birth certificates, passports, and driver's licenses. The program also includes extensive training on how to maintain their new identities and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

     Participants learn how to dress and act in public, how to use public transportation, and how to use technology and social media without revealing their true identities. Additionally, the program provides ongoing support and resources to individuals, including financial assistance, medical care, and counseling services. The CIA may also create other documents such as fake diplomas or transcripts, fake work histories and references, a new credit report, fake rental agreements and utility bills, fake tax returns, and fake medical records to support the new identity's financial and health history.

     In the novel MISSION OF VENGEANCE, the CIA places Corey Pearson and his family into the witness protection program after he is burned by the agency to protect him and his loved ones from Russian and Cuban assassins who are out to kill him. Corey's family is relocated to a secluded farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania, where they are given new identities and are told to keep a low profile. Corey assumes his new identity quite well and keeps a low profile while he waits for further instructions from the CIA.

     Despite the challenges they face, the CIA's witness protection program proves to be a crucial lifeline for Corey and his family as they navigate the dangerous world of espionage and assassination. The program provides them with the protection they need to stay alive and start a new life, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, including adapting to new identities and dealing with the constant threat of being discovered by their enemies.

     In the real-life world of espionage, the CIA's involvement in WITSEC gets quite interesting, for the agency has recruited assets from those participating in it. It is a little-known fact, but it has been reported by various sources over the years. The CIA's involvement in recruiting WITSEC participants can be traced back to the late 1970s, when it recruited Soviet defectors and other foreign nationals held valuable intelligence.

   One notable example is the case of Vitaly Yurchenko, a KGB defector who arrived in the United States in 1985 and was placed in WITSEC. Yurchenko later re-defected to the Soviet Union in 1985, but the circumstances surrounding his re-defection remain controversial. Some reports suggest that Yurchenko may have been a CIA double agent who was sent back to the Soviet Union as part of a covert operation to mislead the KGB.

     Another example is the case of Khaled Abu al-Dahab, an Egyptian national who entered WITSEC in the late 1990s after providing information about al-Qaeda to U.S. authorities. The CIA reportedly recruited al-Dahab as an intelligence asset and provided him with a new identity, a job, and financial assistance in exchange for his cooperation. Al-Dahab's role as a CIA asset was later revealed in a 2007 report by The New York Times.

     One positive aspect of the CIA's recruitment of individuals who have entered WITSEC for protection is that it can enhance US national security. By offering these individuals the opportunity to start a new life in exchange for their cooperation, the CIA obtains valuable intelligence from them that can be used to prevent future threats to America. While some may question the ethical and legal implications of this practice, we must remember that the CIA is dedicated to protecting the safety and security of the United States, and the recruitment of WITSEC participants can play a valuable role in achieving that goal.

     The CIA’s WITSEC, with its extensive training, ongoing support, and creation of new identities, ensures the safety of individuals who have valuable information but are at risk of retaliation. By placing real-life people (like the fictional Corey Pearson and his family) in the program, the CIA is not only protecting them from harm but also safeguarding the interests of the United States. This program is an integral part of the intelligence community's efforts to protect America and its citizens, and the story of Corey Pearson in MISSION OF VENGEANCE highlights its importance in the real world. 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and enjoys writing about the U.S. Intelligence Community. He authors the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster series.