The US Department of Justice has charged five men with allegedly working for Russian intelligence on surveillance operations and plans for targeted killings in the United States and Europe. The department said in an indictment that the men were recruited to carry out attacks and assassinations around the world, including in the US.
The defendants are Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, both 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22. The DOJ charged all five with an alleged conspiracy to commit financial terrorism. Khrameev, Suarez and Castro also face charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
The charges were unsealed one day after DW published an investigation into Romagoza Durruthy. DW identified him as a salsa teacher in Russia who allegedly recruited people in 2024 to conduct sabotage across Europe. According to the investigation, the recruits, mostly from Spanish-speaking countries, were sent to carry out arson attacks against businesses and military equipment destined for Ukraine.
DW reported that Romagoza Durruthy directed the recruits and arranged their travel. The DOJ separately said people had been recruited in the US to surveil Russian dissidents and monitor civilian and military infrastructure in European countries, including Lithuania.
Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that the alleged plans included attempts to assassinate a Russian dissident in Washington, DC. The Justice Department also said one recruit was allegedly offered $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” a US resident, while another was allegedly offered $25,000 to kill someone living in Lithuania.
Russia has previously denied carrying out similar plots abroad, including in the United States. The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to DW.