Mexico Scientist Confesses to Spying on a U.S. Government Informant in Miami for Russia

A prominent Mexican scientist pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of being co-opted by Russian agents into surveilling a U.S. government informant in Miami.

Hector Cabrera Fuentes was arrested in 2020 at Miami International Airport while attempting to return to his home in Mexico City with his Mexican wife (the other is from Russia).

The couple had caught the attention of a security guard the day before, on Valentine's Day. Surveillance tape shows the couple tailgating another vehicle onto the premises of a condominium in the Miami area and taking a photo of the U.S. source's car and license plate - despite being told not to take any pictures and only jot down the vehicle's location, ABC News reported.

Prosecutors recommended a four-year sentence for Cabrera on a single charge of acting in the United States on behalf of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. attorney general, per a plea agreement revealed Tuesday in Miami federal court.

According to Border Report, Cabrera will be sentenced on May 17.

Cabrera's Intelligence Mission

Cabrera's failed intelligence mission began in 2019 when he came to Russia with his Russian wife and two daughters to deal with a bureaucratic issue.

An FBI agent stated in an affidavit accompanying the original indictment that when the woman attempted to return to Germany, she was denied entry.

Cabrera then traveled to Russia to visit his family when he was allegedly called by a Russian official he had met in a professional capacity years before. The anonymous individual advised Cabrera and his family not to travel to Europe or apply for a visa in the United States, according to court documents.

Cabrera began to suspect the individual who worked for Russia's FSB intelligence agency around that time, according to the FBI.

The same official later produced previous emails from Cabrera's account at a subsequent meeting in Moscow, in which the Mexican scientist appeared to be looking for real estate in Miami.

According to the original indictment, the Russian official brought up Cabrera's family situation and told him, "We can help each other."

Cabrera proceeded to Miami on the official's orders and rented an apartment in the same complex as the U.S. government source, using an associate's identity.

It is unclear whether the scientist understood why the Russians wanted him to rent the property, but intelligence agents frequently strive to protect themselves by recruiting others to complete various duties. Recruits rarely have a complete understanding of the entire mission.

Cabrera's pursuant is characterized only as a U.S. government "confidential human source" who previously provided information about Russian intelligence activities affecting U.S. national security interests.

'It Is Very Strange' - Says El Espinal Mayor

Cabrera is regarded as a local hero in his hometown of El Espinal, in the southern state of Oaxaca, for his efforts to promote scientific research, rehabilitate diabetics, and aid in the reconstruction of homes following severe earthquakes.

Town Mayor Hazael Matus told The Associated Press shortly after his arrest that it is "very strange" since the scientist is a "very altruistic person with a lot of social conscience."

Mayor Matus believes it is a case of mistaken identity or an attack for scientific reasons.

"We don't know what happened, but I bet it is a confusion or an attack for scientific reasons," the mayor said.

Cabrera was an associate professor in Singapore at a medical school established jointly by Duke University and the National University of Singapore.

He was also appointed director of the FEMSA Biotechnology Center at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in northern Mexico in 2018. He earned doctorates in molecular microbiology and molecular cardiology in Russia and Germany, respectively, according to the institute.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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