A military policeman scans ID cards at the main gate of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., in August 2019. (Andrew Cortez/U.S. Marine Corps)
Two Russian women arrested Jan. 17 at the main gate of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., are awaiting proceedings that would send them back to their home country, according to the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.
Natalia Dudina and Krystina Malyshko are being held at an unspecified detainment center, DHS said in an unattributed statement Tuesday.
Both women entered the United States on Dec. 11, 2021, at San Ysidro, Calif., north of Tijuana, Mexico, according to DHS. Camp Pendleton is about 50 miles north of the border.
DHS blamed the administration of former President Joe Biden for “releasing” the women into California but did not say whether either woman held a valid visa at the time, according to the statement.
DHS described Dudina as a “criminal illegal alien” who was arrested by the Los Angeles Police in July 2023 for domestic violence and assault.
“Local law enforcement released her into the community with no notification to ICE in California,” DHS said.
Dudina is “expected to remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” while Malyshko is “expected to remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings,” according to DHS.
Russia Today, a television outlet, and the TASS news agency reported last week that SHOT, a popular channel for Russians on the Telegram social media app, contained postings about two Russian women who were said to have been driving on Interstate 5 through Camp Pendleton when they pulled off to go to a McDonald’s restaurant.
According to the posts on SHOT, the women made a wrong turn and ended up at the Camp Pendleton gate.
The Marines detained the women, described as from the Samara region on the Volga River in Russia, and then turned them over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to the SHOT posts. ICE is part of DHS.
The Russian Embassy was seeking more information from U.S. authorities about the incident, according to an embassy statement Jan. 28.
“According to information from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dated Jan. 26 of this year, two Russian citizens (female) were turned over to them following their ‘unauthorized entry’ onto the grounds of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California,” the Russian Embassy said.
The embassy made a formal inquiry with the U.S. State Department and demanded that they be accorded “full respect for their rights,” according to its statement.
Russian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Camp Pendleton officials stated on Jan. 29 that they would not discuss any details of reports from the Russian embassy or Russian media.
“For operational and security purposes, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton does not discuss individual enforcement matters or force protection measures,” the statement said.
The base requires anyone seeking entry to present valid credentials and unauthorized access is not permitted.
“Camp Pendleton coordinates with federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as appropriate,” the statement said.
