The US Justice Department unsealed charges against five individuals, accusing them of working for Russian intelligence services in a global assassination network. This network allegedly aimed to conduct attacks and killings in Europe and the US, paying or attempting to pay individuals to carry out pre-operational surveillance and targeted killings. Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the importance of stopping America's adversaries from unleashing violence on American soil.
Among the charged are Yuri Khrameev, a 63-year-old former Russian intelligence colonel, and his 27-year-old son Kirill Khrameev, an officer in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Also charged are Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a 35-year-old Cuban national, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, and Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, both from Cuba and Venezuela respectively. These defendants are accused of conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder for hire, though they remain at large.
The indictment details several alleged plots, including an attempt last year where Yuri Khrameev offered a US citizen $25,000 to kill someone in Lithuania who was "telling lies about Russia." More recently, the network allegedly recruited a US resident to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident in the US, offering $1,000 to $1,500 for surveillance and $40,000 to "eliminate" the target. The network also allegedly orchestrated acts of terrorism overseas, including coordinating an attack in Prague, Czechia, in June 2024 and another in Lithuania in September 2024.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg condemned these actions as a "gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security." The US Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York stated that the Russian-led network is "brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching," vowing to prosecute those involved regardless of their location or employer.
