Seattle, WA

Seattle could be primed for Russian spy operations amid Ukraine conflict

Published

2 years ago

May 19, 2022

Press Room

Watch the complete story on KING 5 tonight at 6:30 and 11.

SEATTLE —

As conflict rages, Russia might up its spy recreation in Seattle

The conflict in Ukraine has uncovered Russia’s limitations in battlefield know-how, and commerce sanctions imposed by the west are additional strangling Russia’s entry to all types of tech items.

Some consultants consider that implies that Russia will ramp up its spying operations in U.S. cities which can be wealthy with know-how companies, and that features the Seattle space.

“I believe that Russian espionage might be extra aggressive,” Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov instructed KING 5 in a video interview from London.

“Russian spies now consider they’re in a conflict mode, that means that extra issues are acceptable for them than earlier than the conflict,” Soldatov mentioned.

“Seattle stays a first-rate location for espionage to happen,” mentioned Naveed Jamali, a former civilian double-agent for the FBI, who used to stay in Seattle.

Specialists say it’s not simply know-how. western Washington’s army bases, together with the fearsome Trident nuclear submarines at Naval Base Kitsap and protection contractors like Boeing have priceless secrets and techniques.

“Russia’s emphasis and precedence on amassing intelligence, that’s a elaborate approach of claiming spying, has solely elevated because of Ukraine,” mentioned Jamali.

Throughout the final decade or so, a number of circumstances have revealed Russia’s curiosity in stealing secrets and techniques in Seattle.

Mikhil Kutzik (alias: Michael Zotolli) and Patricia Mills (alias: Natalia Pereverzeva)

They had been the non-public couple that lived on the fifth ground of the Belmont Court docket Flats in Seattle within the mid-2000s.

Michael Zotolli and Patricia Mills had a son, held jobs and attended courses on the College of Washington’s Bothell campus.

“Should you tried to speak to them on the elevator or within the hallway, they had been simply at all times very evasive,” mentioned one neighbor in 2010, simply days after it turned public that the couple had been arrested and deported as Russian sleeper spies.

Utilizing cast paperwork, Zotolli and Mills had created false identities and blended into American society.

“There are Russian of us undercover, primarily masquerading as Individuals,” mentioned Jamali.

Zotolli and Mills had been rounded up in 2010 with eight different sleeper spies on the East Coast in a case the FBI referred to as “Operation Ghost Tales.”

For years earlier than then, brokers secretly recorded images and movies of spies handing off cash and flash reminiscence playing cards, burying packages in “useless drops” for different spies to select up later and conferences between spies and undercover FBI brokers.

Movies present Zotolli making a number of journeys to New York to satisfy with different Russian spies. One video from 2006 exhibits Zotolli in a New York park digging up a duct-tape sure bundle that one other spy had buried two years earlier.

When arrested by the FBI, paperwork present that the façade cracked and each Zotolli and Mills admitted to the roles as spies earlier than they had been deported to Russia.

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Seattle’s Spy Base

In 2018, the federal authorities shut down what was believed to be a den of spying within the Pacific Northwest.

The Russian consulate in Seattle was an extension of the Russian embassy in Washington D.C., liable for processing Russian visa functions, passports and different official paperwork.

Federal brokers believed the Russian diplomats posted there have been spies, and the Trump administration expelled them.

Specialists say Russian diplomats are routinely army intelligence officers with high-level coaching in espionage. In “Operation Ghost Tales,” brokers had recorded diplomats in New York handing off packages crammed with money to spies to fund their ongoing operations.

The U.S. by no means launched specifics concerning the reputed spying on the Seattle consulate.

The Consul’s residence, a historic mansion referred to as “Hyde Home” on East Madison Road, nonetheless sits empty.

King County property information present the constructing continues to be owned by the Russian Consulate.

Nonetheless, the grounds are managed by the U.S. State Division, which mentioned in an announcement to KING 5.

“Below U.S. regulation, the Secretary of State can limit entry to such properties,” the assertion learn. “There was no change within the standing of the property in Seattle since March 2018.”

