A self-proclaimed former mercenary of Russia’s Wagner Group, Timur Praliev, was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents earlier this month after illegally entering the country.
According to the patrol agents, Praliev, 31, crossed the Rio Grande, near Roma in Texas on foot on January 4. Authorities seized from him two passports (Russian and Kazakh), $4,000 and a drone.
Praliev reportedly admitted to being a member of the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization designated as a transnational criminal organization by the U.S. Department of Treasury in 2023. The group has been implicated in Russia’s war in Ukraine and various global operations in the Middle East, Africa, and other regions.
Praliev admitted to authorities that he was a citizen of Kazakhstan. During his court appearance on January 7, he pleaded guilty to knowingly entering the United States at an unauthorized location, a federal misdemeanor. The judge sentenced him to time served and imposed a $10 special assessment.
Despite the sentence, Praliev remains in federal custody due to the perceived security risks associated with his Wagner Group affiliation.
Reports indicate that less than a month before his arrest, Praliev was honored as a combat veteran at an event hosted by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation in Russia’s Bashkortostan region.
The foundation, established by Russian President Vladimir Putin, supports veterans of Russia’s military campaigns, including those associated with Wagner.
