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Saturday, February 15, 2025
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Russia detains another US citizen on drug charges

publish time

15/02/2025

publish time

15/02/2025

XAZ118
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev during their meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia on Feb 14. (AP)

MOSCOW, Russia, Feb 15, (AP): Russia has detained another US citizen, after customs officials found cannabis-laced marmalade in his luggage, Russian media said Friday, days after a Moscow-Washington prisoner swap that the White House called a diplomatic thaw and a step toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.

Russian police said the 28-year-old American had attempted to smuggle a "significant amount” of drugs into the country, the Interfax agency reported, citing Russia’s Federal Customs Service. The agency said the American was detained at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after flying in from Istanbul last Friday. Mash, a Russian Telegram channel with links to the security services, said the US citizen, identified only as K. Byers, faced up to seven years in prison if convicted.

There was no immediate comment from the US State Department. The Washington-Moscow prisoner exchange this month saw Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the United States, returned to Russia after being freed for American Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who was detained in 2021 when traveling to Russia to work at a school.

Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence for having with what his family and supporters said was medically prescribed marijuana. Joe Biden’s administration designated Fogel as wrongfully detained in December. President Donald Trump on Wednesday upended three years of US policy toward Ukraine, saying he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the conflict following a lengthy direct phone call.