A Russian “asset” in Seattle

By the point Naveed Jamali had a brush with a suspected Russian spy in Seattle, he was already a well known former “double agent.”

Within the early 2000s, Jamali’s household in New York owned a enterprise that equipped army textbooks and manuals to authorities businesses.

Someday, FBI brokers approached and knowledgeable the household that suspected Russian spies had been common clients at their retailer.

That was the start of Jamali’s relationship with the FBI, which blossomed right into a plan to dangle the younger Jamali earlier than the Russians as a possible supply ripe for recruitment.

“So, I turned a double agent. And to make it very clear what my objective was, I used to be to have the Russian intelligence equipment working in the US recruit me as a Russian spy,” Jamali instructed KING 5. “The entire time I used to be being recruited, I used to be actually working for the FBI.”

Jamali says the plan was “loopy” and “unconventional,” however it labored. Three years later he reeled in an enormous fish, a Russian diplomat who was deported (he couldn’t be arrested or charged due to diplomatic immunity).

Years later, Jamali wrote a ebook, “Find out how to Catch a Russian Spy” and instructed his story on the lecture circuit.

After he moved to Seattle in 2016, he instructed his story to a neighborhood group on the downtown Westin Lodge.

It was there he was approached by a lady who set off his well-honed spy sense.

“I absolutely consider that she was a Russian asset who had been directed to make contact with me and attempt to see if I’d speak or get me in a compromising place,” mentioned Jamali, who as soon as served as an intelligence officer within the Naval Reserve.

“I turned it throughout to federal officers,” he mentioned, including that he’s unclear if the FBI acted on his tip.

Obtain our free KING 5 app to remain up-to-date on information tales from throughout western Washington.

“In a Battle Mode”

Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov is famend for his inside reporting on Russia’s three spy businesses and is a senior fellow with the Heart for European Coverage Evaluation.

His reporting is more and more restricted in his homeland.

“That is likely one of the the explanation why I left the nation in September 2020,” mentioned Soldatov, from his London workplace.

Soldatov mentioned he doesn’t have any particular details about Seattle, however he does anticipate Russia’s “conflict mode” to boost the stakes for spies working in U.S. cities with vibrant tech firms.

“The USA is the primary goal. So, I’d fully anticipate that they’ve lots of people on the bottom, they usually can use them now,” mentioned Soldatov.

Soldatov mentioned the present financial sanctions towards Russia shouldn’t be underestimated.

“We had this case earlier than, again within the (period of the) Soviet Union. And the way in which the Soviet Union tried to repair this downside was to go to spies and ask them to steal some applied sciences from the West,” mentioned Soldatov.

Soldatov mentioned Russian president Vladimir Putin, a former intelligence officer, has spent a long time constructing his spy machine.

Seattle could also be one place the place it’s already up and working.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: A wet, cool and breezy start to November

Published

2 hours ago

November 1, 2024

Press Room

Seattle weather: A wet, cool and breezy start to November

Seattle weather: A wet, breezy and cool start to November

FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson has your latest western Washington weather forecast!

It was a cloudy and cool Halloween, and the rain unfortunately returned just in time for the trick-or-treaters. Rain continues tonight into Friday morning with more high elevation snow.

Rain continues tonight into Friday morning with more high elevation snow.

Temperatures were cool again, with highs only reaching the low 50s.

Temperatures were cool again, with highs only reaching the low 50s.

Showers will continue overnight with winds a little breezy at times. Temperatures will be in the mid to low 50s.

Showers will continue overnight with winds a little breezy at times. Temperatures will be in the mid to low 50s.

It will be a wet start to Friday with plenty of rain across western Washington. Snow will also be in the mountain passes, mainly above 4000′.

It will be a wet start to Friday with plenty of rain across Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)

The Mountain Headlines for the next several days includes snow and a Winter Weather Advisory. The Advisory remains in effect for the Cascades above 4000-5000′ through Friday evening.

The Mountain Headlines for the next several days includes snow and a Winter Weather Advisory.

