U.S. citizen detained in Moscow over alleged drug charges
Russian authorities detained a United States citizen at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow on charges of drug smuggling, as reported by Mash, a Russian Telegram channel linked to security services, on Friday.
According to reports, the man, identified only as K. Byers, was detained at the airport immediately upon his arrival in Russia. Approximately 500 grams (around 17 ounces) of marijuana was found in his luggage, which could result in up to seven years in prison if he is found guilty by a Russian court.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow, when approached about the matter by the Reuters agency, declined to comment, citing privacy restrictions.
Political pressure
This is another instance of a U.S. citizen being detained on charges related to Russia's strict anti-drug laws. In 2022, Russian authorities arrested American basketball star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for possessing hash oil. Griner regained her freedom as part of a prisoner exchange later that same year.
The detention of American citizens in Russia often takes on a political dimension, especially given the tense relations between Washington and Moscow.
The United States has repeatedly accused the Kremlin of using foreign prisoners as a bargaining chip in diplomatic negotiations and as a means of exerting pressure in international relations. It is not out of the question that Byers' case could become another point of contention in U.S.-Russia relations.
Prisoner exchanges
Marc Fogel is an American teacher who worked for many years in international schools around the world, including in Russia. In August 2021, he was detained at Moscow airport when approximately 17 grams (just over half an ounce) of marijuana were found in his luggage. Fogel explained that he possessed it under a prescription issued in the United States for chronic back pain.
In June 2022, a Russian court sentenced him to 14 years in a high-security penal colony, classifying his act as "large-scale drug smuggling." The sentence was deemed exceptionally harsh, especially since Fogel was over 60 and had no prior legal issues.
Fogel's case was political from the start. The Kremlin repeatedly rejected U.S. requests for his release. Ultimately, on February 12, 2025, Fogel was released as part of a prisoner exchange—Russia regained Aleksandra Vinnika, a Russian cryptocurrency expert convicted in the U.S. for money laundering.
Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic champion and WNBA player, was arrested in February 2022 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. Vape cartridges containing hash oil, which is a prohibited substance in Russia, were found in her luggage. Griner explained that she used it for medical reasons, but Russian authorities charged her with drug smuggling.
In August 2022, she was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, prompting a strong reaction from the U.S. administration, which considered her "wrongfully detained."
Griner regained her freedom in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia. In exchange, Washington agreed to release Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death," who was serving a 25-year sentence in an American prison.
Source: Reuters, WP
