American citizen Robert Woodland detained in Russia on drug charges

A on drug charges, Russian media reported Tuesday. , 32, was detained Friday, according to Moscow court reports. A judge ordered him held until at least March 5. Woodland is accused of “illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, manufacture, and ,” the Washington Post reported. Russian authorities said Woodland was in possession of the synthetic amphetamine mephedrone when , according to the Moscow Times.

He faces between eight and 20 years in prison. Woodland was born in the Russian city of Perm in 1991, according to a . As a toddler, he was adopted by an American couple and grew up in the U.S., attending high school in upstate New York. In 2020, Woodland moved back to Russia permanently and said he planned to stay there.

At the time of the interview, he was working as an English teacher in the , outside Moscow. But court documents list Woodland with , according to NBC News. Russian investigators said they believe “criminal activity is his main source of income.” Woodland joins at least three other American citizens detained in Russia.

was arrested in March 2023 and accused of espionage. His trial has not yet started. Former Marine has been behind bars in Russia since 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Another dual U.S Russian citizen, , was accused of espionage in August 2023. Spector was already jailed in Russia after he was accused of bribing a government official..