Scientist nabbed for Russia spying is Mexico hometown hero

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican microbiologist charged with spying for Russia in Miami is considered a benefactor in his native state of Oaxaca state, the mayor of his hometown said Tuesday, and he holds positions with at least two prominent universities.

Mayor Hazael Matus said scientist Hector Alejandro Cabrera has helped set up science projects in his hometown of El Espinal and had been considered a contender for a Nobel Prize in medicine; Cabrera was known for his work on cardiac treatments, and was hoping to produce an ointment to help heal wounds in diabetics in his home state.

"It is very strange for this to happen because he is a very altruistic person with a lot of social conscience. He helped people and all this seems strange," Matus said. “We don't know what happened, but I bet it is a confusion or an attack for scientific reasons. He may have discovered something that upset some people or some business interests.”

U.S. authorities said Tuesday that Cabrera had been hired by a Russian government official to locate the vehicle of a U.S. government source in the Miami area and inform the Russian of its location. The U.S. government source, who might be better described as an informant, was not identified.

It was also unclear why a Mexican scientist based in Singapore might have been chosen for such a mission.

Cabrera was arrested and charged with acting within the United States on behalf of a foreign government – in this case, Russia – without notifying the U.S. attorney general, and conspiracy to do the same, according to the Justice Department. A pretrial detention hearing was set for Friday in U.S. magistrate court in Miami and arraignment for March 3 in the same court.

Cabrera is listed as an associate professor at the medical school jointly run by Duke University and the National University of...