A former ICE special agent believes that former Russian mercenary Timur Praliev, who was apprehended by American immigration authorities in January after crossing the Rio Grande, will be used for intelligence gathering prior to removal.
A native of Kazakhstan, Praliev was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on January 4 after he waded across the Rio Grande near the city of Roma in Starr County.
He was carrying wads of both American and Mexican cash, two passports—one from Kazakhstan and one from Russia—and, most disturbingly, a drone in his backpack.
Praliev is a former member of the Wagner Group, a Russian-backed paramilitary syndicate. The U.S. Treasury Department considers the group to be a terrorist organization.
After KVEO reported that he appeared in court on January 7 and pleaded guilty to the charge of entering the United States illegally—a federal misdemeanor—Praliev was sentenced to a “term of imprisonment of time served” as well as a fine of $10.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan requested a 15-day sentence, arguing that the government is concerned about community safety once Praliev is released “Because of his association with a group associated with political violence.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker said that he does not think the length of Praliev’s sentence would change any decision he has made about what he is planning to do now that he is already in the country.
Hacker had stated previously that Praliev will remain in federal custody once his sentence is complete.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson confirmed to Texas Scorecard that ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Harlingen took custody of Praliev on January 10. “Praliev remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.”
Texas Scorecard asked former ICE Special Agent Victor Avila if he thinks that Praliev will potentially be released into the country after his case goes through the typical process, or if the government views Praliev as an exception.
“This guy is not going to be released,” Avila said. “I’ve been warning about these types of individuals for years.”
“The federal government has the jurisdiction and the discretion to prosecute individuals coming into the country illegally,” he continued. “Obviously, they haven’t done much of that over the last four years.” Avila also said that it will be interesting to see how this specific case is handled.
Avila believes that Praliev will be interviewed by different federal officials “for one reason: intel purposes.” Once the federal government obtains any intelligence from Praliev that they can, Avila argued that he will likely be removed from the country.
Texas Scorecard asked Avila if he believes Praliev, being equipped with a drone, was intending to carry out an intelligence operation in the U.S.
“Aboslutely,” the former ICE agent said. “This guy is an outlier when it comes to the type of illegal immigrant coming into the country. Obviously, he was either sent here by another group or by a country for illicit activity.”
Texas Scorecard reached out to Judge Hacker for comment. Case Manager Debbie Flores said that Hacker “has a personal policy not to make public statements about cases that have been before the Court.”
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