U.S. demands Russia explain ex-Marine's detention on spying charges

The State Department should put out a travel advisory strongly discouraging Americans from traveling to Russia.

RT has a more detailed information. It states that he apparently was in contact with CIA officials. Good opportunity for Russia to make a swap deal. Semper Fi. Hope it works for the good on both sides.

Why visit Russia?

Culture, long history, family ties, curiosity, beautiful people, learn to enhance sports performance and get caught, to befriend Putin or some other oligarch, caviar, to take the Orient Express, part of a round-the-world trip, on a dare.

Or to attend a wedding for a brother who found a lovely Russian bride?

I don't think it is legal for a foreigner to be a tour guide in Russia. That must be why the espionage charges happened. Can't have foreigners taking over the tour guide businesses from Russians.

Good job, Russia! This guy is very suspicious! He went to Russia many times, the Russians don't like foreign people visiting their country many times especially the Americans!

@burning Details are rather scant. I wonder why.

I briefly scanned RT and couldn't find anything.

And Yandex just has links from 'western' media.

Maybe someone from the Internet Research Agency (they must have good search skills), maybe someone with GRU connections, could provide those details.

get Butina back before she spills the beans on Trump

Has anyone found out why Russia used the NRA? Or other US rightist organizations? I'm trying to find the connection between ultrarightist, ultranationalist organizations and Russia.

I'm sure the Russian charges are trumped up (pun intentional) but really, who goes to Russia to attend a wedding? By himself? 

This is obviously a spy swap set up to get Butina back before she spills the beans on Trump, Putin, and the NRA.

It's impossible to say what the truth is in these sorts of cases. The CIA clearly does have operatives around the world and it isn't unprecedented for one of them to be caught. If you're a former Marine or even a US government employee, it seems a bit reckless to be visiting countries like Russia and China.

How did this get down voted? This is a reasonable post.

It's impossible to say what the truth is in these sorts of cases. The CIA clearly does have operatives around the world and it isn't unprecedented for one of them to be caught. If you're a former Marine or even a US government employee, it seems a bit reckless to be visiting countries like Russia and China.

Details are rather scant. I wonder why.

It's the Kremlin komrade. They don't like these kinds of informations to be getting out to the world.