Hungarian man arrested for smuggling U.S. military devices to Russia

A Hungarian man has been arrested in San Francisco on suspicion of conspiring to illegally export 200 U.S. military radio communication devices to Russian government entities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., as reported by 444.

On Monday, a 46-year-old man named Bence Horváth was detained in San Francisco. He is accused of “conspiring with others to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without authorisation,” as reported by various news outlets.

The gravity of the case is highlighted by the fact that officials from five different agencies were involved in announcing the arrest. These include U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Affairs Matthew Olsen, Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, Eric DeLaune, Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Office of HSI, Darrin K. Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the Southeast Regional Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Trey McClish, and Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Regional Office of the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Controls.

Horváth and his associates are believed to have begun negotiations in January 2023 with a small U.S. radio distribution company. Their objective was to purchase and export U.S.-made military-grade radios and related accessories to Russia.

In the months that followed, Horváth successfully acquired 200 military-grade radios, which he intended to ship to Russia via a Latvian transport service. However, the attempt was thwarted when U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the shipment, preventing the radios from reaching Russian users.

Horváth accused of smuggling military radios via international network

Photo: Pixabay

According to the prosecutor’s statement, Horváth was arrested on 23 August 2024, upon his arrival at San Francisco International Airport. Authorities allege that Horváth, along with others, managed a multinational procurement network that worked directly with various Russian government agencies. This network was involved in large-scale projects, such as constructing operational radio communications systems in Russia’s Kursk region near the Russian-Ukrainian border, as reported by 444.

Horváth is said to have personally arranged the purchase and smuggling of U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end-users, utilising a network of subsidiaries in Spain, Serbia, Hungary, and Latvia.

“The indictment alleges that the defendant attempted to purchase military-grade radios for Russian organisations using a multinational supply chain to evade law enforcement,” said Deputy Attorney General Olsen. “The Department of Justice remains committed to dismantling and prosecuting the criminal networks that continue to fuel Russian aggression abroad and threaten our collective security.” Further details of the investigation remain unknown.

Featured image: depositphotos.com

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