Posted on 12/31/2018 10:05:44 AM PST by yesthatjallen
Russia has detained a US citizen on suspicion of spying, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). American Paul Whelan was arrested December 28 in Moscow "while carrying out an act of espionage," the FSB said in a statement.
"The investigation department of the Federal Security Service of Russia initiated a criminal case against a US citizen under article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation is underway," the statement continued. Article 276 is espionage. If found guilty, Whelan faces 10 to 20 years imprisonment, Russia's state-run news agency TASS reported.
The Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs "formally notified" the United States of the detention, a US State Department spokesman said.
SNIP
The FSB, the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, is Russia's domestic intelligence agency. The US government has sanctioned the FSB over cyber activities, and earlier this year, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a firm controlled by the FSB for conducting cyberattacks against the United States. The FSB, however, does have some longstanding cooperation with US intelligence on issues such as counterterrorism.
ETC...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I thought the typical course of action for Americans caught spying in Russia and vice verse was simple expulsion as a PNG. When did that stop being a thing?
When? I’d say when we prosecuted and locked up that Russian girl who liked the NRA and shooting, wanted a second amendment for Russia, and attended prayed breakfasts and made all the political friends she could to help her achieve that goal back in Russia.
Maybe it’s more serious or Russia is looking for a bargaining chip.
Russia manufacturing...
Probably when DOJ started holding Russian student activists in solitary confinement for failing to file registration forms. One of the perks of Russian citizenship (other than never being extraditable to anywhere, ever) is that the Russian government will go to extreme measures to get their citizens out of trouble abroad.
When the USA started arresting Russians under questionable charges, e.g. Maria Butina.
Putin looking for some leverage against the first Alpha Male President he has had to deal with?
Or...he could really be a spy.
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