US charge 5 for alleged Russian intelligence assassination plots

US authorities charged five people accused of working with Russian intelligence services on alleged plots to surveil and assassinate Russian dissidents and carry out attacks in the US and Europe, according to an indictment.

“These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement Tuesday.

The defendants were identified as Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, his son Kirill Khrameev, 27, Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, both 35, and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22.

All were charged with conspiracy to finance terrorism, while the elder Khrameev, Suarez and Castro were also charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire. All remain at large, according to the US Justice Department.

The indictment alleges that the network, described by prosecutors as the Russian Intelligence Services Network, had operated since at least 2024 and targeted Russian dissidents and defectors in the US and Europe.

One alleged plot took place during July and August, when Suarez and Castro allegedly recruited a Brooklyn resident to conduct surveillance of two locations associated with a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in the Washington, DC, area.

The recruit was allegedly offered between $1,000 and $1,500 to photograph and record the locations, while prosecutors said another $40,000 was offered to “eliminate” or “disappear” the target.

The indictment also alleges that members of the network coordinated attacks in Europe, including operations in the Czech Republic and Lithuania in 2024, targeting infrastructure in countries viewed as supporting Ukraine.

Durruthy allegedly coordinated travel and logistics for participants in those operations, while prosecutors described Suarez as a recruiter for the network.

US authorities said the investigation was conducted by the FBI's New York and Washington field offices, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.

The defendants have not been convicted of the charges and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.