Another American overseas has been detained in Russia. American musician and former U.S. paratrooper who fought in Iraq, Travis Leake, age 51, has been held in Moscow for two months. He is being held on alleged drug charges.

Leake is accused of alleged illegal production, sale, and shipment of narcotics on a large scale. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years in jail. The Russians are calling this a “drugs case.” A Russian woman reported him to law enforcement authorities for allegedly supplying drugs.

He has lived and worked in Russia for more than 10 years.

The woman, Valeria Grobanyuk, is described as a close woman friend. Armed officers searched his apartment on Zaporozhskaya Street in Moscow a few days ago. The drug accusations center around a drug called Mephedrone. His detention is being called a preventive measure. He appeared at the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow on June 10. He will be held until August 6.

Leake has worked as a singer and producer of several Russian rock bands. He has been associated with Lovi Noch – Seize the Night. It is reported that he visited Ukraine during the 2014 revolution.

REN TV channel reports that a suspicious substance was found in his apartment. It was sent to be examined, along with scales and other items. At first, Leake told investigators he didn’t know what he was accused of but later he told police he organized a small but profitable business involving the sale of Mephedrone in Russia. It is not clear if this confession came under duress. Allegedly he had been supplying the drug to young people, particularly females, but there is no independent proof of the claim.

There are suspicions that Russia is arresting Americans and other foreigners using any reason possible during the war in Ukraine in order to make deals for the return of Russian criminals being held in the West. Russia is holding U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, a 31-year-old reporter working out of the Wall Street Journal’s Moscow bureau. It is the first time Russian authorities have accused an American journalist of alleged espionage since the Cold War days. American WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner, who played for a Russian team in the off-season, was detained in Moscow on drug charges when Russian authorities found hashish oil in a vape pipe in her luggage at the airport. A deal was made by the Biden administration for her release in exchange for the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from prison. Biden failed to secure the release of another American, Paul Whelan at the time. Whelan is charged with espionage, like Gershkovich, and both have been determined to be “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. State Department. Whelan has been in a Russian prison for more than four years. There is also a 62-year-old American school teacher, Marc Fogel, in a Russian prison for drug possession charges. He was found to have marijuana, which he claims he uses for pain management purposes.

Saturday the State Department said it is aware of reports of a U.S. citizen being detained but declined to comment, citing privacy considerations.

“We are aware of reports of the recent arrest of a US citizen in Moscow,” a State Department spokesperson said.

“When a US citizen is detained overseas, the department pursues consular access as soon as possible and works to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”

Video of Leake’s arrest from his home and a mugshot from a Russian police station were published on Russian media outlets on June 8.

Ren TV, a tabloid outlet, reported Leake’s statements to police in which he reportedly said: “I don’t understand why I’m here. I don’t admit guilt, I don’t believe I could have done what I’m accused of because I don’t know what I’m accused of.”

In 2014 CNN filmed Leake in Moscow and St. Petersburg for its show with Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain personally handpicked Leake to participate in the show. In the episode of Parts Unknown, Leake talked about his frustrations with censorship in Russia. The producer of that show speaks up for Leake now.

In the episode, Leake talked about his frustrations with censorship and relayed an incident involving his band and MTV. “This was a documentary series about musicians standing up and risking their lives in some cases, to stand up against government abuse of power, government corruption,” he said. “And yet, a foreign government was able to editorially control what Americans viewers see on their TV screens. That to me is a scandal of epic proportion.”

Darya Tarasova, who had produced the episode, said the “band wasn’t that famous but Travis and his friends had been very vocal about the freedom of speech and state oppression in Russia. “Bourdain really liked that interview,” she said.

“Travis was a showman – very articulate and he loved Russia,” Tarasova added. “Bands from the Moscow rock scene would go to him to write songs in English for them and proof read their lyrics,” she said.

“The last time we spoke was in 2018 and he seemed depressed and upset, but Travis would never do the things he is being accused of. He is an American in Russia and is very aware of the situation he’s in. But I’m surprised he stayed after the war started as it was very risky for him.”

Putin and the Russian authorities under his control are evil men. This is well-known. Any American in Russia, especially at this time, is taking a chance on being tossed into prison on a whim or on trumped-up charges. Times are particularly tense right now for American citizens due to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and U.S. support for Ukraine.