Russian spy posed as Brazilian student at Johns Hopkins to gain intel on ... trends now
A Russian spy posed as a Brazilian student in order to enter the U.S. and attend Johns Hopkins University's international relations graduate program, according to a federal indictment.
GRU operative Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, 37, masqueraded as a South American student named Victor Ferreira and even applied for a job at the International Criminal Court, in order to position himself inside the American security establishment.
The Justice Department claims Cherkasov entered the U.S. in 2018 in hopes of gathering intel on Americans and made connections with a State Department employee, a Capitol Hill worker, and other security officials.
Cherkasov allegedly created the 'Ferreira' alias while in Brazil where he pretended to be the son of a deceased Brazilian national.
In 2022, the Russian spy tried to access the International Criminal Court in the Hague, reportedly to obtain information on the investigation into Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to court documents, GRU operative Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, 37, masqueraded as a South American student named Victor Ferreira and even applied for a job at the International Criminal Court
In 2022, the Russian spy tried to access the International Criminal Court in the Hague, reportedly to obtain information on the investigation into Russia's invasion of Ukraine
After Cherkasov got into Johns Hopkins' prestigious international relations program in 2018, he sent an email to several people who had helped him gain entry.
'Today we made the future — we managed to get in one of the top schools in the world,' he wrote in the email that was cited in federal court Friday by the DOJ.
'This is the victory that belongs to all of us man — to the entire team. Today we f**king drink!!!' the Russian agent wrote at the time.
The 'team' he was thanking at the time included top Russian handlers who had positioned him to go deep undercover at the grad school.
In another email after he had obtained his visa into the U.S. he exclaimed that the team 'won.'
'Man, I got it! I f**king got it!' he wrote.
'We go there being welcomed! We won, bro. Now we are in the big-boys league.'
According to Justice Department officials, Cherkasov's intended goal was to gain access and get in with all corners of the American security establishment.
'Today we made the future — we managed to get in one of the top schools in the world,' Cherkasov wrote in an email to his Russian handlers back in 2018
'We go there being welcomed! We won, bro. Now we are in the big-boys league,' Cherkasov wrote in another email to his Russian team regarding him obtaining a U.S. visa
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Straight out of the real-life inspired hit TV show 'The Americans,' the Russian spy allegedly worked at a travel agency in Brazil
In the latest round of revelations pertaining to the case, emails and messages, court documents and other information revealed the full story of Cherkasov's path to the U.S.
Law enforcement combed through Cherkasov's computer and found evidence ranging from court records, details about 'dead drops' where messages could be left, illicit money transfer records, and other nefarious details.
Straight out of the real-life inspired hit TV show 'The Americans,' the Russian spy allegedly worked at a travel agency in Brazil.
The agency was suspected to have been run by a GRU operative and has since shut down.
Cherkasov also had a detailed backstory to follow, referred to as his 'legend,' which painted a tragic story for the 'Brazilian.'
The story included him being
