A former Air National Guardsman, Wilmer Puello-Mota, 28, is facing serious allegations after reportedly defecting and joining the Russian army in its war against Ukraine. Puello-Mota, a former security forces technical sergeant with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, allegedly fled the country following charges of possession of child pornography.
Puello-Mota's departure came in response to civil criminal charges filed against him, leading to his removal from the National Guard in October 2022. The charges of possession of child pornography stemmed from an incident in 2020 where he allegedly solicited nude photos from a teenager.