US Business Owner Actually Russian Agent: Authorities

A Houston business owner is actually a Russian agent and was allegedly shuttling high-tech US electronics to Russian military and intelligence agencies for 10 years, authorities say. Alexander Fishenko and 10 others were charged in the alleged scheme today, the Houston Chronicle reports. Fishenko was born in Kazakhstan but came to the US in 1994 and is a naturalized citizen. He founded Arc Electronics in 1998 and is accused of shipping sensitive micro-electronics to Russia over the course of a decade. All 11 are in custody.

"In this day and time, the ability of foreign countries to illegally acquire sensitive and sophisticated US technology poses a significant threat to both the economic and national security of our nation," says the head of the FBI's Houston division. (More Russia stories.)