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Tag: citizen

Russia frees US citizen detained on drug smuggling charges ahead of talks between Moscow, Washington

A U.S. citizen arrested in Russia earlier this month on drug smuggling charges has been released from Russian custody.

Kalob Wayne Byers, 28, was detained on Feb. 7 at the Vnukovo airport in Moscow after cannabis-laced marmalade was allegedly found in his luggage by customs officials. Byers was traveling from Istanbul with his Russian fiancée, who was also taken into custody.

It was not immediately clear whether Byers’ fiancée, identified by Russian media as Naida Mambetova, was also released. She was placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.

Russian authorities said Byers had attempted to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs into the country. He was taken into custody on drug smuggling charges, punishable by up to a decade in prison.

AMERICAN DETAINED IN RUSSIA IDENTIFIED AS KALOB WAYNE BYERS

Kalob Byers, 28, was detained in Russia on Feb. 7 on drug smuggling charges. (Moscow City Court’s Press Office/Reuters)

Byers, now freed from Russian custody, is staying in the U.S. embassy in Moscow as he awaits a flight home, his parents wrote on social media, according to Russian independent news outlet Meduza. A U.S. official confirmed that Byers was released to the embassy late on Sunday evening, according to The Associated Press.

Russia freeing Byers appears to be part of an effort to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

When asked about Byers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Moscow expects “to discuss restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations” at the Saudi Arabia meeting “so certain events can be viewed in this context.”

Tensions between the two countries had already begun to soften in recent weeks.

A U.S. citizen arrested in Russia earlier this month on drug smuggling charges has been released ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between Moscow and Washington. (Contributor/Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Last week, President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia, stating that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war.

Americans being arrested in Russia has become increasingly common in recent years, as relations between Moscow and Washington have soured because of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Some Americans have been released in prisoner exchanges, including Marc Fogel, a teacher from Pennsylvania who was jailed in Russia on drug charges. He was freed last week.

US CITIZEN ALLEGEDLY CARRYING CANNABIS DETAINED IN MOSCOW, CHARGED WITH NARCOTICS SMUGGLING: RUSSIAN MEDIA

Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, left, was swapped for American teacher Marc Fogel, right. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Fogel was detained at a Russian airport in August 2021 when traveling to work at a school in Moscow. He was sentenced to 14 years behind bars for possession of drugs, which his family said was medically prescribed marijuana.

He was released and flown back to the U.S. earlier this month in an exchange that included returning Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faced Bitcoin fraud charges in the U.S., to Russia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

February 18, 2025
US citizen carrying cannabis gummies detained in Moscow, charged with narcotics smuggling: Russia media

A U.S. citizen who was allegedly carrying cannabis gummies has been detained at an airport in Moscow, Russian media reported.

The 28-year-old American was detained at the Vnukovo Airport Feb. 7 after a K-9 with the Russian Federal Customs Service detected something in his luggage, Russia’s TASS news agency said.

He had arrived in Russia via Istanbul.

The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital it is aware of reports of a citizen being detained and had no further comment.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

A U.S. citizen who was allegedly carrying cannabis gummies has been detained at an airport in Moscow, Russian media has reported. (Contributor/Getty Images)

“A chemical analysis revealed the presence of narcotic substances from the cannabinoid group,” the customs service reported, according to TASS, adding the man claimed his U.S. doctor had prescribed the gummies.

He has been charged with smuggling narcotic drugs into the country and could face five up to 10 years in prison, TASS reported.

Marc Fogel, a U.S. citizen who was detained on drug charges in Russia four years ago, was released on Tuesday in exchange for Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik, who had been detained by the U.S. government on cryptocurrency fraud charges.

Released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel reacts during an event held by President Donald Trump to welcome back Fogel, who had been held in Russia since 2021, at the White House Feb. 11, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Vogel’s plane landed safely in the U.S. Tuesday night.

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.

In 2022, WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russia after she spent eight months in detainment for having vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis.