Temperatures will be cool again on Friday, with highs only getting into the low 50s. Winds will also be a little breezy, especially in the South Sound.

Temperatures will be cool again Friday, with highs only getting into the low 50s. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Showers will be scattered through Friday evening, and spotty on Saturday and Sunday. We will see more rain to start the week with another frontal system, bringing more mountain snow and breezy winds as well. Rain breaks return from Wednesday into Thursday.

Showers will be scattered through Friday evening, and spotty on Saturday and Sunday. (FOX 13 Seattle)

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Seattle, WA

Former Seattle Mariners Star Named One of Offseason’s Likeliest Trade Candidates

Published

10 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Former Seattle Mariners Star Named One of Offseason’s Likeliest Trade Candidates

One year after being traded from the Seattle Mariners, could third baseman Eugenio Suarez be on the move again?

According to MLBTradeRumors, Suarez is a possible candidate to be dealt this offseason. He was ranked at No. 27 on their profile of 35 players likely to be traded.

Here’s a portion of their blurb on him:

Suarez might feel like an odd candidate for this list, given his outrageous second half. He was one of baseball’s most prolific offensive performers in the season’s final three months, carrying a Herculean .312/.357/.617 batting line from July 1 through season’s end. Along the way, Suarez ripped 24 homers in just 325 plate appearances. He can still play a solid third base. His option is not at all unreasonable.

However, it’s worth looking at where things stood with Suarez prior to that second-half surge. The slugger had been acquired from the Mariners in what amounted to a salary dump. He had a hot week or two to open the season and then faceplanted over the next two months. His slump reached a low enough point in June that the D-backs would no longer commit to him in an everyday role…

Suarez has a club option for $15 million that they could exercise for the purpose of keeping him or for the purpose of dealing him away.

The 33-year-old finished the year at .256 with 30 homers and 101 RBI, almost exclusively on the strength of his final three months.

The Mariners traded him to Arizona last offseason in that salary-dump move that netted them backup catcher Seby Zavala and a promising relief prospect. The M’s had acquired Suarez before the 2022 season and he became an instant-fan favorite for his good attitude and ability to hit home runs.

Suarez had 31 homers and 87 RBI for the M’s in 2022 as they broke the drought and advanced to the playoffs. He added 22 homers and 96 RBI for the 2023 team that missed the playoffs by just one game. Trading him was billed by the front office as a way to cut down on strikeouts (he led the American League in strikeouts each of those years), but it was clearly just a way to cut his $11 million salary last offseason, another in a string of frustrating penny-pinching moves.

Suarez is a one-time All-Star who has played 11 years with the Cincinnati Reds, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:

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Seattle, WA

Three hitters the Seattle Mariners should target in free agency

Published

18 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Three hitters the Seattle Mariners should target in free agency

The World Series is over, which means Seattle Mariners fans can start gearing up for the hot stove.

There’s one key piece the Mariners are missing in their bullpen

Once the offseason officially begins five days after the World Series, there’s a pretty clear area where the M’s should be focused to make improvements, and it’s the same as usual: the offense.

Seattle averaged 4.17 runs per game in 2024, which ranked 21st in MLB, as well as 22nd in team OPS at .687. If those rankings are a little higher than you expected, there’s a couple of reasons for that. First, the Mariners led all of baseball with 1,625 strikeouts at the plate, which was a big source of frustration throughout the year. And secondly, the overall offensive numbers were helped by a September where Seattle actually ranked third in runs scored (5.15 per game) and team OPS (.780).

On the one hand, that last month of production signals a potential move in the right direction for Seattle’s lineup. But finding a lineup that can perform in all months of the season remains a challenge – one that could perhaps be answered through free agency.

Alright, I know what you’re probably saying right now. Signing hitters in free agency hasn’t been a strong suit of the Mariners during president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s tenure in Seattle. That’s probably a result of multiple factors, be it money based, organizational philosophy, or the likelihood that it’s near impossible to convince hitters with multiple suitors to willingly choose to call baseball’s most offense-suppressing ballpark their home. But the offseason is young, and the Mariners have landed big free agents in the past such as Robbie Ray (when he was coming off a Cy Young Award season), slugger Nelson Cruz or perennial All-Star Robinson Canó. Why not dream big, even if just for now?

