Russia Releases American Detained on Drug Charges Ahead of US Talks

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2 days ago

Above: US and Russian delegations attend a meeting at Riyadh's Diriyah Palace, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18, 2025. Image copyright: Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP/Contributor via Getty Imagesstory last updated 2 days ago

The Facts

Prior to Tuesday's US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, the first high-level contact between the countries since 2021, Russian authorities released an American citizen arrested at a Moscow airport on drug charges, the State Department confirmed after talks were concluded.
Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old from Ohio, was stopped at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Feb. 7 after customs officers allegedly discovered cannabis-laced sweets in his baggage. According to his mother, Byers was traveling from Istanbul to Moscow with his Russian fiancee who was also detained.
In a Facebook post, Tonya Shuler, Byers' mother, added that he suffers from epilepsy and that he takes cannabis as medication to help control his seizures.

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Following the Ukraine war and relations between Washington and Moscow reaching Cold War-levels, Russia has increased its numbers of opportunistic arrests of US citizens to achieve leverage in dealings with US officials. However, these latest moves from Moscow come as relations between the US and Russia appear to thaw, providing hope that innocent US citizens can be better protected from unjust detainment.

Associated Press

Pro-Russia narrative

Although Russia caught Byers with a significant amount of products containing cannabinoids, which is illegal under Russian law, Moscow showed leniency for the purpose of improving relations with the US. This exceptional move could potentially pave the way for further diplomatic progress.