He’s 40 years old. For years, he lived in Brazil under an illegally-created identity, posing as one Victor Muller Ferreira. In 2022, he traveled to the Netherlands, intending to apply for an internship at the International Criminal Court, but was arrested at the airport when his fake identity was detected.

After returning to Brazil, U.S. investigators discovered that “Ferreira” — in reality, Cherkasov — had also been a student at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., a well-known and highly-respected training ground for diplomats, intelligence officers, and foreign affairs specialists. American authorities indicted him in 2023 on espionage and fraud charges for living as an “illegal” — an intelligence agent of a foreign government living under an assumed identity. The U.S. government has requested that he be extradited from Brazil to the U.S. to stand trial. However, he is already serving a five-year sentence in Brazil for fraud in connection with his use of the fictitious Brazilian identity.

But the United States isn’t the only place authorities would like to get their hands on Sergei Cherkasov. It turns out that there is yet another outstanding warrant for his arrest . . . in his native Russia. Below is a copy of a supposed “Wanted” notice unearthed by RFE/RL. The reason given for the order is simply: “Wanted.” There are no particulars visible on the screen shot as to the charges against him, though unspecified drug trafficking charges have been mentioned.

Also shown are his name, nationality, date and place of birth. And though some of the words are incomplete, it clearly says in the last line, “Without a measure of restraint” — making him sound like a dangerous criminal.

But is this indeed a “wanted” poster in the true sense . . . or is it a specially-created cover for the fact that he is actually an agent of the Russian special services, devised as an excuse for the Russian government to demand his extradition back to his homeland, rather than to the United States?

If I were a betting woman, I’d bet on the latter.

In any event, the Brazilian government has now issued a deportation order for Cherkasov. Published on July 6th in Brazil’s official government ledger, it did not specify where he would be sent, though Brazilian media have said he was expected to be returned to Russia.

And the U.S. government is not at all happy about that. There is that outstanding indictment against him here for espionage, and that is no small matter. It also is the likely reason Moscow is so anxious to have him returned there. They don’t need another drug trafficker; but they do have a soft spot for their spies.

So the question is: In whose favor will Brazil decide? Considering the current strained relationship between Brazil and the U.S., particularly since Donald Trump’s issuance of punishing tariffs . . . and taking into account their continuing strategic partnership with Russia, and the fact that Brazil is one of the founding members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) . . . my money’s on Russia winning this one.

And that could create a whole new nightmare scenario of Trumpian temper tantrums.

(Use your imaginations on the translation of that one.)

This time — and I would have thought the odds of this happening were about the same as that proverbial snowball’s chance in hell — I would have to agree with Trump that we should be allowed to bring Cherkasov to trial.

No, the Cold War is not back; it never ended. And the U.S. is not becoming a communist country, as Trump claims. But adversarial nations — and particularly the Russian Federation — do continue to play their communist-era spy games by planting illegals in countries throughout the world, including the United States. And that is a clear and present danger that cannot be overlooked or minimized.

So we’ll see how this plays out. It may become a major issue that could even place a damper on the negotiations concerning Ukraine. Or Trump might declare it — as he did the bipartisan Congressional housing bill — a “big yawn.”

We shall see.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/11/26