Wtop

– Sergei Tretyakov, 54, one of the world’s most famous spies of all time, has died, WTOP has learned.

Still shaken and sometimes emotional, Sergei Tretyakov widow, Helen reluctantly confirmed his death today to prevent Russian Intelligence delight.

“I’m doing this because I do not want Sergio former colleagues have the luxury to flatter themselves that Sergei punished.”

“The autopsy showed nothing suspicious. It was a tragic and sudden death from natural causes,” he says.

says.

Tretyakov said Helen, “said Sergei was never afraid of being persecuted or killed or murdered by their former comrades, he would not dare.”

WTOP recently nominated Tretyakov, who defected to the U.S. a decade ago, in the series “Escaping the Iron Curtain.”

The Tretyakov defected to the United States in October 2000 during his deployment of five years in New York Russian mission, in charge of Russian espionage activities in the U.S. and the United Nations.

The Russian spy saga that developed in recent weeks has fueled speculation that he was involved in some way Tretyakov and led many to wonder why he had not been heard.

Ten workers pleaded guilty in New York to work as foreign agents in the U.S. and were deported to Russia on Friday. They were part of a U.S. spy swap and Russia.

Helen confirmed Sergei Tretyakov U.S. Officials warned depth coverage on Russian spies after his defection.

“Because he was aware that part of the budget to support illegal SVR increased significantly in” 90, but emphatically said, “did not know the names of these illegals.”

Despite medical confirmation that no foul play was involved, some intelligence sources question whether his death and the arrest of the 10 spies was more than a coincidence.

In fact, the Associated Press reported Obama administration began thinking about a possible exchange of spies before the arrests and deaths of Tretyakov.

U.S. authorities of intelligence have not responded to questions about life in the U.S. Tretiakov and death.