Mexican Who Worked in Duke-NUS Found Guilty to be a Spy for Russia

Uh, cross-country relations gone wrong? I think so too.

But in case you’re as confused as the next person is regarding what on earth happened here, here’s all the details you need to know about this case concerning a Mexican spy for Russia.

His Relations to Russia

You might be wondering, “What does a Mexican have to do with Russia?”

Apparently, a lot more than we thought.

Based on Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes’ LinkedIn profile, the 36-year-old graduated from Kazan University in Russia back in 2009, and hence he had spent a substantial amount of time there.

Not sure if everyone who studies abroad will consider becoming a spy for the country they study in, but oh well. 

Based on reports by The Washington Post, his wife and children were also allegedly based in Russia, which led to his frequent flights to the country.

Thereafter, he was approached by “an acquaintance from past professional meetings” who turned out to be a Russian agent.

So… How many people are living double lives now?

Anyway, the agent offered Fuentes a deal: If Fuentes was able to help the agent obtain information, he would help Fuentes’ family get out of Russia.

Sounds like a decent plan if you love your family, until you realise that you’ve found yourself in a win-lose situation. You lose no matter what, of course.

And boy did Fuentes lose, for he plead guilty to spying on an informant in the US on behalf of the Russian government in an American court on 16 February this year.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that he had acted according to instructions by a Russian official, giving them access to the information regarding a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant.

This FBI informant was in charge of uncovering more information about Russia for the US government, particularly about the Russian activities in Florida.

Apparently, Fuentes flew to Miami in February 2020 to track the informant’s licence plate number and parking information.

He was told by the agent to rent and live in a unit there. This was to facilitate him spying on the FBI informant, who happened to live in the same apartment building.

In addition to that, the DOJ explained that from May 2019 to February 2020, there were at least five interactions between Fuentes and Russian officials that took place in Moscow.

He Was a Scientist at Duke-NUS

From 2016 onwards, Fuentes was actually employed by the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) as a senior research fellow.

He also worked in the cardiovascular and metabolic disorders programme at Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS) Medical School and helped the school with research regarding heart disease.

Prior to his arrest, Fuentes also had connections with other academic institutions in various other countries as well, and also wrote more than 20 research papers based on cardiology.

Ok lah, at least he’s just a research fellow. Not sure what would’ve happened if he were a surgery fellow instead…

According to The Straits Times, NHCS fired Fuentes back in February 2020, the same month after they learned about his identity as a Russian spy.

He Led a Double Life with Two Wives

No, this isn’t the newest action or thriller film.

When he was in Miami, he actually did not travel with his first wife, AKA the Russian wife.

Instead, he had travelled with his second wife.

The identity of his second wife is still unknown to the public.

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How His Actions Came To Light

As part of his agreement with the Russian agents, Fuentes was supposed to record the relevant licence plate number and parking information by writing it down.

This was supposed to take place after Fuentes and his wife followed a vehicle to enter a housing complex in Miami, which was the place where the US informant’s car was parked. They did so in a rented car, because, you know, identity things.

However, he instructed his wife to take a photo instead.

Now, I don’t know why he did that, but maybe he just hadn’t watched enough movies to know that he’d probably have a higher chance of getting caught if he took a photo. Something always happens when you decide to take a photo.

Sure enough, they were stopped by security after attempting to enter the complex by tailgating another car. This was when Fuentes’ second wife got out of the car and took a photo of the US informant’s licence plate number.

Bringing “committing a crime in broad daylight” to another level.

The couple was told to leave, and attempted to flee to Mexico afterwards.

However, to no one’s surprise, they were caught at the airport.

I mean… Did you really think no one was going to do anything after seeing people behave in such a suspicious manner?

The Aftermath

After their arrest, authorities found the image of the licence plate that Fuentes’ wife had sent to him via WhatsApp. This led to his confession that he was under instructions by the Russian agent to act as a spy, and that he was collecting information regarding the US informant.

As of now, Fuentes has plead guilty to his offences on behalf of the Russian government, and his date of sentence is set to be 17 May.

If convicted, he faces a maximum jail sentence of ten years.

Currently, according to the DOJ, the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection are carrying out investigations with regards to this case.

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Featured Image: Global Network of Qualified Mexicans in Singapore / Facebook