Russian President Vladimir Putin likely masterminded an assassination attempt against an ex-intelligence official on US soil 10 years after the double agent fled Moscow for Miami — a deed that would have been an extraordinary breach of American sovereignty.
Kremlin officials in early 2020 pressured a Mexican scientist to track down the former spy, Col. Alexander Poteyev, who had served for decades in Russia’s SVR intelligence service before he betrayed a ring of 10 Russian spies — including the notorious Anna Chapman — and defected to the US, the New York Times reported Monday.
But the scientist, Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, botched the assassination plot and was caught by US authorities with a picture of Poteyev’s license plate on his phone, which he planned to pass on to Russian intelligence.
The US retaliated by imposing sanctions and expelling 10 Russian diplomats from Washington, DC — including the top intelligence official stationed there.
Advertisement
Kremlin officials in 2020 pressured a Mexican scientist to track down the former spy, Col. Alexander Poteyev, who had served for decades in Russia’s SVR intelligence service.EAST2WEST NEWS The scientist, Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, botched the assassination plot and got caught by US authorities.YouTube/math2me
At the time, President Biden said the penalties were a response to Putin’s alleged interference in the 2020 election and the SolarWinds hack on US federal agencies.
“We cannot allow a foreign power to interfere in our democratic process with impunity,” Biden said at an April 15, 2021, White House press briefing.
Putin retaliated by banishing 10 US diplomats from Moscow, including the local CIA station chief.
“We cannot allow a foreign power to interfere in our democratic process with impunity,” Biden, 80, said at an April 15, 2021, White House press briefing.AP
The Times reported that the failed assassination of Poteyev has been confirmed by US intelligence officials and is also recounted in historian Calder Walton’s newly published book “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.”
The Kremlin forced Fuentes to participate in the plot by exploiting his double life — which included a bigamist marriage to a Russian woman living in Germany.
Fuentes, who had a clean record and lived in Oaxaca with his Mexican wife, had earned his doctorate from the University of Giessen, where his Russian wife lived with her two daughters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliated by banishing 10 US diplomats from Moscow, including the city’s CIA chief.AP
Following a trip to Russia, however, Fuentes’ wife was prohibited from returning to Germany in 2019.
A Russian official informed Fuentes that he could “help” his family out in exchange for information about Poteyev, who had been convicted in absentia of treason and desertion in 2011.
Advertisement
Fuentes rented a condo north of Miami Beach under an associate’s name and learned in February 2020 during a trip to Moscow where he could find Poteyev’s vehicle, though the Kremlin official discouraged him from taking a photograph.
The US officials then searched Fuentes’ phone and discovered the picture of Poteyev’s vehicle.YouTube/math2me
The scientist and his Mexican wife later tailgated a resident at the complex where Poteyev lived to try to gain entry, but were held up by security.
Somehow Fuentes’ wife was able to take a picture of Poteyev’s license plate before they left the complex, but the couple was detained by US Customs and Border Protection two days later on their way back to Mexico.
The US officials then searched Fuentes’ phone and discovered the picture of Poteyev’s vehicle, and the scientist later confessed details of the plot to federal investigators.
In 2018, Russian agent Alexander Petrov poisoned another ex-Kremlin official, Sergei V. Skripal, who was convicted in 2006 for disclosing secrets to UK intelligence.Metropolitan Police via Getty Images
A former US intelligence official told the Times Fuentes had been unaware of the significance of his mission in trying to obtain the information.
Fuentes pleaded guilty in February 2022 and was later sentenced to four years in federal prison. He will be deported to Mexico upon his release.
In 2018, Russian agent Alexander Petrov poisoned another ex-Kremlin official, Sergei V. Skripal, who was convicted in 2006 for disclosing secrets to British intelligence.
Advertisement
Poteyev escaped Russia in 2010 through Belarus after having outed 10 Kremlin “moles” who disguised themselves as everyday Americans, including the model Anna Chapman.AP
Skripal had been released as part of a prisoner exchange resulting from Poteyev’s defection — and his poisoning also led to diplomatic expulsions.
