The US Department of Justice has unsealed charges against five foreign nationals accused of working for Russian intelligence to conduct surveillance, plan targeted killings, and carry out sabotage operations across the United States and Europe. The indictment alleges that the group was recruited to execute assassinations and other attacks internationally.
Among those charged are Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son Kirill Khrameev, 27, both Russian citizens; Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, who are from Cuba; and Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, from Venezuela. All five suspects remain at large.
The DOJ announced the charges one day after a DW investigation identified Durruthy as a salsa teacher in Russia who recruited individuals in 2024 to carry out sabotage campaigns across Europe. According to that report, most recruits hailed from Spanish-speaking countries and were directed to commit arson attacks against businesses and military equipment destined for Ukraine.
In addition to charges of conspiracy to commit financial terrorism, Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro face accusations of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the plot included an attempt to assassinate a Russian dissident residing in Washington, DC.
Federal authorities reported that several individuals were recruited within the US to monitor Russian dissidents, as well as civilian and military infrastructure in European nations such as Lithuania. One recruit was allegedly offered $40,000 to eliminate or cause the disappearance of a US resident, while another was offered $25,000 the previous year to kill a person in Lithuania.
Russia has previously denied carrying out such plots on foreign soil. The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the new charges.
Five people at large and the Russian embassy won’t comment. It feels like a classic deniable operation setup. Suspicious silence from Moscow.
A Cuban salsa instructor? That is an unexpectedly specific cover. I hope they capture them before they go deeper into European operations.