Loretta Tennison

"The money was going to drug smugglers and opium growers. You think it actually matters whose side we're on? It all ends up the same in the end, anyway. Hell, I was probably saving lives by keeping the money."

- Loretta Tennison defending her corruption Loretta Tennison is the main villainess from "Royals and Loyals," episode 8.04 of NCIS.

She was played by Kristen Ariza.

Loretta Tennison is a CIA Operations Officer in charge of a mission to send money to warlords in the Middle East. The money was to be sent via a British ship known as the Sparrowhawk, with the mission being spearheaded by Royal Marines agent Peter Malloy. A third person, Petty Officer Edward Bick was in charge of guarding the money. However, Loretta turned heel and decided to take the money for herself, colluding with Lt. Malcolm Dufrain to switch the marked American currency with clean British bills from the Sparrowhawk's payroll. Bick had figured out Loretta's plan, and to avoid being caught, the evil Loretta shot and killed Bick, using a British revolver to commit the murder.

Bick's body was found in a jacuzzi, and it was discovered that a part of the marked money was in his system, as he swallowed it to prove that the money was on the ship. Loretta hid her true villainous role during both encounters with Agent Gibbs, as she originally denied knowing Bick at first, but after Gibbs returned with proof of the money being on the ship, the villainess attempted to frame Malloy (who was later revealed as MI6 agent Elston Harkin) as the thief and killer. Loretta's reveal came in the episode's climax, where she was set to make another exchange, only to be encountered by Malloy. She later pointed a gun at Malloy, stating that she killed Bick because he was trying to stop her, and it was at that moment that Gibbs arrived and had Loretta arrested. While Tony DiNozzo handcuffed Loretta, the corrupt agent defended her actions by stating that the money was going to criminals, and that she was saving lives by taking it for herself.