Russian spies orchestrated $40K murder plot in nation’s capital, US alleges
U.S. Prosecutors Unveil Alleged Russian‑Backed Murder‑for‑Hire Plot Targeting Kremlin Critic in Washington
Washington, D.C. – Federal prosecutors on Tuesday revealed that a covert network linked to Russian intelligence services allegedly plotted to kill a Kremlin critic believed to be living in the U.S. capital. The indictment, which names five men as key conspirators, claims the operation was part of a wider scheme that has recruited individuals across the globe to carry out assassinations and sabotage on Moscow’s behalf.
The indictment describes how the plot unfolded in late August when “suspected Russian intelligence operatives” directed a U.S.-based Venezuelan citizen to conduct covert surveillance of two Washington‑area locations tied to the target. The operative was reportedly offered $40,000 to eliminate the critic. While the Venezuelan completed the surveillance, he declined to carry out the murder himself, prompting prosecutors to say the network sought other recruits, including people in Mexico.
“The conspirators used coded language, referring to the assassination as “construction” and the surveillance as “measuring a plot of land,”” the indictment notes. The indictment also details instructions given to the recruit: place his phone in airplane mode, start recording before entering the neighborhood, move slowly past the target’s home, and delete any messages afterward.
Five Suspects Remain at Large
The indictment names five alleged members of what prosecutors call the Russian Intelligence Services Network (RIS):
- Yuri Khrameev, a former Russian intelligence colonel known as “Colonel Yuri.”
- Kirill Khrameev, his son, an officer in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
- Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national living in Russia who prosecutors describe as coordinating attacks for the network.
- Yaidel Delgado Suarez, known as “Viking.”
- Angel Eduardo Castro.
All five are charged with incitement and, for three of them, conspiracy to commit murder‑for‑hire. The Justice Department says the defendants remain at large.
Broader Russian Operations
The indictment claims the Washington plot was one element of a broader campaign that has operated since at least 2024. Prosecutors allege the network recruited a U.S. citizen in Lithuania to surveil another Kremlin critic, offering about $25,000 for the murder. After that recruit also refused, the network allegedly turned its attention to sabotage against infrastructure in countries perceived to support Ukraine, including plots targeting electrical substations, warehouses, and transportation hubs.
“The network has financed terrorism and coordinated violent operations across multiple countries,” the indictment states.
Context and Significance
The case is among the most serious publicly alleged Russian intelligence operations targeting an individual inside the United States in recent years. It follows a series of high‑profile Russian‑linked attacks abroad, including the 2018 poisoning of former Russian officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, and alleged killings of Kremlin critics overseas.
“This indictment represents a rare instance in which Russian operatives sought to recruit someone on U.S. soil to carry out an assassination,” a federal prosecutor said in a statement to reporters.
The investigation comes as Western governments continue to warn that Russia has expanded its use of covert operations, sabotage, and assassination plots beyond the battlefield since its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Next Steps
The indictment is the first public step in an ongoing investigation. Prosecutors have not yet announced any arrests, and the five defendants remain at large. The case underscores the ongoing threat of foreign‑state‑backed covert operations targeting dissidents and critics abroad.
