US citizen arrested on drug charges in Russia
Mike Brest
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A United States citizen was arrested in Russia on drug charges on Saturday.
The State Department confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Michael Travis Leake, a U.S. musician who produces music for Russian bands, has been arrested and faces allegations of dealing drugs. The Khamovniki District Court of Moscow accused him of “organizing a drug dealing business involving young people.”
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Leake appeared in court on June 10, with U.S. Embassy officials in attendance, and will remain in custody until Aug. 6 in pretrial detention.
“The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas. We can confirm that Michael Travis Leake was arrested and is detained in Moscow,” a State Department spokesperson explained. “Embassy officials attended his arraignment on June 10. When a U.S. citizen is detained overseas, the Department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance. We will continue to monitor the case closely.”
Russia’s judicial system overwhelmingly results in convictions for the accused, and it has a recent history of arresting U.S. citizens, some of whom the Biden administration has determined wrongfully detained.
In late March, Russia arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on allegations he was engaged in espionage, though he, his employer, and the administration have said the charges are bogus, which is why the State Department determined he’s being wrongfully detained, a legal status that determines who’s responsible for the case and available resources.
However, he’s not the only detained American. Paul Whelan, a U.S. military veteran, has been in a Russian prison, also on espionage charges that he denies, for roughly 4 1/2 years. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges the administration said were bogus, though the seriousness of such charges has made it difficult for the U.S. to secure his and Gershkovich’s releases.
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The Biden administration agreed to two prisoner swaps last year, one that returned Trevor Reed last April and another that returned Brittney Griner last December, but Whelan was excluded from both deals. U.S. officials said after Griner’s release that the Kremlin did not make Whelan available in any possible swap and that it views his detention differently given the espionage charge.
The State Department may declare Leake wrongfully detained, but it’s a process that often takes months to complete.