GOLD RUSH: A man referred to as David Rush, a Senior Intelligence Service-level CIA officer with top secret/SCI clearance was arrested on May 19 after FBI agents raided his Fairfax County, Virginia home and found 303 gold bars worth more than $40 million, along with $2 million in cash. We have so many questions. According to an FBI affidavit filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Rush had requested the gold from his employer between November 2025 and March 2026, claiming the bullion was needed for "work-related expenses." Perhaps requisitioning gold is not that unusual but the others at the CIA eventually noticed the bars had gone missing. A small portion turned up in a storage space near Rush's office. The rest, according to authorities, was at his house. It seems there are metal detectors at CIA headquarters to get in — just not to get out. Some of our other questions: how did Rush get this job to begin with? He reportedly was at the Agency for decades. According to the charges, he lied his way in and told employers he had degrees from Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. According to the affidavit, neither school has any record of him. (And this didn’t show up on the Poly?) He claimed to be a Navy test pilot and "director of test for a 145-person, 18-aircraft joint Army/Navy weapons test organization" but officials now believe his actual Navy duties involved information systems. CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the case to the FBI after an internal investigation and a source told NBC News that most — if not all — of the gold was ultimately recovered. In addition to the gold bars found at his home, agents say they also seized 35 fancy watches, mostly Rolexes, which may come in handy if Rush ends up doing a lot of time. No word on whether NBC reached out to Rush for comment or how he might plead in this case.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ABSURD KIND: The Daily Mail reported on Monday that the CIA has been accused of secretly mining 23andMe and Ancestry.com to identify Americans who are carrying extraterrestrial DNA. Specifically, the Agency is said to be searching for markers of a humanoid alien race called the Nordics, who look like very tall Scandinavians and are currently living undercover in small Colorado mountain towns. The Dead Drop cannot independently verify this claim, (largely because it sounds kind of insane). The sourcing chain for this story is worth savoring though: a science fiction writer says a retired Army sergeant (who says he was a remote viewer) told him that a CIA scientist who left the agency in 1985, roughly a decade before either genealogy company existed, has a backdoor into both databases. All this apparently was first revealed in a podcast – naturally. The Cipher Brief does not typically cover stories sourced to podcasts and attributed to psychic spies. We are making an exception here though because we love tall stories – especially of the alien kind. Meanwhile, if your DNA test comes back "unknown unidentifiable," please do not contact us, phone home instead.
UN-MEMORIAL DAY: There is a rumor floating around (pardon the pun) in naval circles – that the administration is seriously considering removing the name of World War II hero Doris “Dorie” Miller from a Ford-class aircraft carrier (CVN-81) currently under construction. Miller was a mess attendant serving aboard USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor and despite no gunnery training, manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down at least one and perhaps up to six Japanese planes on December 7, 1941. Cuba Gooding Jr. played him in the 2001 movie “Pearl Harbor.” Less than two years into the war, Miller was killed in action when the aircraft carrier he was then serving on was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Recent reports say CVN-81 won’t be delivered to the Navy until 2034. Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the naming of the carrier on January 20, 2020 during the first Trump administration. Can you guess what name current Pentagon officials are reportedly considering to replace Miller?
CHIPS ARE DOWN AS U.S. SPY AGENCIES ARE HUNGRY FOR MORE: America’s intelligence agencies are reportedly struggling to run cutting-edge AI tools because they can’t get enough advanced chips to power them, a shortage the White House reportedly addressed last week by approving a classified $9 billion request for new computing infrastructure, according to The New York Times. In the meantime, the NSA has reportedly been authorized to continue using an AI model made by Anthropic, a company the Pentagon has officially designated a ‘supply chain risk.’ A classified contract is reportedly being finalized - interestingly, it’s a version that does not include the Pentagon’s proposed ‘any lawful use’ language, which had triggered a dispute between the two sides. The world’s most powerful intelligence apparatus is currently dependent on software from a vendor its own military has labeled a risk. When you have the munchies — let the chips fall where they may.
BRITAIN SACKS ITS DC DEPUTY: Britain's second-ranking diplomat in Washington has reportedly been sacked. Embassy staff were informed by email that James Roscoe, deputy head of mission at the British embassy since 2022, was leaving his post - with no explanation given. The British (and American) press has also been reporting that Roscoe is facing questions as part of an investigation into the leak of top-secret UK National Security Council discussions, including verbatim comments from cabinet ministers about the war in Iran. Sources in Washington have linked his departure to allegations that classified material was passed to Spectator journalist Tim Shipman — including not only the Iran bases debate but the revelation that the former ambassador to the U.S., Lord Mandelson, had failed his security vetting before being handed the post anyway. That’s of course, a bit of a political livewire in the UK at the moment. Here’s another strange tidbit: the Gazette - which serves as the crown’s official public record - reported that Roscoe had just been made a lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) on April 30th. Since we count ourselves in the clueless American club when it comes to British monarchy distinctions, we have no idea what that means, other than its an order that recognizes distinguished personal service to the monarch. Maybe the LVO letters that he can now officially include after his last name, stand for LeaVing Office.
GABBARD & THE RUMOR MILL: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced late last week that she is resigning from her role on June 30th, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis as her reason for stepping down. In a resignation letter, Gabbard said, “I must step away from public service to be by [my husband’s] side and fully support him through this battle.” On Truth Social, President Trump posted Gabbard’s full resignation letter and praised her for “having done a great job,” adding, “Her highly respected Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lukas, will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence.” Of course, there is always a rumor mill turning behind every headline and it’s no different in Gabbard’s case. Reuters was among the first to report that the White House forced the move, citing an unnamed source who they described as “familiar with the matter”. For anyone following along at home, Gabbard, a long-time critic of U.S. foreign military engagements, is reported to have been largely sidelined from President Trump’s national security team as the administration conducted operations in Venezuela and Iran. Weirdly, Gabbard’s work as DNI has largely focused on uncovering alleged voter fraud from the 2020 election and rooting out suspected politicization in the intelligence community. One thing we do know, her resignation comes after one of her close associates, Joe Kent, stepped down as director of the National Counterterrorism Center in March, very publicly vocalizing his concerns about the war with Iran.Got news to share? Drop us a note: Editor@thecipherbrief.comRead more expert-driven national security insights exclusively in www.thecipherbrief.com.
