An American music manager and former musician was arrested and arraigned on drug charges in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, according to CNN.

Travis Leek was arraigned on June 10 in the Khamovniki District Court in Moscow in the presence of U.S. Embassy officials and will remain in custody until August 6, 2023. reported outlets reported.Mr. Leek is accused of selling mephedronea drug similar in action to cocaine and MDMA. report According to Associated Press. According to both CNN and Associated Press, he was a paratrooper and was reportedly the lead singer of the band “Lovi Noch” or “Seize the Night.” According to both reports, the U.S. State Department confirmed Leek’s arrest. According to CNN, Leake’s mother, Glenda Garcia, has not yet been contacted by the State Department regarding her son’s arrest.

Relations between the United States and Russia deteriorated after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.U.S. Department of State warned with the highest level of travel advisory Because of the “risk of illegal detention,” Americans “must not travel to Russia,” and Americans in Russia “should leave the country immediately.” (Related: ‘Never leave a Marine behind’: Elon Musk slams Biden’s Britney Greiner deal)

US journalist Evan Garsikovich was detained in Russia in March 2023 on suspicion of “espionage”. Moscow Times.gershkovic worked Before his arrest, he wrote for The Wall Street Journal and covered Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. His pretrial detention has been extended from May 2023 to 30 August 2023, according to the BBC report. Former US Marine Paul Whelan is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia for “espionage,” reports the Moscow Times.Whelan is reportedly “I am very disappointed that no further steps were taken to secure my release.”

US basketball player Britney Greiner was released from a Russian prison in December 2022 in a prisoner exchange with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death.”