“We will not tolerate efforts to finance terrorist activities and engage in acts of violence—particularly when these activities are commissioned by state actors and touch American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged, the defendants, working for the intelligence services of Russia, conspired to cause destruction and mayhem around the world, including right here in the United States. The Russian-led network charged in today’s indictment is brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching, and the charges levied against the defendants should send a clear message: no matter where you are, and no matter who you work for, we will investigate and prosecute you for your crimes. I thank our partners at the FBI who work tirelessly to protect our communities and am grateful that our law enforcement partners neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat.”
“It is our job to stop America’s adversaries from unleashing violence and terror on American soil,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “And that’s precisely what we are doing thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department prosecutors.”
“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,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Actions like these represent a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security. We will stamp out any foreign intelligence services’ 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 charges announced reveal an alleged plot by the Russian intelligence services to murder a dissident on U.S. soil for daring to speak out against the Russian government,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. "As alleged in the indictment, this plot exposes the lengths to which our adversaries will go to silence its critics and illustrates the grave threat transnational repression poses to the lives and freedoms of all who challenge authoritarian regimes. The FBI is committed to defending the free speech of everyone within our homeland and will not tolerate any attempts by foreign governments to violate our laws and threaten our freedoms.”
“As alleged in this indictment, members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI disrupted this operation through relentless work and rock-solid partnership. The FBI is committed to confronting transnational repression wherever it occurs and protecting those targeted for exercising their fundamental rights. We thank the multiple FBI Field Offices and the United States Attorney's Office whose coordination and commitment made this disruption possible.”
“The charges announced represent the culmination of extraordinary work by multiple FBI field offices, components, and partner agencies that collectively disrupted Russia’s attempts to conduct violent acts in our nation’s capital and throughout the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Darren B. Cox. “When this threat was identified, the Washington Field Office and our partners moved quickly to disrupt the plot and hold the Russian government accountable for its actions. Our message is clear: any foreign intelligence service that attempts to direct violence inside the United States will face an unrelenting and coordinated response from the FBI and our partners to protect the homeland.”
As reflected in the Indictment unsealed today:(1)
Since at least in or about 2024, a network of individuals working for the intelligence services of the Russian Federation (the “RIS Network”) has conspired to conduct and conducted attacks and murder around the world, including within the United States. The RIS Network is one arm of the Russian Federation’s apparatus to carry out external attacks, including murder, around the world, which has focused on Russian dissidents and defectors and, most recently, on nations perceived as allies of Ukraine. Most recently, members of the RIS Network have attempted to recruit multiple individuals within the United States to carry out pre-operational surveillance and murder within this country.
Three of the defendants are high-ranking members of the RIS Network. Those three defendants are: YURI KHRAMEEV, a/k/a “Colonel Yuri,” a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services who has participated in the recruitment of multiple individuals to commit murder against perceived Russian dissidents; KIRILL KHRAMEEV, an officer in the Federal Security Service of Russia (“FSB”) and YURI KHRAMEEV’s son; and OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, a Cuban national who is an influential member of the Cuban diaspora living in Russia who has coordinated attacks for the RIS Network. Two additional members of the RIS Network who are charged in the Indictment are YAIDEL DELGADO SUAREZ, a/k/a “Viking,” who is a prolific recruiter for the RIS Network and who has recruited or attempted to recruit multiple individuals in the United States; and ANGEL EDUARDO CASTRO, who participated with SUAREZ in the recruitment of U.S.-based individuals to surveil and attempt to murder a prominent U.S.-based Russian dissident (“Victim-1”).
