US rock musician arrested by Russia on drug charges

The US State Department has confirmed the arrest of American citizen Travis Leake in Russia and stated US embassy officers attended his arraignment on the weekend.

Moscow’s courts of common jurisdiction earlier launched a press release on the social media app Telegram saying a US citizen had been detained on medicine prices.

Leake was detained on Saturday the place “the Khamovniki District Court of Moscow took a preventive measure against an American citizen,” it stated.

US rock musician Travis Leake has been detained in Russia on drug prices, US officers confirmed. (CNN)

A courtroom assertion recognized him “Travis Michael Leek.”

“The former paratrooper and musician is accused of engaging in the narcotics business through attracting young people,” the assertion stated.

It added he had appeared on the courtroom of Moscow on Saturday, June 10 and can stay in custody till August 6, 2023.

On Sunday, the US State Department confirmed Leake’s detention.

“We can confirm that Michael Travis Leake was arrested and is detained in Moscow. Embassy officials attended his arraignment on June 10,” a spokesperson informed CNN.

“We will continue to monitor the case closely.”

“The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” they stated.

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

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom on the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (AP)

Leake’s mom says she hasn’t heard from officers but

Leake’s mom Glenda Garcia says she has but to listen to from US authorities officers concerning the present standing of her son and is frightened about what he is going by way of.

“Of course, I am worried. Of course, I am concerned, ” she informed CNN on Sunday. “He’s in prison in a foreign country, that is a concern.”

Garcia stated she does not know if her son has a lawyer and she or he does not know what to do herself.

“I have not heard from the State Department. If I don’t hear from them tomorrow, I will try to call them,” she stated. “I don’t really know anything other than what I heard on the news.”

Garcia final spoke together with her son on Mother’s Day, she stated, noting they sometimes speak each few weeks.

Regarding her son’s time in Russia, Garcia stated, “I know he was in a band, I know he taught English.”

Thousands of individuals wave Russian nationwide flags as they collect on Red Square in Moscow to look at a live performance devoted to the Day of Russia in Moscow, Russia,on June 11, 2023.. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (AP)

Video of Leake’s arrest from his residence and a mug shot from a Russian police station had been printed by Russian media shops on final Thursday.

Ren TV, a tabloid outlet, reported Leake’s statements to police through which he reportedly stated: “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.”

The arrest comes amid Russia’s battle with Ukraine, which has seen already poor relations between the US and Russia plummet.

In March, Russian safety providers arrested US journalist Evan Gershkovich, accusing him of spying, which he denies.

Interviewed by Anthony Bourdain

CNN filmed with Leake in 2014 for an episode of Parts Unknown in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Host Anthony Bourdain had personally hand-picked Leake to take part within the present.

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 stated. “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, stated 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 stated.

“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 proofread their lyrics,” she stated.

“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.”

Social media accounts and movies confirmed by a CNN reporter present Leake as a frontman in Lovi Noch, which interprets to “Catch the Night.”