DOJ Indictment Russia Murder-for-Hire US: Charges Global Network

• The Department of Justice has indicted five individuals for their alleged involvement in a Kremlin-backed global assassination network.
• The network, known as the RIS Network, reportedly sought to recruit U.S. citizens for murder-for-hire plots targeting dissidents.
• Specific allegations include attempts to assassinate a Russian dissident in the U.S. and an individual in Lithuania, with offers up to $40,000.
• Defendants face charges including conspiracy to finance terrorism and murder-for-hire conspiracy, and all remain at large.
• U.S. officials assert these actions constitute a grave violation of national sovereignty and a significant threat to national security.

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg unequivocally stated that the alleged operations constitute a "gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security," vowing that federal law enforcement would vigorously counter any attempts by foreign intelligence services to operate freely within the nation.

Federal prosecutors have recently unveiled an indictment accusing five individuals of operating a global assassination network funded by the Kremlin, which allegedly sought to recruit U.S. citizens to carry out killings of dissidents. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges, revealing a sophisticated scheme that extended into the United States, posing a direct threat to national security. All five defendants named in the indictment remain at large.

The charges, unsealed on a Tuesday, include conspiracy to finance terrorism and murder-for-hire conspiracy. These allegations stem from the defendants' suspected involvement with Russian intelligence agencies, which are accused of orchestrating terroristic acts and attempted assassinations across the globe, with at least one plot specifically targeting an individual within the United States. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that such actions represent a grave violation of American sovereignty.

According to the 17-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York, the alleged plots involved multiple layers of recruitment and surveillance. In one instance, two defendants, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, from Cuba, and Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, from Venezuela, reportedly served as recruiters for the "RIS Network," identified as a component of the Kremlin's anti-dissident intelligence apparatus. They are accused of enlisting a Venezuelan citizen residing in the U.S. to surveil and attempt to murder a prominent Russian dissident based in the United States, offering $40,000 for the assassination. The recruiters also directed the individual to provide surveillance photos and videos for payments ranging from $1,000 to $1,500, and explicitly sought assistance in finding someone for "construction," a coded reference to murder. Suarez's text messages to the recruit indicated urgency, stating, "Let me know as soon as possible because I have a chain and my boss has questions," and mentioning delays with "people in Mexico."

A separate plot detailed in the indictment involved three other defendants: Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, from Cuba, and Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son Kirill Khrameev, 27, who are identified as high-ranking members of the RIS Network. In 2025, these individuals allegedly attempted to recruit a U.S. citizen to surveil and murder an individual in Lithuania, whom they described as a "bad guy" "telling lies about Russia." Yuri Khrameev, who identified himself as a "colonel of Russian intelligence agencies," suggested methods such as "throwing a bottle of gasoline" or "sticking a knife" into the target, and explicitly stated the goal was to target "all the countries that are helping Ukraine" amidst the ongoing conflict. While the U.S. citizen accepted $200 for surveillance, they ultimately declined a $25,000 offer to carry out the killing. Furthermore, prosecutors allege that a year prior, in 2024, Durruthy facilitated travel for a criminal associate in connection with a failed arson attack in Prague, Czechia.

The charges underscore the serious legal ramifications for individuals involved in foreign state-sponsored criminal activity on U.S. soil. The Department of Justice is pursuing charges of conspiracy to finance terrorism and murder-for-hire conspiracy, reflecting the gravity of the alleged offenses. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg unequivocally stated that the alleged operations constitute a "gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security," vowing that federal law enforcement would vigorously counter any attempts by foreign intelligence services to operate freely within the nation.

This indictment highlights the U.S. government's assertion that the Russian Federation has a history of conducting such attacks internationally. The case serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by foreign intelligence operations seeking to undermine U.S. interests and target individuals within its borders or abroad through recruited agents. The ongoing pursuit of these defendants, who remain at large, signals the U.S. commitment to holding those accountable for participating in these alleged global assassination plots.

This case underscores the heightened risk of foreign state-sponsored criminal activity on US soil, requiring compliance officers to bolster due diligence and internal controls against recruitment by foreign intelligence networks or involvement in such plots.

Source: Information derived from an Associated Press report.