Russian agents plead guilty, are expelled from U.S.
Russia and the United States completed an elaborately choreographed spy swap on Friday at the airport in Vienna, Austria, according to a Russian state media outlet. A plane carrying 10 Russian agents expelled from the U.S. for intelligence gathering landed at Moscow’s airport, while a second plane carrying four people convicted of spying for the U.S. headed for a destination in the West. The 10 Russian agents were expelled from the U.S. in exchange for Russia’s release of four prisoners, officials from both countries confirmed on Friday. None of the 10 were charged with espionage because they did not pass along any classified information, and all agreed to never return to the U.S. without permission from the government. Authorities have lost track of an 11th suspect, who was detained in Cyprus, released on bail, and then failed to check in with authorities as he had promised to do. The four imprisoned in Russia were pardoned by President Dmitry Medvedev for their alleged contact with Western intelligence agencies. The individuals were released into the custody of the U.S., but aren’t necessarily headed for America, an embassy spokesperson said.