Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former U.S. Air Force veteran and city councilman from Holyoke, Massachusetts, who was facing possession of child pornography charges, has appeared in a propaganda video from the Russian Defense Ministry confirming that he has joined the Russian Army. In the video, he goes by the call sign “Boston” and is serving as a reconnaissance drone operator in the Donetsk region, where Russian military units are fighting Ukrainians. Puello-Mota insisted that he is not a traitor and did not mention the criminal charges he was facing when he fled the country in January to Russia via Turkey.
Despite being a former city councilman and Air Force veteran, Puello-Mota made the decision to join the Russian army after fleeing the U.S. before facing charges in court. He told his lawyer that he did not want to register as a sex offender due to the child pornography possession charges, which he believed would ruin his life and political aspirations. Puello-Mota’s attorney has confirmed that he expressed his intentions to join the Russian army before leaving the country, although he initially believed it was a joke.
Following his escape, video footage surfaced on social media showing a man in a Russian military uniform planting a U.S. flag in a war-torn Ukrainian city, leading people in Holyoke to believe it was Puello-Mota. The Russian Defense Ministry later released additional videos identifying a former U.S. soldier named “Will” as a member of their army. In the latest video, Puello-Mota explains that his decision to join the Russian army was influenced by his involvement in politics and his desire to make an impact on international politics.
Puello-Mota served in the U.S. Air Force and deployment to Afghanistan in 2015 when he was only 19 years old. Records indicate that he was aligned with conservative councilors in Holyoke who supported former President Donald Trump and had faced legal issues in the past, including charges related to child pornography and obstruction of the judicial system. Despite these challenges, Puello-Mota expressed his enthusiasm for being a part of the Russian army in the video released by the Defense Ministry.
Puello-Mota claimed to be from Boston, Massachusetts, but actually lived in Holyoke and served on the city council for a term from 2021 to 2023. His political career faced challenges when he was arrested in May 2020 for possession of sexually explicit images of a minor and other charges. The city attempted to remove him from the council, but he fled the country before facing any consequences. Puello-Mota has not mentioned his legal troubles in the videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
In the recent video, Puello-Mota accuses the U.S. of being responsible for the war in Ukraine and expresses his enthusiasm for being a member of the Russian army. He mentions having a girlfriend and appears to be satisfied with his decision to join the military in Russia. Despite the controversy surrounding his departure from the U.S. and the criminal charges he faces, Puello-Mota remains committed to his new role in the Russian Armed Forces and does not consider himself a traitor.
