John Jefferson
A Russian mercenary was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents earlier this month after he illegally entered the U.S. near Roma, Texas, according to reports.
ValleyCentral.com in Harlingen, Texas reported that agents encountered Timur Praliev after he crossed the Rio Grande into Texas, carrying two passports and $4,000 on Jan. 4, 2025. He was ultimately arrested.
A criminal complaint acquired by the station shows that Praliev was questioned about his citizenship during the encounter and stated he was a citizen of Kazakhstan.
Another court document shows Praliev appeared in court last Tuesday with counsel and entered a guilty plea of knowingly and unlawfully entering the U.S. at a place other than as designated by immigration officers.
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During the court hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan reportedly told the judge Praliev was also in possession of a drone in his backpack when he crossed into the U.S.
She added that when questioned, Praliev admitted to being a member of the Wagner Group.
The judge presiding over the case ruled Praliev was guilty as charged and ordered a term of imprisonment plus a special assessment of $10.
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The station reported that when Praliev was asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “Nyet.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for more information on the matter.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Treasury designated the Wagner group as a significant transnational criminal organization, which resulted in sanctions against the group and its supported network across multiple continents.
The Wagner Group has operated across several regions, including the Middle East, Africa and Venezuela, and has long caused “no end of problems for U.S. policymakers.”
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Since its inception in 2014, the group has been considered a proxy group of the Russian state abroad, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The group rose to prominence during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The group currently has approximately 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts, according to U.S. officials.
Wagner has increasingly leaned on recruitment from prisons, which often include trained military veterans. U.S. intelligence has indicated previously that the Russian Defense Ministry has “reservations” about Wagner’s recruiting methods, but the group will continue to find fresh troops in prisons.
Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
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