United States authorities say they disrupted an alleged Russian intelligence operation that sought to assassinate a prominent Russian opposition figure living in the Washington, D.C., area.
A federal indictment unsealed in Manhattan charged five people with participating in what prosecutors described as an international network that conducted surveillance, recruited operatives and planned attacks against Russian dissidents and supporters of Ukraine.
The defendants were identified as 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.
All five were charged with conspiracy to finance terrorism. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez and Castro also face charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. The accusations remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Prosecutors claim the network operated on behalf of Russian intelligence services and had been active since at least 2024. Its alleged targets included political opponents of the Kremlin and individuals in countries supporting Ukraine.
According to federal authorities, the group attempted to recruit a Venezuelan citizen living in Brooklyn to monitor the dissident targeted in Washington. The Brooklyn resident allegedly carried out surveillance but refused offers of up to $40,000 to participate in the killing.
The individual was not named among the five defendants. Authorities said the network subsequently attempted to find other people willing to conduct the assassination.
The indictment also describes a separate alleged plan targeting an individual in Lithuania. Prosecutors say another person in the United States was offered approximately $25,000 to carry out that attack but refused.
Federal investigators presented the operation as part of a broader campaign involving planned murders, sabotage and attacks against civilian and military infrastructure in countries aligned with Ukraine.
The five defendants are believed to be outside the United States and remained at large when the charges were announced.
Russian officials rejected the accusations, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow would require credible evidence before responding to the allegations.
The case is being handled through the federal court in Manhattan as American authorities continue investigating the suspected network and searching for the accused individuals.
