There are currently more foreign intelligence operatives in the United States than at any point in the country’s history, the former head of the House Intelligence Committee claimed on Wednesday.

“There are more spies in the United States today from foreign nation states that at any time in our history — including the Cold War,” former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said in an address at the Heritage Foundation.

“And they’re stealing everything. If it’s not bolted down, it’s gone,” Rogers added. “And if it’s bolted down, give them about an hour — they’ll figure out how to get that, too.”

When asked for the source of his claim, Rogers appeared to credit American intelligence agencies.

“That’s what the intelligence business is designed to do, is determine that we have individuals here who are engaged in espionage activities,” he said.

“It’s massive, it’s huge. And the numbers are overwhelming.”

Rogers’s keynote address examined the role of American intelligence agencies in an era of heightened scrutiny following leaks from Edward Snowden and others.

Read More- The Hill

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