Russia releases U.S. citizens detained ahead of talks between Washington, Moscow

A U.S. citizen arrested on drug smuggling charges earlier this month has been released from Russian custody.

Kalob Wayne Byers, 28, was detained on February 7 at the Warukovo Airport in Moscow, allegedly found in his luggage by customs officials . Byers and his Russian fiancé traveled from Istanbul, who was also detained.

It is unclear whether Russian media identified as Naida Mambetova’s fiancé was also released. She was placed in pretrial custody on the same charges.

Russian authorities said Byers had tried to smuggle “large amounts of drugs” into the country. He was detained on drug smuggling charges and could be in jail for up to ten years.

U.S. detained in Russia identified as Kalob Wayne Byers

Byers, now released from custody in Russia, stayed at the U.S. embassy while waiting for the plane to return home, and his parents were on social media, according to Meduza, an independent Russian news media. wrote. According to the Associated Press, a U.S. official confirmed that Byles was released to the embassy on Sunday evening.

Russia’s release of Byers appears to be part of eased tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

When asked about Byers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Moscow expects “to discuss the entire complex of resuming Russian-American relations at the Saudi Arabian conference” , so that certain events can be seen in this case. ”

Tensions between the two countries have begun to soften in recent weeks.

A U.S. citizen arrested earlier this month on drug smuggling charges was released ahead of talks held in Saudi Arabia between Moscow and Washington. (Contributor/Rebecca Noble/Getty Image)

Last week, President Donald Trump overturned the U.S. three-year policy on Ukraine and Russia, noting that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to start negotiations to end the war.

In recent years, the company has been increasingly linked to Moscow and Washington due to the Russian war against Ukraine, and Americans have been arrested in Russia in recent years, and the company began in February 2022.

Some Americans have been released on prisoners’ exchanges, including Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania teacher, who was imprisoned in Russia on drug charges. He was released last week.

U.S. citizen allegedly carrying marijuana in Moscow, charged with drug smuggling: Russian media

The left-wing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik was replaced by American teacher Marc Fogel, right. (Nicolas Economu/Nurphoto via Getty Images/Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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While working at a school in Moscow in August 2021, Fogel was detained at a Russian airport in August 2021. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for possessing drugs, which his family said was medically prescribed marijuana.

He was released earlier this month and returned to the United States, including the return to Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cryptocurrency expert who faces allegations of bitcoin fraud in the United States, returning to Russia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.