US charges five individuals in connection with Russian-backed plots

The United States Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment charging five individuals in connection with alleged plots directed by Russian intelligence services. The charges involve a range of activities, including surveillance, recruitment, and planned targeted killings both within the United States and internationally. All five defendants remain at large.

The individuals named in the indictment are Russian national Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son, Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22. All five face charges of conspiracy to finance terrorism. Additionally, Yuri Khrameev, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

According to the Department of Justice, the network operated on behalf of Russian intelligence to conduct attacks and murders. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the alleged plots included efforts to kill a Russian dissident believed to be residing in the Washington, D.C. area.

Justice Department officials detailed that the group recruited multiple people within the United States to conduct surveillance on Russian dissidents. These surveillance efforts reportedly targeted individuals living domestically as well as in Lithuania.

The indictment outlines specific financial offers made to recruits to carry out these acts. In one instance, a recruit was allegedly offered $40,000 to "eliminate" or "disappear" a target residing in the United States. In a separate incident in 2025, another recruit was reportedly offered $25,000 to kill an individual located in Lithuania.

The Russian embassy in the United States has not provided a comment regarding the allegations. The investigation into the network and the whereabouts of the five charged individuals remains ongoing.