Sharing counterintelligence information between countries requires a greater degree of trust, which can put US intelligence assets at risk, as seen in the case of a large group of sources in China being killed after Iran shared information with its Chinese counterparts.
CIA and DOJ have had tension over the use of CIA information or sources for American justice cases. Jerry Chun-Shing Lee was under investigation by the FBI for possessing notebooks that contained CIA informant and agent information in China, but sources believe there was a technical problem with his access to the information.
Spies rely on sources - people who are willing to give valuable information. Covert communication over the internet has made it easier to signal someone for meetings on neutral grounds, where much of the information exchange is centered.
The US is adopting a new approach to intelligence, relying on reliable intelligence to change the behavior of adversaries. The approach involves using commercial satellite photos, videos posted to social media, among other sources of intelligence, to provide accurate and reliable information.
The CIA used the Golden Triangle to fund the nationalist Chinese army by moving heroin out of the region, with Southeast Asia becoming the source of 70% of the world's opium and the primary material driver of the U.S. heroin market. The addiction epidemic was a byproduct of CIA's efforts to fund revolutions and assassinations.
The Chinese government uses tactics such as opening whorehouses to gather intelligence, while NBA players, who have lucrative deals with China, remain silent on the country's actions. This reveals a disconnect from the traditional American values of transparency and free speech.