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Russia: U.S. Citizen Detained on Espionage Charges

HeadlineJan 03, 2019

In Russia, the U.S. ambassador, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, visited a U.S. citizen who is accused by the Russians of espionage. Paul Whelan, who was arrested in Russia Friday, is a former marine who now works for the auto parts supplier BorgWarner. He was reportedly in Moscow to attend a wedding. His family has said he is innocent of the espionage allegations. Some have speculated that Whelan’s arrest is retaliation for the arrest of Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina, who in December pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a Russian agent without registering with the Justice Department. Butina has been jailed since July, after being accused of trying to infiltrate the NRA and other right-wing groups in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

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