Former Wagner mercenary caught illegally crossing US border
The American border patrol detained a former Wagner Group mercenary during an attempt to illegally cross the border from Mexico into the United States. This information was reported by the website Valleycentral.com. The incident occurred on Saturday when Timur Praliev, a former mercenary, crossed the Rio Grande near the city of Roma. He had two passports and $4,000 with him.
During the detention, Praliev had a drone in his backpack. During the interrogation, he admitted to being a member of the Wagner Group. Attorney Amanda McColgan informed that Praliev possessed passports from Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. It is unclear what his exact duties were in the Wagner Group or why he tried to enter the United States with a drone.
The Wagner mercenary wanted to enter the US. He will go to an American detention center
Praliev admitted to illegally crossing the US border. He was sentenced to 15 days in detention, but after serving his sentence, he will remain under federal supervision. The Wagner Group, funded by the Kremlin, operated as an informal armed wing of Russia since 2014. They were present in Ukraine during the annexation of Crimea and operated in the Donbas region.
After the rebellion of founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023, the group was disbanded, and its members joined Russian military formations.
The mysterious death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group, led to numerous speculations. Marat Gabidullin, a former member of the mercenary unit, suggests possible involvement of international corporations.
It is unknown who is actually behind Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, but it is not ruled out that political tensions related to the group's interests in Africa might have influenced the decision.
After the failed coup, Yevgeny Prigozhin refused Putin's offer for mercenaries to sign contracts with the Russian army, which was intended to calm the situation. The Wagner Group, although unofficially connected with the Kremlin, was well known for its participation in military operations in various regions, including Ukraine and Syria. The group had been operating since 2014 on various fronts, often independently of regular Russian forces.
