A country in South America is becoming a “nest” for Russian spies, prompting local authorities to launch an investigation.

Brazil, it turns out, is attracting Russian agents for a very specific reason, and it’s not to spy on the Brazilian government.

The country is now investigating the extent of a deep network of agents who are reportedly using the country as a starting point to carry out their missions.

It is understood the reason the country is so attractive is because of some legal loopholes that allow spies to build false identities easily.

Brazil has a history of avoiding major international conflicts and a Brazilian passport may not raise any eyebrows. But more importantly, it is said to be easy to obtain a birth certificate in the country. And once you have a Brazilian birth certificate, getting a Brazilian passport is a simple process.

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In April 2022, a man going by the name of Victor Ferreira arrived in Amsterdam. His Brazilian passport was real but in truth, the person described was entirely fictional.

‘Victor’ is actually a Russian citizen called Sergey Cherkasov who was allegedly trying to infiltrate the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Western Intelligence agencies say he works for the GRU, one of Russia’s espionage agencies.

Cherkasov was the first of at least three presumed Russian agents who’ve been suspected of creating convincing but fake identities in Brazil.

His case aroused suspicions among Brazilian intelligence services that their country was being used by spies. The agencies now believe other Russian agents, not yet found out, may have passed through the country, local media reports.

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Brazil is now investigating the extent of the spy network after the authorities found a USB key belonging to one of the spies.

The Russians are understood to patiently grow their seemingly squeaky clean backgrounds over several years, even studying at university, buying flats, getting married, or even in one case, taking dancing lessons.

While he was in Brazil, Cherkasov used hideouts to leave electronic devices and messages to his associates. One of these locations was discovered in the middle of a forest in Cotia, Sao Paulo.

After being found at Amsterdam airport, he was sent back to Brazil and was jailed for 15 years for fraud, reduced to five years and two months on appeal. He claimed he wasn’t a spy.

In March, the US issued a public indictment accusing Cherkasov of spying.

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Shortly after Cherkasov was discovered, another Russian posing as a Brazilian researcher was arrested in Norway.

Then in 2013, a third possible spy, allegedly posing as the owner of a shop, reportedly fled the country after he sensed trouble. His Brazilian partner reported him missing.

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega

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