MOTHER OF FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL THANKS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: ‘HE KEPT HIS PROMISE’

WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russia in 2022 after she spent eight months in detainment for having vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

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She was also detained at a Moscow airport as she returned to the country to play in a basketball league there.

February 15, 2025
Hamas to release 3 more hostages, including US citizen, as part of fragile ceasefire deal

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Terror group Hamas has released two more hostages, with a third, an American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel, expected to be freed later Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Hamas handed over Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas to the Red Cross, and both were expected to be given over to IDF soldiers.

Siegel, 65, was raised in North Carolina and immigrated to Israel as a young man, becoming a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. He and his wife, Aviva, settled in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. He had been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when both were kidnapped from their home during the Hamas massacre.

Aviva Siegel, who was freed in the last hostage deal in November, previously told Fox News about her fears for his deteriorating health, emphasizing that the fight is not over until all hostages return. Alongside Siegel, French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were also freed. Bibas’ wife and two young children remain in captivity.

ISRAELI WOMAN BRAVELY DESCRIBES HORROR AS HAMAS HOSTAGE: ‘THEY WERE TAKING PLEASURE IN HURTING ME’

Siegel would be the first American freed under the current ceasefire deal. So far, 10 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals abducted on October 7 have also been released. Six Americans remain in Gaza. Among them, Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old father of three, is expected to be freed soon. Another captive, Edan Alexander, 21, from New Jersey, was serving in the IDF when taken. Hamas also holds the bodies of deceased hostages.

Hamas has named Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon as the next three hostages to be released. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Securing the release of U.S. citizens and other hostages remains a top priority for President Donald Trump, who warned Hamas would face “all hell to pay” if they failed to comply. White House envoy Steve Witkoff, closely monitoring the situation, recently became the first U.S. official to visit Gaza in 15 years. “There is almost nothing left of Gaza,” Witkoff told Axios, estimating that full reconstruction could take 10 to 15 years. He stressed that advancing the hostage deal is key to stabilizing the region and broader diplomatic efforts, including Saudi-Israeli normalization talks.

For the families of those still in captivity, the struggle is far from over. Yechi Yehoud, father of released hostage Arbel Yehoud who was released on Thursday, delivered an emotional statement upon his daughter’s return.

“Arbel has come back to us in reasonable health, considering the hell she endured. She survived heroically until the very end, displaying immeasurable courage. We are here also to express our gratitude to President Trump, and his Middle East Special Envoy Mr. Steve Witkoff, who knew how to speak ‘Trump language’ in the Middle East and leverage full diplomatic pressure for the hostages’ return… We won’t rest until we know they’re back with us, alive!”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS SET TO BEGIN SUNDAY

Scenes of chaos in Khan Younis, as hostages Gadi Moses and Arbel Yehud were forced to walk on foot through a Palestinian mob to waiting Red Cross vehicles on Jan. 30, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)

The ceasefire, which has temporarily halted a brutal 15-month war, is unfolding in phases. Each stage involves the staggered release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, the process has faced setbacks, including horrific scenes this week when Hamas paraded hostages before an angry mob, endangering their safety. The chaotic handover to the Red Cross sparked outrage in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu briefly halted the reciprocal release of Palestinian prisoners, warning Hamas against further disruptions.

The current plan includes additional hostage releases in the coming weeks, with 33 captives expected to be freed over six weeks. In return, Israel will release 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners, including 250-300 convicted of deadly attacks, and allow increased humanitarian aid into Gaza. Whether Hamas will fully comply remains uncertain, putting the fragile truce at risk.

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PM Netanyahu Meets with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. (Photo by Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)

Amid high-stakes ceasefire negotiations, Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from President Trump to visit Washington on February 4, making him the first foreign leader to meet Trump in his second term. The visit will focus on the hostage deal, ceasefire discussions, and broader security concerns, including Iran and Gaza’s reconstruction.

February 1, 2025