WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the FBI arrested Syed Raheel Farook, a brother of a terrorist involved in the December San Bernardino attack, his wife Tatiana Farook and her sister Mariya Chernykh, both originally from Russia.
"The detained [women] will receive all the needed consular assistance, like all Russian citizens do in such cases," the consulate stated.
The Russian consulate said it has received an official notification about the arrest, which is unrelated to terrorist activities. The diplomats have contacted local law enforcement officials, as well as the detained sisters.
Mariya is married to Enrique Marquez, who bought and provided weapons used in the San Bernardino terrorist attack. In 2015, the US authorities accused Marques of receiving money for marrying a woman who lived separately in Ontario.
Tatiana is a double-citizen of both the United States and Russia, and her sister Mariya claimed that she also holds Russian citizenship, according to the consulate.
At present, Mariya faces 25 years in prison for marriage fraud, while the Farooks could spend five years in prison for aiding her, according to the US Justice Department.
