10 plead guilty in spy case ahead of expected swap with Russia

Ten people pleaded guilty Thursday to working in the U.S. as Russian secret agents, setting up what is expected to be the largest Russia-U.S. spy swap since the Cold War.

Russia agreed give up four prisoners to the U.S. in exchange for the 10 U.S. defendants, who entered their pleas in a Manhattan courtroom, a source with knowledge of the deal told to Fox News. That arrangement was confirmed by two Obama administration officials, the Associated Press reported.

The 10 defendants were expected to be deported to Russia within hours. One of the Russian prisoners expected to be released, a Russian arms control analyst, was reportedly plucked from a Moscow prison and flown to Vienna earlier Thursday.