U.S. Justice Dept. Unveils Charges Against Five Supposed Russian Operatives in Worldwide Murder Plot

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment on Wednesday that names five individuals it says were working for Russian intelligence services to orchestrate murders and violent attacks across the globe – even on U.S. soil. It’s a sprawling, almost cinematic, network that recruited, paid and directed operatives to conduct surveillance, kill dissidents, and sabotage infrastructure in countries viewed as pro‑Ukraine.

According to prosecutors, the alleged ring paid anywhere from $1,000 to $40,000 for different tasks – a tidy sum for spying on a Russian exile living in the United States, and an even bigger payout for a “disappear‑the‑target” order. In one chilling example, a Cuban‑born operative known as “Viking” supposedly offered a U.S. citizen $25,000 to assassinate a person in Lithuania, later suggesting alternatives like arson or attacking an electric substation when the assassin balked.

The indictment lists the accused as Yuri Khrameev, a former Russian intelligence colonel; his son Kirill Khrameev, described as an officer in the FSB; two Cuban nationals – Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez – and a Venezuelan, Angel Eduardo Castro. Prosecutors say three of them were senior figures in what they call the “Russian Intelligence Services Network” (RIS Network), a shadowy outfit focused on silencing critics and striking at nations that support Kyiv.

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald, who handles the Southern District of New York, called the plot “brazen, aggressive and far‑reaching,” emphasizing that the government won’t tolerate state‑sponsored terror that reaches American streets. Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed that sentiment, noting that the Justice Department and FBI are actively working to keep such foreign‑backed violence off U.S. soil.

The FBI says the operation was busted through a coordinated effort among several field offices and partner agencies. “Relentless work and rock‑solid partnership” – as Assistant Director James Barnacle put it – helped derail the scheme before any attacks could be carried out in the United States.

Legally, the five face conspiracy to finance terrorism, a charge that can bring up to 20 years behind bars. In addition, Khrameev, Suarez and Castro are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire, which carries a maximum of 10 years. Of course, the indictment makes clear these are allegations and the men are presumed innocent until proven guilty – a point the Department stressed repeatedly.

As of now, all five defendants remain at large, leaving investigators to continue the hunt while keeping a close eye on any lingering cells that might still be trying to act on the Kremlin’s purported orders.