The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York has unsealed indictments against five men accused of participating in a global assassination network run by the Russian Federation intelligence service (RIS). The charges allege that the defendants sought to recruit U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to conduct pre‑operational surveillance and carry out targeted killings, both on American soil and abroad.

Alleged Network and Key Figures

According to the indictment, the RIS operates an international assassination network that pays individuals to conduct surveillance and, in some cases, to carry out murder‑for‑hire contracts. The five men remain at large. Three are described as high‑ranking members of the RIS network:

• Yuri Khrameev, a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services.
• Kirill Khrameev, his son, identified as an officer in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
• Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national residing in Russia who is said to be an influential member of the Cuban diaspora.

The other two defendants are:

• Yaidel Delgado Suarez, a Cuban national described as a prolific recruiter for the RIS network.
• Angel Eduardo Castro, a Venezuelan national who allegedly worked with Suarez to recruit U.S.-based individuals to surveil and attempt to murder a prominent Russian dissident living in the United States.

Specific Alleged Plots

The indictment provides several illustrative examples. In one case, the RIS network allegedly recruited a U.S. resident this summer to surveil a prominent Russian dissident. The recruit was offered between $1,000 and $1,500 for surveillance and later a $40,000 payment to “eliminate” the target, which the individual reportedly refused. Suarez is said to have claimed he had “people in Mexico” who could carry out the killing.

Another example describes a solicitation of a U.S. citizen, identified as Khrameev, to travel to Lithuania and murder an individual for $25,000 because the target was “telling lies about Russia.” The indictment also alleges that Durruthy coordinated travel and logistics for attacks in Prague, Czechia, and Lithuania, and oversaw surveillance conducted by a U.S. resident earlier this year.

Charges and Potential Penalties

All five men are charged with conspiracy to finance terrorism, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Additionally, Yuri Khrameev, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro face charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, each punishable by up to 10 years.

Federal Response

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said, “These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin. Actions like these represent a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security. We will stamp out any foreign intelligence service’s attempt to operate freely in our great Nation, and we will not rest until they and their enablers suffer the most severe consequences that federal law can levy.”

The investigation was led by the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

Context of Russian Activity

The indictment follows reports that the highest number of Russian nationals entered the United States illegally during the previous administration. Customs and Border Protection data showed that at the height of the 2023 border surge, more than 57,000 Russians entered the country without authorization, a figure that exceeded the size of a typical U.S. Army corps. Since the start of that administration through fiscal year 2023, over 126,000 Russian nationals were recorded as entering illegally.

Federal agencies have also warned of Russian cyber threats targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, underscoring the broader security challenges posed by the Kremlin’s aggressive tactics.

What This Means for Americans

The DOJ’s action sends a clear message that foreign intelligence services will not be allowed to operate on American soil with impunity. By pursuing those who facilitate such plots, the government reaffirms its commitment to protecting U.S. citizens, upholding the rule of law, and defending the nation’s sovereignty.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.