So with that out of the way, here are three hitters I think the Mariners should make a run at this offseason.

Seattle Mariners offseason targets

Christian Walker, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks

6-0, 208 pounds
Bats and throws right-handed
Will be 34 years old next season
2024 stats: .251/.335/.468 (.803 OPS), 26 HR, 26 2B, 130 games

Yeah, I’m still banging this drum.

Christian Walker is good. Really good. And even better, he’s probably not going to be the most sought-after first baseman in free agency this offseason because Pete Alonso (who I think only has the edge over Walker in age) will also be on the market.

Walker slugs no matter where he plays, ranking in the 90th percentile in barrel percentage last year per Statcast, as well as 89th percentile in bat speed, 86th in hard-hit percentage and xwOBA, and 82nd in average exit velocity. He also has a good eye, ranking in the 77th percentile in chase percentage and 73rd in walk percentage. Oh, and he’s a stellar defender at first base (97th percentile in outs above average, which measures defensive range).

Anyways, here’s a video of Walker defeating the marine layer by sending a rocket through the late April sky and into the Mariners’ bullpen at T-Mobile Park.

Brandon Lowe, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays

5-10, 208 pounds
Bats left-handed, throws right-handed
30 years old
2024 stats: .244/.311/.473 (.783 OPS), 21 HR, 19 2B, 107 games

Next up, a guy who isn’t exactly a free agent (and mispronounces his last name, to boot).

Brandon Lowe (last name pronounced like a Hawaiian luau, minus the first ‘U’) is entering the first of two years of club options on his contract, so the Rays have five days to decide whether they’ll pick up his $10.5 million option for 2025 or buy him out for $1 million. While Tampa Bay is known to part ways with players before their salaries go up, it doesn’t necessarily sound like that will be the case this time.

So why is Lowe on this list when he’s probably not going to be a free agent? Because the Rays and Mariners sure like to trade with each other, and it’s kind of surprising Lowe hasn’t already put on a Mariners jersey when you think about that.

The Mariners have their own decision to make about a veteran second baseman’s team option in Jorge Polanco. If they decide to move on from last year’s key offseason trade addition, Lowe seems like a strong candidate to be this year’s key offseason trade addition.

Anthony Santander, RF, Baltimore Orioles

6-2, 230 pounds
Bats switch, throws right-handed
30 years old
2024 stats: .235/.308/.506 (.814 OPS), 44 HR, 25 2B, 155 games

Just imagine this: an imposing hitter walks up to the plate on opening day in a Seattle Mariners uniform, and up pops a chyron that says “44 home runs last season.”

Feels pretty good to think about that, right? See, this is why we dream big when the offseason starts. Be kind to yourself. Think good thoughts.

Santander is going to be a big name in free agency this winter, because signing him could be seen as the silver medal in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. So yeah, he’s going to get a big ol’ contract. Wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Mariners to try to be the team that gets him to sign on the dotted line. Is it likely? Well, probably not. Is it possible? Guess you better ask Kevin Garnett about that.

The only question I’d have about Santander is where he would play for Seattle. He’s a right fielder by trade, but the Mariners have a full outfield in Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodríguez and Victor Robles.

Santander has also played a little first base in his career, and that position is a question mark for the M’s. Pending free agent Justin Turner split time with Luke Raley at first in the final two months of the season for Seattle, and running that back in some form wouldn’t be unwelcome. I say smash those two ideas together and play the matchups.

Always say yes to more good players, especially if it means getting a bat like Santander’s into the fold.

More on the Seattle Mariners’ offseason

• Four insiders dive into what went wrong with Mariners’ offense
• Drayer: Why ‘Who is the best Mariners pitcher?’ is a great question
• Seattle Sports’ Mariners roundtable looks at ’24, ahead to offseason
• Lefko: Mariners snub reveals what’s wrong with Gold Glove process
• Drayer: Important dates for Seattle Mariners offseason

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