U.S. charges Cuban national with conspiracy to finance terrorism on behalf of Russia

October 1, 2026 by 3 Comments

PetrozavodskUNITED STATES AUTHORITIES HAVE charged a Cuban dance teacher living in Russia with conspiracy to finance terrorism. According to the U.S. government, the Cuban national used the online alias “Dios” while coordinating a series of arson attacks across four European countries on behalf of the Russian intelligence services.

A recent investigation by German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle identified the individual behind the alias “Dios” as Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national. Born in Camagüey, Cuba, Romagoza has been living in Russia for at least the past seven years. He appears to work as a Latin dance teacher in “Made in Cuba”, a dance studio in the northern city of Petrozavodsk. After he reportedly faced financial strain, in 2023 Romagoza began to use Facebook to recruit individuals from Latin America looking for work in Poland or Ukraine. He would then transition the encrypted application Telegram to communicate with those interested in speaking with him, offering them $1,500 for each completed “operation”.

Romagoza’s recruits were largely Spanish-speaking migrants, Ukrainian refugees, and local youths with no prior connection to Russia or the Russian intelligence services. Investigators claim they were able to identify at least 12 such individuals who were recruited by Romagoza and directed to carry out surveillance and sabotage across Europe. These recruits were typically employed online and had no knowledge of their real employers (i.e. Russian intelligence) or the intended objective of their assignments.

One of Romagoza’s alleged recruits was Luis Alfonso Murillo Diosa, a 34-year-old Colombian national. Romagoza initially contacted Diosa in a Latin American-themed Facebook group for users seeking to join the Ukrainian military. Romagoza offered Murillo a “special mission” in Europe instead of deployment to Ukraine. He also reportedly offered to coordinated Murillo’s travel and logistics in Europe. Without ever meeting Murillo in person, Romagoza instructed him to travel to Bucharest in July 2024 and take photos of a recycling facility and an oil well. Murillo was then instructed by Ramagoza to start a fire. However, Murillo was apprehended by Romanian officials. Upon his arrest, he claimed he did not intend to commit arson and told Romanian investigators he did not know who he was working for. Romanian authorities eventually sentenced Murillo to six years in prison for attempted sabotage in 2025.

U.S. authorities claim that Romagoza’s network was active between June and September 2024. During that time, the network allegedly set fire to two construction-supply businesses in Poland, a bus garage in the Czech Republic, a Romanian recycling facility, and a Lithuanian warehouse filled with equipment destined for Ukraine.

At least nine of Romagoza’s recruits have been arrested so far. Two are serving prison sentences of between 6 and 8 years for attempted sabotage or terrorism, with the remaining seven awaiting trial. It is unclear if Romagoza continues to recruit assets oh behalf of Russian intelligence. He remains at large and is wanted by European authorities. An online video recently surfaced, which showed Romagoza leading a salsa class in Russia, where he is believed to continue to reside today.

The use of paid agents by Russian intelligence services is believed to have grown substantially since 2022, following a wave of mass expulsions of Russian diplomats from Europe in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In August 2026, Estonian authorities arrested two individuals who carried out arson attacks targeting unmanned military vehicles destined for Ukraine. Lithuanian prosecutors separately linked the network to the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which is commonly known by its Cold War-era initials, GRU.

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Romagoza with conspiracy to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. According to the indictment, Romagoza coordinated a June 2024 attack in Prague by identifying potential targets and arranging the travel logistics of his network’s operatives. He also allegedly coordinated and funded a September 2024 attack in Lithuania by booking travel and maintaining contact with those involved in the attack. Romagoza is not charged in a separate murder-for-hire count brought against three other members of the network, dubbed the “RIS Network”, by the U.S. Department of Justice.

► Author: Molly Jones | Date: 02 October 2026 | Permalink

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying, by Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis, Ian Allen, and Molly Jones.

3 Responses to U.S. charges Cuban national with conspiracy to finance terrorism on behalf of Russia

  1. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:
    October 3, 2026 at 01:27

    The law, paramilitary espionage (hybrid warfare) and broader foreign policy goals exist in the same world.

    As the Cuban Romagoza is safely ensconced in Russia he is beyond US or NATO judicial reach. The decision of US authorities to charge Romagoza with conspiracy to finance terrorism could be seen as part justification for harsher measures against Cuba.

    The US is not actively planning an immediate military invasion of Cuba. But the Trump administration has increased economic pressure, raised the threat of military action, and asked the US Department of War to conduct contingency planning against Cuba.

    Pete
    https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

  2. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:
    October 3, 2026 at 09:28

    I see the suspect hailed from Camagüey, where the majority of ballet dancers from Cuba are trained. Ballet de Camagüey has over decades performed around the world. They are historically connected to Russia’s Kirov Ballet. He is just one of many recruited after they stop performing. There’s not any ready-made occupations to graduate onto in Cuba except to become proxies for communist states such as described here. Same applies to the Cuban National Ballet. Needless to add that they are visually attractive by virtue of their lifelong training in dance and are disciplined, able to speak fluently in Spanish, Russian, English and French, in that order. – Nicholas Anderson, author

  3. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:
    October 3, 2026 at 23:27

    Historically ballet dancing has been good cover for other spies. The wonder of Google AI advises:

    “Several historical figures combined careers as professional ballet or stage dancers with roles as wartime spies.

    Marina Lee

    • Who she was: A Russian-born ballet dancer (born Marina Lee in 1902) who fled Saint Petersburg after the Bolshevik revolution.
    • Espionage role: She worked as a Nazi spy during World War II. In 1940, she used a Red Cross uniform to infiltrate British headquarters in Norway, where she successfully stole Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck’s battle plans. [1, 2]

    Vera Eriksen (Vera Schalburg)

    • Who she was: Born in Siberia in 1912, she trained as a ballet dancer under Anna Pavlova.
    • Espionage role: She was recruited by the German Abwehr in 1940 and sent to Scotland on a spying mission. She was captured by British authorities and later operated as a suspected MI5 double agent. [1]

    Elizabeth Bedlington

    • Who she was: A British ballerina who performed in neutral Spain during World War I under the stage name “La Titanesca”.
    • Espionage role: Recruited by her Austro-Hungarian husband, she acted as a mule [secret messenger] and spy for the Germans. She reportedly stole secret documents from the UK ambassador to Spain in 1917 before evading arrest. [1]

    Josephine Baker

    • Who she was: An iconic American-born French dancer, singer, and actress famous for her sensational jazz-age performances in Paris.
    • Espionage role: During World War II, she utilized her celebrity status and freedom of movement to gather intelligence. [Josephine Baker was a] dancer, spy, and civil rights hero. [She fought for the] French Resistance, carrying hidden messages written on her sheet music. [1, 2]”

    Introduced by Pete
    https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/

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