As tensions between the United States and its geopolitical rivals continue, a former CIA operative is sounding the alarm about what he describes as a long-running espionage tactic used by foreign governments to gain access to sensitive information.
According to Fox News, J. Michael Waller told the outlet that intelligence services connected to countries such as China and Russia have used romantic and sexual relationships as tools to gather intelligence, influence targets, and obtain valuable secrets.
Drawing from his own experience, Waller recalled an encounter while working in Poland on behalf of the CIA.
He said a young Chinese woman approached him and appeared unusually interested in both him and the work he was involved in.
As the conversations continued, Waller grew suspicious and ultimately concluded that the woman was acting as an intelligence asset. He reported the matter to the Polish authorities.
According to Waller, the woman was a government employee, and Polish officials removed her from the country shortly afterward.
Reflecting on the encounter, Waller said what stood out was how much information the woman appeared to know about him before they ever met.
“She knew about my background already and even stuff that wasn’t in my official bio for the event,” he said.
Waller argued that such operations often rely on emotional manipulation and human vulnerability rather than sophisticated technology.
“They take advantage of the fact that people are lonely or just want to have a good time or, you know, need company or whatever else,” Waller said. “They do what’s been done since biblical times. They use sex as a weapon.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. government imposed restrictions on romantic and sexual relationships between American personnel stationed in China and Chinese citizens.
Former U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns implemented the policy before leaving his post in January.
Employees who violate the policy can be required to leave the country.
Waller described the practice as a form of psychological warfare, saying intelligence agencies frequently target individuals with access to valuable information, including engineers, programmers, and elected officials.
“They’ll go for a very long term with these sexual recruitments and develop long-term emotional relations, at least get the other side, get the target emotionally attached, to the point of even marrying them and having families with them,” he said. “That’s what they’re schooled to do.”
His comments come after former Russian operative Aliia Roza told the New York Post that intelligence efforts are increasingly focused on Silicon Valley and other technology hubs.
According to Roza, foreign agents often begin by overwhelming targets with attention and sympathy.
“It starts with love bombing — messages full of compliments, selfies, bikini photos,” Roza said. “They pretend to be weak or alone: ‘My parents were killed, I’m a student, I’m broke.’ It triggers the hero instinct. Every man wants to feel like the rescuer.”
Waller offered a blunt warning to Americans who may find themselves the target of unexpected attention.
“If someone from China who’s super, super hot is really interested in you and you’re nowhere near in that league — she’s a spy,” Waller said.
