Just days ago the Trump administration was able to finally secure the release of American school teacher Marc Fogel from Russian prison, who spent over three years in custody after being arrested for what he said was medical cannabis in August 2021.
But already Russia has another American in its custody, as Russian news agencies have reported a US citizen has been arrested for "drug smuggling" after being caught passing through Moscow's Vnukovo Airport with THC gummies.
The man, who had arrived from Istanbul, has yet to be identified but his age was given as 28. This comes after several Americans were caught in similar circumstances, most famously WBNBA start Brittney Griner.
"While passing customs, one of his suitcases drew the attention of a service dog," TASS reported of a Russia's Federal Customs Service statement. "During the customs search, inspectors found two plastic jars and a zip-bag with the candy in it... Chemical analysis showed narcotic substances of the cannabinoid group in it."
Like with the Fogel case, the newly detained man has "claimed that the sweets were prescribed by a doctor in the United States and that he needed them for traveling," according to TASS.
In the prior several years amid the Ukraine war, the Biden administration accused the Kremlin of detaining Americans on baseless charges in order to hold them as bargaining chips.
For example, Griner's release (in Dec. 2022) was secured in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout earlier in the war, a controversial trade to say the least. And Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich were released last August in prisoner swaps.
Russia still holds several Americans, including:
- ballerina Ksenia Karelina
- retired English teacher Stephen Hubbard
- former US Marine Robert Gilman
As for the newest incident involving the 28-year old, it goes without saying that at this point no one should be trying to enter Russia with cannabis or any other drug, whether for 'medical' purposes or not, as clearly the country's authorities are not messing around.