Oh yeah, that should be clear. CIA networks aren't all professional spies or agents, the networks are often built up of traitors or local capitalists who have influence. The CIA is also not above fermenting sectarianism within enemy countries.

I'm gonna guess a lot of people don't even know they're informants. The feds probably use aliases and shell companies to contact people through labyrinths of fake identities. I hear a lot of spies are also just normal diplomats and have official identification as a diplomat at an embassy.