June 22, 2025 05:19 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
DGCA orders termination of three Air India officials over safety lapses | Nitish Kumar announces big hike in pension under social security scheme ahead of Bihar polls | After denial, Priyank Kharge now secures External Affairs Ministry's clearance for US travel visit | Let inner peace become global peace: Modi's message to the world on International Yoga Day | 'Declined Trump's invitation as I had to visit Lord Jagannath's holy land': PM Modi in Odisha | Loyal to Congress for 16 years, differences can be discussed behind closed doors: Shashi Tharoor | Indians will soon feel ashamed to speak in English: Amit Shah amid language debate | Crashed Air India aircraft's black box to be sent to US for data recovery as India lacks 'proper equipment' | After SC's rap, Karnataka govt promises securities to theatres if Kamal Haasan's Thug Life releases | 'Misconduct proved': Probe panel recommends 'cash pile' accused Justice Yashwant Varma's impeachment
US President Donald Trump. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Trump-led govt to slash 1,200 CIA positions: Reports

| @indiablooms | May 03, 2025, at 06:19 pm

The US government is planning to shrink the workforce of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other major American spy units in the upcoming days, media reports said.

According to reports, the White House is eyeing the reduction of 1,200 staff in the CIA.

The administration recently informed lawmakers on Capitol Hill that it intends to reduce the CIA’s workforce by about 1,200 personnel over several years and cut thousands more from other parts of the US intelligence community, including at the National Security Agency, a highly secretive service that specializes in cryptology and global electronic espionage, a person familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.

The CIA did not publicly disclose the size of its workforce.

However, it is estimated that the workforce of the intelligence agency is 22,000.

It is still not clear which section of the intelligence agency will be affected.

The downsizing is happening even as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has pledged to put more agency resources on China and on cartels smuggling fentanyl and other synthetic drugs into the United States, the US newspaper reported.

The staff reductions would take place over several years and would be accomplished in part through reduced hiring, The Washington Post reported.

The goal of a roughly 1,200-person staff reduction includes several hundred individuals who already have opted for early retirement, the person familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

DOGE

According to reports, the downsizing is not connected to the activities performed by DOGE.

“Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement as quoted by The Washington Post.

“These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position CIA to deliver on its mission,” the statement said.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.