Mexican accused by US as Russian agent pleads not guilty

A Mexican scientist pleed t guilty Tuesday to U.S. charges that he spied for Russia in Miami.

plea was entered in a brief hearing by Ronald Gair, attorney for 35-year-old Hector Cabrera Fuentes. Cabrera stood nearby in chains and a tan jail outfit but did t speak.

Cabrera also has w been formally indicted on a charge of acting as a Russian nt without registering as required with U.S. attorney general. He is t charged with espion, but this allegation still carries a potential prison sentence of 10 years.

According to an FBI affidavit, a Russian government official tasked Cabrera with tracking down a vehicle owned by a U.S. government informant in Miami area. job was simply to take a photo of its license plate.

FBI says Cabrera and his Mexican wife went to a condominium complex on Valentine’s Day to take photo and were recorded by surveillance video. y attracted tice of security by driving directly behind ar car through a gate.

It’s t clear exactly what Russians were seeking, but FBI affidavit says informant h previously provided information about Russian intelligence operations and implications for U.S. national security.

After he was detained Feb. 16 at Miami International Airport, Cabrera told FBI he has two wives — Mexican one and a Russian one. Russian woman and her two daughters were living in Germany but returned to Moscow last spring to attend to some ministrative matters. n, Russian government wouldn’t let m leave, affidavit says.

That prompted Cabrera in May 2019 to visit his family in Moscow, where he was approached by a Russian official whom he h met previously at professional events and exchanges. Cabrera told FBI he believed official was an intelligence officer and that person gave him job of photographing Miami informant’s license plate.

Cabrera, a microbiologist who has held several prestigious posts, is originally from El Espinal in Mexican state of Oaxaca.

Cabrera h been working as an associate professor at medical school jointly run by Duke University and National University of Singapore, and was working in Singapore. He said at a previous hearing that his contract re has been terminated.

Before Cabrera’s license plate mission, FBI says Russian official asked him to rent an apartment in same complex as informant but t in his real name. Cabrera paid an associate $20,000 to do so in late 2019. It’s t clear if anything was done in connection with that unit.

Cabrera is being held without bail. trial date has been set.