They accuse a Russian lover of espionage weapons in the United States

Russian agent Maria Butina

Washington

A new chapter in the controversy over the role of Russia in the states United States was developed yesterday in Washington, with the presentation in court of María Butina (29 years old), a Russian girl accused of seeking to infiltrate the American political apparatus.

Butina was arrested last weekend for "extreme risk" of leaving the country, and is accused of acting as "an undeclared agent of a foreign government" and to "conspire" to infiltrate US political organizations "to promote the interests of the Russian Federation", according to the complaint of the Ministry of Justice.

of his arrest and indictment occurred Monday, just hours after the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Butina, who came to offer bad in exchange for benefits in an op He was detained at a preliminary hearing in a Washington court, where he pleaded not guilty and is liable to A sentence of up to fifteen years in prison. Her lawyer, Robert Driscoll, dismissed the allegations and claimed that Butina had "cooperated with various government entities for months," including a review of her house by the FBI in April.

Gun Enthusiast

Redhead had become known in the ultraconservative field of the United States as the visible face of an NGO in favor of firearms, "Right to Arms."

Originally from Siberia, Butina frequently posts photos on social networks. in which he appears to be manipulating weapons to denounce the strict regulation of access to firearms in his country.

But US authorities have focused on the many contacts it has had since 2015 with the powerful local arms lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA), an entity closely linked to the Republican Party.

In social networks, Butina also published photos with prominent Republican leaders, including former NRA leader David Keene, and former Wisconsin presidential candidate and presidential candidate Scott Walker. In these photos, Butina also appears very often accompanied by a Russian official who, according to the North American press, is Alexander Torshin, a senior official of the Russian Central Bank, sanctioned by the United States. (AFP and AP)