What is known about Sergei Vagin, the Russian citizen arrested by Colombian stuns for financing violent acts during the National Strike

In recent days there has been talk of Sergei Vagin, a Russian who the Colombian authorities accuse of financing attacks against the public forces during the National Strike. He is also known as the alias of 'Servac', who confessed to recording what happened in the streets in those days.

Vagin reportedly broadcast live, through social media, what happened during the citizen protests, which took place during the social protests. The subject was presented on March 30 before a judge of guarantees for being accused of being part of a criminal network that moved large sums of money from Russia and that, at the same time, would have been part of the demonstrations of the National Strike.

The man was captured along with 6 other people, including another citizen of Russian nationality and alleged several alleged members of the Frontline. Vagin assured that the film material he recorded during the demonstrations had no journalistic purpose and that carrying out this activity did not include any type of crime.

He was allegedly accused of investing the money that came to him in violent actions against the Colombian public forces, he is allegedly accused of non-consensual transfer of assets, concert to commit crime, illegal use of telecommunications networks and abusive access to a computer system.

It is noteworthy that Vargin had a permit issued by the Russian Embassy allowing him to move freely around Colombia and it was evident that he had no record with the foreign citizen justice system.

According to the authorities, it would have mobilized significant sums of money from Russia in order to finance violent actions in the country's main cities, since it is believed that the money ended up in the hands of members of the Frontline. In this regard, the Russian stated that “I am dedicated to sports betting, I broadcast live because it was the best way to do it, as anyone can do and that is not a crime”.

In addition, the man even moved figures between five and 15 million pesos. For the CIA and the DEA, the story is different, according to these authorities, the Russian would be facing an operation of money laundering and tax evasion of more than 146 million dollars.

With all that happened, the Russian Embassy in Colombia assured that they have not tried to interfere in the affairs of the country since their position. “Neither has it tried, nor does it intend to interfere in the internal life of Colombia,” the statement read. According to the entity, any comment that points to the contrary is the result of “insinuations and slander,” they said in a statement.

“The Embassy of the Russian Federation expresses its categorical rejection of such insinuations and slander, reiterating that Russia has neither attempted nor intends to interfere in the internal life of Colombia. The warnings of some visiting foreign diplomats about “almost imminent” Russian interference in the Colombian elections in March have been left in the air. And so will things go on, have no doubt”, they added.

And they stressed that “in fact Russia's position is quite the opposite: we fully respect the right of the Colombian people to choose their own future, we want peace to reign in this friendly country and for the Colombian nation to develop successfully and sustainably.”

At the same time, they described as a typical example of fake news, what was published in various media about Russian interference in events that have to do with Colombian politics, when they try to argue the necessary and already predetermined conclusion with crazy and incoherent things. “Such fabrications and “escapes to the press” show the desire of some media outlets to chorus the current Western news mainstream characterized by a very high degree of Russophobia and a blind fury towards everything binding on Russia,” they argued.

It should be recalled that, in 2020, the Colombian Foreign Ministry had requested the Russian ambassador to Colombia, Sergey Koshkin, the departure of the two officials, who had to leave Colombian territory with their families in less than 24 hours. At that time, espionage was apparently related to the interests of the Venezuelan government.

One of those expelled was Aleksandr Nikolayevich Belousov, accredited in Colombia on November 1, 2017, who was part of the Russian Military Intelligence Service (GRU), and the other was identified as Aleksandr Paristov, a member of that country's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), who entered Colombia on January 17, 2019.

According to the national authorities, the so-called diplomats sought to obtain military intelligence, technology and infrastructure information, especially in relation to the country's energy sector, for which, according to Colombian intelligence agencies, they paid large sums of money to national citizens

At that time, it was known that the alleged spies were posing as diplomats, but their constant movements, through unusual places, through popular neighborhoods in Bogotá and in different vehicles and with changes of clothes, attracted the attention of the authorities, so Colombian intelligence decided to infiltrate them to obtain the sufficient evidence to call for the departure of the country, for which hundreds of hours were recorded of all the movements of the alleged spies in Colombian territory.

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