Brazil refuses US extradition request for alleged Russian spy.
Brazil Denies Extradition Request for Alleged Russian Spy
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security announced on Thursday that Brazil has denied the United States’s request to extradite alleged Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov.
The ministry revealed that it had received two extradition requests for Cherkasov, one from the U.S. and one from Russia. However, Brazil plans to honor the request it received first, which is from Russia.
Flavio Dino, Brazil’s justice minister, stated that Cherkasov will remain in Brazil for now. According to Cherkasov’s lawyer, Paulo Ferreira, his client’s extradition to Russia will only take place after the final judgment of all his cases in Brazil.
Charges Against Cherkasov
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Cherkasov in March with several offenses, including acting as an agent of a foreign power, visa fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud. The charges allege that Cherkasov used a Brazilian alias, Victor Muller Ferreira, to apply for a graduate school program in Washington, D.C., and obtain a visa.
According to the criminal complaint filed by U.S. prosecutors, Cherkasov began working as a Russian spy in 2012 under his Brazilian cover identity. Even while attending Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., he continued to report to his handlers in Russia’s military intelligence service.
In addition to his activities as a spy, Cherkasov also attempted to secure a job with the International Criminal Court using his alias. However, his true identity was eventually discovered. After being turned away, he returned to Brazil and was subsequently arrested on fraud charges related to his use of the false Ferreira identity.
Escalating Tensions
The release of charges against Cherkasov by the U.S. Department of Justice was followed by the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on espionage charges. The Biden administration quickly declared Gershkovich’s detention as wrongful, as determined by the State Department.
Gershkovich’s arrest marked the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on spying allegations since the Cold War. This incident further strained the already strained relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Click here to read more from The Washington Examiner.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
