US Department of Justice Charges Five Individuals in Connection with Alleged Russian Intelligence Plots

US Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a news briefing at the White House, Washington, DC, September 15, 2026 [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo]. Five individuals have been formally charged in connection with alleged Russian intelligence-linked plots that involve surveillance, recruitment, and planned killings, as revealed by an indictment unsealed by the United States Department of Justice.

Prosecutors announced on Tuesday that the network operated on behalf of Russian intelligence services to execute attacks and murders internationally, including operations within the US. Authorities confirmed that all five suspects remain at large.

The defendants were publicly identified as Russian national Yuri Khrameev, 63, his son Kirill Khrameev, 27, Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, both 35, and 22-year-old Venezuelan Angel Eduardo Castro. Each of the five defendants faces charges of conspiring to finance terrorism. Additionally, Yuri Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro face separate charges of conspiring to commit murder for hire.

During a news conference, Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the operations involved specific attempts to assassinate a Russian dissident believed to reside in the Washington, DC area. According to Justice Department officials, the network actively recruited multiple individuals inside the US to conduct surveillance on Russian dissidents, with targets located both domestically and in Lithuania.

In one documented instance, a recruit was reportedly offered a payment of $40,000 to cause a US-based target to disappear. In another separate case from the previous year, a different recruit was allegedly promised $25,000 to eliminate an individual in Lithuania.

The Russia embassy in the US has not issued any comments regarding the case. Meanwhile, Moscow has consistently denied allegations that it orchestrates assassination operations on foreign soil, including within the US.