Official: 12th person detained in Russian spy case

[July 13, 2010]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. has detained a 12th person in connection with the Russian spy ring, but the man is not being charged with a crime, according to a federal law enforcement official.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case, said the man is expected to be deported from the U.S. later in the day.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Federal Bureau of Investigation counterintelligence investigators have been investigating the 23-year-old Russian man since last fall, when his name surfaced in a decade-long espionage investigation. The newspaper, quoting an unidentified U.S. official, said investigators weren't able to gather enough evidence against the unidentified man to bring charges.

In the biggest spy swap since the Cold War, 10 Russian agents who infiltrated suburban America were deported last week in exchange for four people convicted of betraying Moscow to the West. An 11th person has been a fugitive since fleeing authorities in Cyprus following his release on bail.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had no comment Tuesday on the deportation arrangements.

[Associated Press; By PETE YOST]

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