Argentina to expel Russian citizen suspected of running disinformation network in Latin America

Argentina has detained a Russian national suspected of involvement in a Kremlin-linked influence operation targeting audiences in the United States, Europe and Latin America, according to the authorities.

The Ministry of National Security said it had revoked the residency permit of Dmitrii Novikov, 26, and barred him from reentering Argentina.

“Given the imminent risk of flight and the danger his continued presence posed to national security … the court ordered his preventive detention,” the ministry said in a statement late last week, adding that Novikov would remain in custody until the expulsion is carried out.

Argentine authorities allege that Novikov is a key figure in “La Compañía,” an influence network also known as Project Lakhta, which they say is coordinated by Russian intelligence services and was previously overseen by the late Russian oligarch and Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Novikov entered Argentina in April as a tourist but was later arrested at a residence in Lanús, in Buenos Aires province, after allegedly misrepresenting the purpose of his visit.

In a statement last Friday, Argentina’s Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva described Novikov as “a threat to the democratic order,” accusing him of entering the country under false pretenses to “operate, destabilize, and attack our institutions.”

Novikov’s detention follows a broader investigation in June in which officials uncovered a group of suspected operatives linked to the same network. Authorities said the group worked with local collaborators to influence domestic affairs through propaganda and disinformation campaigns.

The alleged activities included producing and distributing social media content, conducting focus groups with Argentine citizens, and gathering political intelligence for Russia, according to officials.

Argentine media investigations published in April alleged that operatives tied to La Compañía placed hundreds of paid articles in local outlets aimed at discrediting the government, amplifying the content through coordinated social media campaigns.

Novikov’s detention is not his first. He was previously arrested in the Dominican Republic in September, where investigators alleged he was running a large-scale cyber influence operation across Latin America and receiving funding through cryptocurrency. Local authorities later released him without public explanation.

At the time, officials said Novikov used the Dominican Republic as a base to obscure the origin of influence campaigns, relying on local collaborators while presenting himself as a mixed martial arts athlete and concealing his Russian identity.

Russia has repeatedly denied involvement in influence operations linked to Project Lakhta. The Russian Embassy in Argentina dismissed the recent reports as “anti-Russian material,” adding that no evidence was provided “to support these insinuations.”