Three former U.S. intelligence operatives who worked as cyber spies for the United Arab Emirates admitted to violating U.S. hacking laws and prohibitions on selling sensitive military technology, under a deal to avoid prosecution announced on Tuesday.
The operatives - Marc Baier, Ryan Adams and Daniel Gericke - were part of a clandestine unit named Project Raven, first reported by Reuters, that helped the UAE spy on its enemies.
At the behest of the UAE's monarchy, the Project Raven team hacked into the accounts of human rights activists, journalists and rival governments.
The UAE embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.