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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – Loved ones were experiencing heartbreak and anguish as a body was brought out of a North Miami nursing facility on Monday.
Family members told Local 10 News they believe it’s 71-year-old Elin Etienne, who was reported missing from North Dade Nursing and Rehab, located at 1255 NE 135th St., nearly two weeks ago.
Now they’re not sure he ever left.
“He was stuffed in a closet the last 12 days,” said a family member. “The officer advised he was so decomposed that they couldn’t recognize him.”
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Loved ones say Etienne was a cook, a loving father and grandfather. They said he suffered an aneurysm, which is why they took him to North Dade Nursing and Rehab.
On Aug. 22, he was reported missing.
The family says they got a call from a nurse.
“She told me that they lost him, then they transferred me to another nurse who said he signed a form to leave,” said a family member.
“Do you think he would have signed a form to leave?” asked Local 10′s Janine Stanwood.
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“No, he couldn’t even feed himself,” she replied.
The doors to the facility were locked when Local 10 News arrived on Monday. A staff member had no comment when asked about the situation.
Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – An investigation is underway after one person died in a hit-and-run, which led to a three-car crash in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Police arrived at the scene in the area of 43rd Avenue and Southwest Eighth Street, Monday morning.
7News cameras captured several officers at the scene and a car that was totaled.
MDPD handed the investigation to the City of Miami because the initial crash happened in the City of Miami’s jurisdiction.
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According to the City of Miami Police, the victim was a 29-year-old male and was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is unclear how many people were involved in the crash or their conditions.
Following the crash, two cars ended in a Walgreens parking lot.
Miami Police said that the third vehicle fled the scene. No description of the vehicle was provided.
The roadways in the area has been closed as police continue to investigate and the parking lot at Walgreens is partially closed down.
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Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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NEW College Football Playoff Rankings | Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, Texas, Alabama, Michigan, Oregon
It’s a new era of college football.
When the College Football Playoff committee starts releasing rankings later this season, they aren’t going to be the end-all, be-all given the new seeding rules of the 12-team field. But the rankings are still fun and people are still going to fight over them. They still matter.
So after every weekend, after the dust settles from the games, I’m going to unveil my updated top 10. Miami throttled Florida 41-17 in the Swamp on Saturday causing the Hurricanes to vault up the rankings after week 1.
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Let’s start with the first edition:
1. Georgia (1-0)
We’ll get more context regarding how impressive the dismantling of Clemson was as the season progresses, but the Bulldogs had perhaps the most eye-opening win of the weekend. And they did it without running back Trevor Etienne. Though there are fair questions as to whether this team is actually as dominant as the Georgia teams from the previous three years, a deep, talented squad led by the best head coach in college football is off to a fast start.
2. Ohio State (1-0)
If this were a preseason ranking, I’d have Ohio State No. 1. There is no question in my mind the Buckeyes possess the deepest, most talented roster in the sport. But it would be impossible to put them No. 1 right now because, well, resumes already matter. Ohio State got off to a slow start against Akron, but the Buckeyes could certainly claim the top spot in this poll if they turn out to be the team I think they can be.
3. Texas (1-0)
The Longhorns suffered a major loss before the year when running back CJ Baxter suffered a season-ending injury. That put some pressure on Texas’ offense, but it is too good at other positions to fret too much. Quinn Ewers is out here hitting us with no-look touchdown passes, the receivers were getting open consistently and Arch Manning threw his first touchdown pass in Texas’ 52-0 win over Colorado State. Oh, and the defense pitched a shutout. We’ll find out a lot more about this Texas team this weekend in Ann Arbor.
4. Alabama (1-0)
It was too easy to view Alabama as less dangerous because Nick Saban is no longer the head coach. But Kalen DeBoer may be one of the best offensive minds in the sport and he’s working with talent that he’s never had in his career. Alabama still looked pretty scary in its opener, beating Western Kentucky 63-0. The Crimson Tide will have plenty of opportunity to prove they are a national title contender on the field, but until then, it’s still safe to assume this team can play with anyone in the country.
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5. Oregon (1-0)
How much can you read into a clunker? It is still shocking to look back and see the Ducks playing a four-quarter game with Idaho when they were favored by 50, but that is how the Dillon Gabriel era started. Oregon is widely-anticipated to be a major threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten, and there is just too much firepower on that offense to think the Idaho game was anything other than rust. The Ducks will be very good this year.
6. Notre Dame (1-0)
Notre Dame went into College Station in its season-opener — arguably its toughest game on the schedule — and got the job done. The Irish didn’t just win, but they looked more explosive on offense with a problem-solver at quarterback in Riley Leonard. He keeps defenses on their toes. The offensive line, which was a concern heading into the year, showed up for the challenge. Notre Dame’s defense is nasty. This is a team that has a real chance to go undefeated and will be a mainstay in this poll all year.
7. Penn State (1-0)
Heading into the season, I was buying the West Virginia hype. Then Penn State rolled into Morgantown and beat the breaks off the Mountaineers. Quarterback Drew Allar seemed to take a step forward and the Nittany Lions made a huge hire in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who has the team looking more explosive on that side of the ball in the early stages of the year. The Nittany Lions also have one of the best defensive players in the country in Abdul Carter, so this team could be built to shock some people this year.
8. Miami (1-0)
Miami and Florida came into the weekend viewed as relative equals. Miami left Gainesville with an emphatic 41-17 win over the Gators, proving these two teams aren’t in the same weight class. Cam Ward looked like a stud, Xavier Restrepo is an emerging star at receiver and the Hurricanes controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Three other ACC teams — Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech — opened the season with losses, so Miami looks like the class of the conference right now.
9. Ole Miss (1-0)
Ole Miss is going to be an interesting case study of how far going all-in on the portal can take you. Jaxson Dart, who led Ole Miss to 11 wins this season, now big-time receiver Juice Wells and running back Henry Parrish to go along with stud wideout Tre Harris. On defense, Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen joined the team. Ole Miss beat Furman 76-0 in the season-opener and it hopes this team will compete for an SEC title and more.
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10. Tennessee (1-0)
Tennessee was a trail-blazer of the NIL era and it went all-in on quarterback Nico Iamaleava. But what happens if he isn’t good? Well, Tennessee doesn’t have to worry about answering that question. In just a few games, it has already become clear that he’s a stud. Iamaleava set a Tennessee record with 314 yards passing in the first half and the Vols cruised to a 69-3 win over Chattanooga. It’ll be fun to see how he performs in a big game next weekend against N.C. State.
