It took me a minute to get the semantic distinction here.
People directly working for a government intelligence agency, in the sense of drawing a regular salary, receiving benefits like a pension plan, and probably enjoying the protection of some sort of cover (like attache for cultural affairs at the embassy) are "operatives" or "officers."
"Agents" are people in the foreign country whom the officers convince to provide information or services for them.
Aldrich Ames, for example, was an "officer" in the CIA, working for the US, but also an "agent" of the KGB, working for the Soviets.
So, to return to the article, the US government never had a problem hiring drug users as "agents," but would not hire them as "officers."
People directly working for a government intelligence agency, in the sense of drawing a regular salary, receiving benefits like a pension plan, and probably enjoying the protection of some sort of cover (like attache for cultural affairs at the embassy) are "operatives" or "officers."
"Agents" are people in the foreign country whom the officers convince to provide information or services for them.
Aldrich Ames, for example, was an "officer" in the CIA, working for the US, but also an "agent" of the KGB, working for the Soviets.
So, to return to the article, the US government never had a problem hiring drug users as "agents," but would not hire them as "officers."