Latin America serves as platform for Russian espionage
Latin America has become a strategic hub for Russian operatives seeking to operate beyond the direct surveillance of U.S. and European agencies, according to the U.S. Intelligence Community. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo
May 28 (UPI) -- U.S. and NATO intelligence reports have documented an increase in Russian espionage activity in Latin America, particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
The region has become a strategic hub for Russian operatives seeking to operate beyond the direct surveillance of U.S. and European agencies, according to the U.S. Intelligence Community. Recent investigations reveal that Russia has used countries like Brazil as launchpads to create false identities and conduct international espionage.
Over the past two decades, Russia has expanded its footprint in Latin America through trade agreements, military cooperation, cultural diplomacy and intelligence operations, said Luis Pacheco of the Security College in Washington.
This expansion reflects a geopolitical effort to counter U.S. influence in the region.
"Although not always visible, Russian intelligence has cultivated networks of influence, disinformation and surveillance, acting as a silent tool of power," said Pacheco.
Intelligence services in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have reported activity by Russia's SVR and GRU intelligence agencies. In addition to on-the-ground espionage, these entities are accused of spreading disinformation, launching cyberattacks and carrying out psychological operations aimed at swaying public opinion, destabilizing pro-Western governments and promoting Kremlin-aligned narratives.
"Russian intelligence serves as a tool of geopolitical deterrence, sending a message that Moscow can also exert strategic influence in Latin America, a region traditionally within Washington's sphere of influence," Pacheco said.
Uruguay has a notable history involving Russian espionage. In September 2022, Alejandro Astesiano, the head of security for President Luis Alberto Lacalle, was arrested for leading a criminal network that forged documents to help Russian citizens obtain Uruguayan passports. Authorities estimate that the network facilitated as many as 10,000 passports, charging roughly $20,000 each.
More recently, Brazilian counterintelligence expelled nine Russian agents who had obtained Brazilian documents. According to officials, Uruguay's intelligence service tracked SVR agents into Brazil and alerted local authorities. The investigation included cooperation from the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies concerned that SVR presence aimed to influence opinion in favor of Russia's stance on the war in Ukraine.
A New York Times investigation detailed growing Russian espionage activity in Brazil, describing the country as a key platform for covert Kremlin operations. One notable case is that of Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, a GRU agent who posed as a Brazilian national under the name "Victor Muller Ferreira."
In his book El Topo (The Mole), Argentine journalist Hugo Alconada recounts the 2023 arrest in Slovenia of a Russian spy couple carrying Argentine passports. Artjom Viktorovič Dulcev and Anna Valerevna Dulceva allegedly lived under false identities in Buenos Aires between 2012 and 2019. Their mission reportedly focused on gathering intelligence about Argentina's massive Vaca Muerta oil reserve in the south of the country.
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