Poteyev escaped Russia in 2010 through Belarus after having outed 10 Kremlin “moles” who disguised themselves as everyday Americans, including the fiery-haired Chapman.
In 2016, Russian news reports surfaced that Poteyev had died, but the double agent purchased a fishing license and registered as a Republican the same year in Miami.
Two years later, BuzzFeed News shared both facts in a report that revealed Poteyev was still alive and living in Florida.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward didn’t take the field for the second half of Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, but Hurricane fans shouldn’t be worried.
Miami backup quarterback Emory Williams started for the team to open the third quarter and immediately led the Hurricanes on a touchdown drive.
Hurricanes team reporter Christy Chirinos shared that Ward had a big smile on his face as the team scored the touchdown, which likely indicates he’s out of the game as a precaution for his 2025 NFL Draft preparations. In For The Win’s latest mock draft, we have Ward as the No. 2 overall pick.
Ward threw his 156th touchdown pass during the game, which gave him the NCAA Division I record for touchdowns thrown in a college career.
Advertisement
With the record in the books, Ward and the team perhaps decided it wasn’t worth the injury risk in the second half. He could be the first player off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft next spring.
However, it’s always possible he rejoins the game before it ends.
The Miami Dolphins will look to get back to .500 for the first time since September when they face the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday in a game that might or might not have playoff implications.
Here’s all the pertinent info for this Week 17 Dolphins-Browns matchup.
Additional content: — Is the end near for big-name Dolphins? — Rain, not cold, could be challenge in Cleveland — What the Christmas results mean for the Dolphins
Regular Season Series History: Dolphins lead 10-9
Last Five Meetings:
Advertisement
November 13, 2022 at Miami — Dolphins 39, Browns 17
November 24, 2019 at Cleveland — Browns 41, Dolphins 24
September 25, 2016 at Miami — Dolphins 30, Browns 24 (OT)
September 8, 2013 at Cleveland — Dolphins 23, Browns 10
September 25, 2011 at Cleveland — Browns 17, Dolphins 16
Series Superlatives:
Connections:
Heading into Week 17, it appeared likely the Dolphins would miss the playoffs after being in the postseason last year and the other AFC team in that position is the Browns. Yes, the Browns made the playoffs in 2023, even though that seems crazy considering how bad their 2024 season has gone. While the defense certainly hasn’t been great, it’s the Cleveland offense that’s most to blame for the collapse, and pointing the finger at QB Deshaun Watson probably wouldn’t be out of line since the Browns made their playoff run while he was on IR last season and Joe Flacco was running the offense. Cleveland was so bad on offense with Watson, it didn’t reach 300 total yards in any game until Week 7. Maybe the weirdest part about the Cleveland season is that two of its three victories have come against playoff-bound Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Cleveland is down to its third quarterback with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who still needs to show he can more than a third option for a team. The Browns won’t have Nick Chubb, who’s on IR, or injured tight end David Njoku in this game and scored 13 points in their past two games combined. The Dolphins defense has been good in recent weeks and it’s easy to envision it completely shutting down the Browns in this game.
The biggest X-factor in this game is whether the Dolphins will have anything at stake in terms of playoff ramifications. If they have been eliminated because the Chargers and Broncos both won Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Dolphins come out flat even if they want to finish the season with a winning record regardless. The elements also could be an issue, particularly if it becomes rainy and windy, and a wet ball on a wet field always can be a great equalizer.
This will be the Dolphins’ fourth and final shot at getting back to .500 this season for the first time since September and they can keep alive their streak of consecutive seasons with a winning record by defeating the Browns before turning their attention to the New York Jets in Week 18. Cleveland will play hard in this game, but injuries have left them talent-deficient on offense. The Browns committted 18 turnovers in their past five games and we can see at least a couple more in this one. This is the kind of game the Dolphins have managed very well over the past couple of years, and there’s no reason to think this will be different, regardless of weather or playoff scenarios.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25672934/Metaphor_Key_Art_Horizontal.png "There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does")
