DOJ accuses Russian intel agents of plotting to murder U.S.-based dissident
The Justice Department is accusing several members of Russia's intelligence services of running a "global assassination network" that targeted Kremlin critics.
The federal government has accused five Russian intelligence agents of operating a global assassination network targeting Kremlin critics, including a murder plot against a U.S.-based dissident in the summer. The indictment unsealed Tuesday in New York charges Yuri Khrameev, his son Kirill, two Cubans, and one Venezuelan, all believed to reside in Russia, with involvement in the alleged plot.
The indictment alleges the Venezuelan operative and one Cuban recruited a Brooklyn resident to take photos of two locations linked to an unnamed Russian dissident for $1,000 to $1,500. Another Cuban offered $40,000 to eliminate or "disappear" the dissident. The Brooklyn resident initially agreed to take photos but refused to carry out the other tasks.
The Cuban recruiters allegedly sought other individuals in Mexico who could carry out the murder. Khrameev and his son are also accused of recruiting a U.S. citizen in Lithuania to kill someone spreading "dirt about my country." Khrameev allegedly offered $25,000 for the dissident's murder if he set a warehouse or electrical substation on fire instead.
Members of the RIS Network are also accused of facilitating failed arson attacks in Europe in 2024. Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg called the alleged plots "a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security, stating the defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network targeting the United States.
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