The RIS Network has allegedly carried out or conspired to carry out multiple schemes around the world. Most recently, this summer, the RIS Network recruited an individual based in the United States (“U.S. Resident-1”) to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident they believed to be residing in the United States. Among other things, SUAREZ sent U.S. Resident-1 two locations associated with Victim-1 to surveil; provided U.S. Resident-1 with explicit instructions on how to conduct surveillance; and promised U.S. Resident-1 between $1,000 and $1,500 to carry out the pre-operational surveillance. In turn, U.S. Resident-1 conducted the requested surveillance and passed back to SUAREZ multiple photographs and videos of locations associated with Victim-1. SUAREZ and CASTRO further offered U.S. Resident-1 $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” Victim-1 and, when U.S. Resident-1 told them that he did not want to carry out the murder by his own hand, asked U.S. Resident-1 if he knew “someone [who] can do the work.” SUAREZ also told U.S. Resident-1 that he had “people in Mexico” who could otherwise carry out the murder, but they were delayed in doing so. In addition, SUAREZ attempted to recruit multiple other individuals within the United States to conduct pre-operational surveillance and murder Victim-1 and other potential targets within the United States, and offered them substantial sums of money to carry out the targeting of the U.S.-based victims.
The alleged attempted murder of Victim-1 is the latest in the RIS Network’s efforts. Last year, as alleged in the Indictment, the RIS Network solicited a U.S. Citizen (“U.S. Citizen-1”) to surveil and murder an individual located in Lithuania (“Victim-2”) who the RIS Network described as a “bad guy” who was “telling lies about Russia.” KIRILL KHRAMEEV first recruited U.S. Citizen-1 to travel to Victim-2’s purported address and take pictures. After U.S. Citizen-1 accepted and completed the assignment in exchange for a promise of $200, KIRILL KHRAMEEV introduced U.S. Citizen-1 to someone he described as his “boss” and a “colonel,” later identified as YURI KHRAMEEV. YURI KHRAMEEV then offered U.S. Citizen-1 approximately $25,000 to kill Victim-2. YURI KHRAMEEV further told U.S. Citizen-1 that they wanted Victim-2 dead because he was “spreading dirt about my country” and “distorting history.” YURI KHRAMEEV then sent U.S. Citizen-1 a photograph of Victim-2 and described that he could be murdered by “throwing a bottle of gasoline” or “sticking a knife” in him. After U.S. Citizen-1 declined to carry out the murder, YURI KHRAMEEV offered instead to give him a “simpler job” which could include “set[ting] fire to a warehouse of property or food” or “throw[ing] a bottle of gasoline at an electrical substation.” YURI KHRAMEEV made clear to U.S. Citizen-1 that the purpose was to target “all the countries that are helping Ukraine” and that he was offering “serious money for serious work.” Finally, YURI KHRAMEEV confirmed that he was a “colonel of Russian intelligence agencies.”
Overseas, the RIS Network has also allegedly recruited others to carry out acts of terrorism. One key member of the RIS Network who is involved in this overseas effort is OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, who coordinated travel and logistics for the RIS Network. In or about June 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated an attack in Prague, Czechia, including by sending to another participant potential attack sites and facilitating that participant’s travel. In or about September 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated another attack in Lithuania, in which he, again, booked travel reservations for another individual involved in the attack, and had frequent and ongoing communications with an individual involved in the attack. DURRUTHY also communicated with YURI KHRAMEEV in or about November 2025, during which time period DURRUTHY obtained media of one of Victim-1’s dwellings, which was ultimately surveilled by U.S. Resident-1 this year.
YURI KHRAMEEV, a/k/a “Colonel Yuri,” 63, of Russia, KIRILL KHRAMEEV, 27, of Russia, OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, 35, of Cuba, YAIDEL DELGADO SUAREZ, a/k/a “Viking,” 35, of Cuba, and ANGEL EDUARDO CASTRO, 22, of Venezuela, are all charged with participating in a conspiracy to finance terrorism (Count One), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. YURI KHRAMEEV, SUAREZ, and CASTRO are also charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire (Count Two), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding efforts of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. McDonald also thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office for their significant assistance, as well as Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Coyle, Kaylan E. Lasky, Adam Margulies, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Andrew Briggs of the Counterterrorism Section and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the Counterespionage Section.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
