Ex-CIA officer pleads guilty to drugging, sexually abusing multiple women during overseas posts

Colin McCollough and Holmes Lybrand, CNN
·2 min read
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Former CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to drugging and sexually abusing multiple women during overseas postings, according to court documents and the Department of Justice.

Raymond, 47, admitted to sexually assaulting several women at his embassy-leased housing in Mexico City and in other locations between 2006 and 2020, according to a news release from the Justice Department announcing Raymond’s guilty plea.

Raymond also admitted that he recorded and photographed 28 victims who were nude, or partially nude, “without their consent while they were unconscious or incapable of consenting,” according to the DOJ.

Under the plea agreement, Raymond is looking at up to 30 years in prison and will have to pay mandatory restitution to his victims, according to the Justice Department.

CNN has reached out to Raymond’s attorney for comment.

“CIA condemns in the strongest terms the crimes committed by former Agency officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond, who was arrested in 2020. As this case shows, we are committed to engaging with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served,” a CIA spokesperson told CNN.

The investigation into Raymond began in 2020 after a naked woman was seen screaming for help from the balcony of Raymond’s Mexico City residence, according to a October 2021 news release from the US Embassy in Mexico asking for those with information to help investigators. The woman later said she could not remember what happened after consuming food and drinks provided by Raymond, according to the news release.

In the summer of 2021, Raymond pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse and one count of transporting obscene material. Nearly a year later, however, he withdrew his guilty plea, arguing that he was innocent of the charges and that agents had unlawfully searched his phone, according to court documents.

Following his withdrawal, prosecutors added two superseding indictments in early 2023 against Raymond, eventually charging him with 25 counts, including sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse and transporting obscene material of his alleged victims.

On Monday, Raymond signed a plea agreement to four counts, including sexual abuse and coercion and enticement, court records show.

Raymond’s sentence is currently scheduled over two days in September 2024, according to the court docket.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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