“I shouldn’t have come back.” Legendary illegal spy ‘Juan Lazaro’ dies

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The press office of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that Vasenkov died on the night of April 6th. Causes of death were not disclosed.

“The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is saddened to announce that on the night of April 6, at the age of eighty, a righteous veteran, a former illegal intelligence officer, Hero of the Soviet Union, retired colonel Vasenkov Mikhail Anatolyevich died suddenly. ” message is written.

Illegal scouts are called spies who are thrown into another state with false documents for long autonomous work.

SVR pretty much characterizes Vasenkov. “In the performance of his duties, he always combined his innate restraint, determination, courage, prudence and caution. He was characterized as a hard worker, honest and humble employee, prone to work associated with risk and the need to show willpower, courage and resourcefulness.

“Know that you may never come home”

Vasenkov was born in 1942 in the town of Kuntsevo near Moscow (now a district of Moscow). The future intelligence officer grew up in a family of workers, who graduated from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School with a gold medal. He began his career in the state security institutions and was taken into the special reserve of the KGB.

Vasenkov took special courses, where they trained agents with knowledge of foreign languages. As a result, she is fluent in Spanish and English, she is fluent in French. In 1975, Vasenkov began working “on the ground” as an undercover Soviet spy. “Working in special conditions since 1975” official biography Vasenkov on the SVR website.

In 1976, an agent appeared in Peru. At that time, he had long ceased to be a Soviet citizen Mikhail Vasenkov. A person with a passport named Juan Lazaro, a citizen of Uruguay, flew from Madrid to the capital of Peru. Years later, when Vasenkov appeared, it’s coming outThe real Lazaro died in 1946. But the legend of Vasenkov at that time did not arouse suspicion, in addition to his passport, on the letterhead of one of the Spanish tobacco companies, there was a letter explaining the purpose of his visit.

Two years later, Lazaro applied for Peruvian citizenship. He stated that he wanted to “become a citizen of the most humanistic country in Latin America”. Peruvian authorities granted the request.

retired scout in 2020 said In an interview that Soviet agents could be sent to another state for almost life.

“You know how it was then? He was sent for a very long time, sometimes forever, for life. And Kryuchkov (former head of the KGB – socialbites.ca) told me: “You know, you may never come back home.” And I knew. Yes, I should not have returned, ”confessed Vasenkov.

yours is among strangers

In Peru, Lazaro rose to fame as a photojournalist. He collaborated with many local publications and also practiced martial arts, competing with a black belt in karate. Under the guise of a photographer, the agent traveled all over Latin America, meeting with many influential politicians and businessmen, who were then used by the Soviet special services.

“He’s an excellent photographer – impossible to fake – and has turned his talent into covers for assignments.” announced Kommersant’s intelligence source.

In Peru, with the permission of the Soviet leadership, Lazaro married the famous journalist Vicky Pelaez and adopted her son. The intelligence agent assured that, prior to the disclosure, the family knew nothing about his covert espionage activities.

In 1958, on a covert mission from the USSR, Lazaro and his family moved to the United States and settled in New York. She continued to study photography, attended a local university, defended her doctoral thesis in philosophy, earned a degree in political science and taught. Here his son was born. In the USA, Vasenkov created his own network of confidential informants.

“According to the documents, I had everything. <..> Traveled the world. And without any doubt. <…> Over the years, the need for hiring has decreased. A lot [я] I knew it myself without the source. That was the height. [И] It wasn’t a summit,” Lazaro would later say.

The SVR writes that Lazaro has obtained “valuable political information for his homeland that is much appreciated.” Once, as Kommersant wrote, he managed to get a schedule of foreign visits of the US President several years in advance. In 1990, the Soviet authorities, by secret decree, awarded Vasenkov the title of Hero of the USSR. He also received the orders of Lenin, Red Banner, Red Star, Courage.

“During his work, Vasenkov became so naturalistic that he almost forgot the Russian language. This is a top-notch professional who would never have been recognized in the United States if it weren’t for betrayal,” says Kommersant’s source.

shot from behind

Vasenkov-Lazaro appeared in 2010. The Scout retired, but continued to transmit classified information to his homeland, although he changed his name. He was betrayed by Alexander Poteev, the former deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Agency of the Russian Federation, who fled to the USA. In addition to Vasenkov, he uncovered several illegal intelligence officers, in total the FBI detained ten people, but Vasenkov was the most valuable of them.

The FBI followed Vasenkov for several years, bugging his house. As a result, the Americans noticed that the fictitious Lazaro periodically drove a car outside the city along the same route. It turned out that he was communicating with Russian intelligence via the shortwave radio in the car. He also encrypted the information with old-fashioned Morse code.

As a result, 65-year-old Vasenkov was arrested and interrogated, but he denied all charges to the end. His family refused to believe that Lazaro had a secret life.

“I don’t know anything about Juan’s connection with Russia. Maybe he bought spices from a Russian shop. As for the mother, the only Russian thing she likes is vodka, ”Vasenkov’s son Waldo Mariscal told a journalist.

Vasenkov stopped in denial only when the traitor Poteev personally came to him.

“A man came to the cell and offered to confess to espionage. He showed me a file with my name on it. Then, what will happen? [Я] He gave his real name, but added that he did not intend to say anything more. Everything becomes clear when your photo taken in Moscow is shown to you. I didn’t talk to that person. Disgusting. Confession: Yes, I am. That’s it,” explained Vasenkov.

Besides the real name, the FBI failed to do anything. As Russian intelligence put it, Vasenkov “acted with dignity.” Released to his homeland in the same 2010, he was exchanged for four American spies unearthed in Russia. Vladimir Putin, who was Russia’s prime minister at the time, met in person with Vasenkov and other agents, who were expelled from the United States as a result of treason. By words Putin talked “about life” with the scouts and sang with them the song “Where the Fatherland Begins”.

Together with Vasenkov, his wife was sent to Russia. He returned to Peru, continued to work as a journalist.

It is unknown where Vasenkov lived before his death. Intelligence friends and lawyers said that he does not intend to live in Russia and wants to go abroad. At the same time, publisher Nikolai Dolgopolov met with Vasenkov for an interview in Moscow in 2020.

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