Russian “Tourist” Detained in Argentina Over Alleged Kremlin Disinformation Network

Argentine authorities have detained 26-year-old Russian citizen Dmitry Novikov, identified as the leader of a Russian intelligence-controlled disinformation network operating across Latin America, according to the Agentstvo investigative outlet and Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation on May 6.

Argentina's State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) confirmed the detention after Novikov submitted false information upon entry, El Periodico reported via Agentstvo.

He was apprehended in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, having last entered the country on April 12 on a flight from Istanbul. Authorities are weighing his deportation to Russia following the review of his appeal.

The Center for Countering Disinformation, citing the Netherlands Military Intelligence and Security Service, tied Novikov's "La Compañía" network — also known as "Lakhta" — to Russian intelligence services and the Wagner PMC.

The Forbidden Stories investigative project earlier reported that the structure was originally created by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin  before being transferred to direct control of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.

Agentstvo noted that the network previously operated mainly in Africa before expanding into Latin America in 2024, with Argentina among the primary targets.

Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva told reporters that Novikov entered the country as a tourist but had arrived to "destabilize and infringe on our institutions."

Novikov was born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and received both his Russian passports in the Moscow region, in 2019 and 2022. Over the past two years, he has repeatedly traveled across Latin America, including to Chile, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil.

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The Dominican Republic deported him in September over involvement in disinformation activities linked to interference in multiple countries.

The detention marks the second major Argentine action against Russian covert operations in less than a year. In June 2025, Buenos Aires exposed a Kremlin-linked network built around the same "La Compañía" structure and tied to Project Lakhta, Prigozhin's umbrella disinformation operation previously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for foreign election interference.

The Center for Countering Disinformation framed the case as further proof that Moscow treats the information environment as an active battlefield, stating that "the Kremlin spares no resources to fund shadow structures."

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