U.S. citizen arrested in Russia, accused of drug trafficking, state media reports

An American citizen has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of drug trafficking, according to Russian state media.

The press service for a court in Moscow’s Khamovniki district told the Interfax news agency that the man was an ex-paratrooper and musician and accused him of organizing a drug dealing business involving young people. It named the man as Leek Michael Travis. A family member told CNN that his name was Michael Travis Leake. There was no immediate additional information about the man.

According to CNN, the State Department is aware of the report but has declined to comment further.

News of the arrest came six months after Brittney Griner, an American basketball star imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, was released in a prisoner swap. Griner was held for almost 10 months on a cannabis possession charge and her case became an international cause because she was seen as a hostage held by Moscow in response to international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

The United States advises all Americans to avoid traveling to Russia.

Many Americans and citizens of European countries left Russia after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when Western sanctions and flight bans were imposed on the country. It was not immediately clear how many have remained in Russia.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.