Brazil concerned about Russian spies with fraudulent citizenship

Brazil is becoming increasingly concerned about the infiltration of Russian spies being able to secure fraudulent Brazilian identities to conduct espionage operations worldwide.

In a few cases of busted suspected Russian spies with alleged Brazilian citizenship are individuals who may be valuable in prisoner exchange negotiations that include Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The cases have Brazil fearing it has become a destination for malign Russian spy operations worldwide, sources told the Journal.

In one case, a university researcher (Mikhail Mikushin) with fraudulent Brazilian citizenship (José Assis Giammaria) is suspected of being a deep-cover spy for Moscow.

In another case, a Russian (Sergey Cherkasov) found to have a forged Brazilian identity (Victor Muller Ferreira) is jailed in Brazil amid espionage charges in the US.

A third suspected Russian spy (only believed to be known under last name Shmyrev), using a Brazilian identity (Gerhard Daniel Campos Wittich), has gone missing in Rio de Janeiro.

The Russian embassy in Brazil declined to comment to the Journal, and Moscow has denied Russian espionage efforts in Brazil, Norway, or elsewhere, according to the report.