DETROIT – Sen. Gary Peters is calling on President Trump's administration to "act swiftly and with transparency" as Russia holds a Michigan man on accusations of espionage.
Paul Whelan, 48, of Novi, Mich., was arrested Friday in Moscow on the charges. He is a U.S. citizen and former Marine who was born in Canada.
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Peters (D-Mich.) tweeted Wednesday afternoon:
"It is very concerning when a foreign adversary like Russia feels empowered to detain an American citizen. The Trump Administration must act swiftly and with transparency to make sure Russia is adhering to international law."
The Russian government isn't saying much, other than Whelan was arrested for carrying out what they said was a spy mission. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told CNN that US consular officials were allowed to see Whelan on Wednesday afternoon.
Whelan's family members insist there is no way he was in Russia for any other reason than to attend a wedding.
"There is no way that Paul's a spy. Paul had a law enforcement career before his Marine career, and of all the people I know would be most aware of the risk of getting sideways of the law in a foreign country," Whelan's brother, David Whelan said.