Russian woman Maria Butina arrested in Washington, accused of acting as Russian government agent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A 29-year-old Russian woman living in Washington has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian government while developing ties with U.S. citizens and infiltrating political groups, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday.

Maria Butina allegedly worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government who has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Butina was arrested on Sunday and was ordered held pending a hearing set Wednesday, it said.

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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