The U.S. Department of Justice has announced formal charges against five individuals connected to Russian intelligence services, including two Cuban nationals: Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suárez, also known as "Viking." Both 35 years old, these individuals are currently fugitives.
The indictment, filed by the Southern District of New York, accuses them of being part of a Russian espionage network that has been operating since at least 2024. Their mission: to eliminate dissidents and sabotage infrastructure in countries allied with Ukraine, including within the United States.
Cuban Involvement in Global Espionage
Romagoza Durruthy, originally from Camagüey and residing in Petrozavodsk, Russia, where he runs the Latin dance school "Made in Cuba," is described as a logistics coordinator and attack planner for the network. In mid-2024, he orchestrated an assault in Prague and later coordinated another in Lithuania, arranging travel and maintaining communication with the operatives. By November 2025, he had acquired images of a prominent Russian dissident's residence in the U.S., which were subsequently used for surveillance operations on American soil.
An international warrant for Romagoza's arrest was issued by Lithuanian prosecutors in January 2026, linking him to terrorism attempts involving the burning of TVC Solutions facilities in Šiauliai. The trial commenced in April, with the accused pleading not guilty. Having obtained Russian citizenship in 2022 through marriage, his extradition remains highly unlikely.
The Recruiter: Yaidel Delgado Suárez
Delgado Suárez is identified as a "prolific recruiter" in the indictment, known for targeting individuals within the U.S. Alongside Venezuelan Ángel Eduardo Castro, aged 22, he offered a U.S. resident between $1,000 and $1,500 for preliminary surveillance and $40,000 to "eliminate" or "disappear" the dissident identified as Victim-1. When the recruit declined to carry out the murder, Suárez inquired if he knew "someone who could do the job," hinting at having "people in Mexico" ready to execute it.
Additional Accused: The Khrameevs
The other defendants include Yuri Khrameev, a 63-year-old former colonel of the Russian intelligence services, known as "Colonel Yuri," and his son Kirill Khrameev, a 27-year-old officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Last year, Yuri Khrameev offered an American $25,000 to murder a dissident in Lithuania, claiming the target "spread filth about my country." When the recruit refused, alternatives such as "burning a warehouse" or "throwing a gasoline bottle at an electrical substation" were suggested, with the aim of targeting "all countries aiding Ukraine."
Background and Implications
All accused face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to finance terrorism. Suárez, Castro, and Yuri Khrameev could face an additional 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder for hire. This case highlights a documented increase in Russian covert operations that, following the Ukraine invasion in 2022, have increasingly relied on recruiting Latin Americans as "disposable agents" to conduct sabotage and assassinations without directly exposing intelligence officials.
The Cuban dance instructor was already wanted by European authorities prior to these charges from Washington. "These accused individuals allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network reaching into the U.S., attempting to recruit American and foreign nationals to commit crimes on behalf of the Kremlin," stated John A. Eisenberg, Deputy Attorney General for National Security. "These actions represent a severe violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security," he concluded.
Understanding the Charges Against Cuban Nationals in the Russian Plot
Who are the main accused in this case?
The main accused are Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suárez, Cuban nationals, along with Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, and Ángel Eduardo Castro, connected to Russian intelligence operations.
What are the charges against them?
They face charges of conspiracy to finance terrorism and, in some cases, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, with potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
How does this case affect U.S. national security?
The case underscores a significant breach of U.S. sovereignty and highlights the threat posed by foreign espionage networks attempting to operate within U.S. borders.