WASHINGTON (TCN) — A former CIA officer will spend 30 years in prison for drugging and sexually abusing numerous women around the globe over the course of 14 years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the sentencing of 48-year-old Brian Raymond on Sept. 18 for one count each of sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact, coercion and enticement, and transportation of obscene material. Raymond was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay $260,000 in restitution to the victims. Following his release, the defendant will have to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty in federal court in November 2023.
According to prosecutors, Raymond was on assignment in Mexico City when he drugged and sexually abused several women within government-leased housing. Between 2006 and 2020, he reportedly drugged and recorded 25 nude or partially nude victims in Mexico City and elsewhere. The U.S. Attorney’s office said Raymond was depicted “touching and manipulating the victim’s bodies while they were unconscious and incapable of consent.”
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves said Raymond lured “unsuspecting women to his government-leased housing and drugged them. After drugging these women, he stripped, sexually abused, and photographed them.”
According to The Associated Press, Raymond kept around 500 videos in which he is reportedly seen in some groping and straddling his victims. While they were unconscious, he would allegedly open their eyelids and, in some cases, stick his fingers in their mouth.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, one victim said her “body looks like a corpse on his bed” in the photos.
The victim said, “Now I have these nightmares of seeing myself dead.”
Another victim reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown, while others said they suffered similar mental struggles due to Raymond’s crimes.
Raymond purportedly learned about the investigation and then tried to delete the explicit photos and videos of his victims.
According to an October 2021 news release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, Raymond was first accused of sexual abuse after a naked woman was seen yelling for help from Raymond’s balcony in Mexico City in May 2020. Raymond reportedly confessed to having sexual relations with her, but the female victim claimed she had no memory of the incident after consuming drinks and food from Raymond. The FBI Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service started looking into the allegations against him.
During the investigation, authorities found hundreds of photographs and videos on Raymond’s electronic devices. According to the embassy, “Almost all of the women in the photos and videos experienced memory loss during their time with Raymond and had no knowledge of the photographs, videos, or any physical contact.”
According to KNSD-TV, during a search of Raymond’s internet history, investigators learned he looked up phrases such as “Ambien and alcohol and pass out” and “vodka & valium.” He also reportedly emailed an online pharmacy asking if they had chloral hydrate for insomnia.
Authorities said Raymond, who speaks both Spanish and Mandarin, met many of his victims on dating apps. Prosecutors argued that Raymond was an experienced abuser and had kept track of his potential victims, organizing them by name, ethnicity, and physical characteristics.
In July 2021, Raymond pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse and one count of transporting obscene material. However, according to court documents, Raymond withdrew his plea in April 2022. He was subsequently indicted on two counts of sexual abuse, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of coercion and enticement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
According to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, Raymond had worked for the CIA for many years and lived in the Washington, D.C., and San Diego areas. He reportedly traveled a lot for work and fun and resided in multiple countries, including Mexico and Peru. Authorities say he was living in Mexico City and working at the U.S. Embassy from August 2018 until May 2020.