WASHINGTON, October 24. /TASS/. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged an immigration detainer on Russian citizen Maria Butina and will seek her removal after her sentence is complete.

"ICE has lodged an immigration detainer on Russian national Maria Butina and will seek her removal following the completion of her sentence. For operational security, ICE does not discuss specific removal arrangements prior to an individual’s successful repatriation," the ICE told TASS on Thursday.

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodges detainers on individuals who have been arrested on criminal charges and who ICE has probable cause to believe are removable aliens. The detainer asks the other law enforcement agency to notify ICE in advance of release and to maintain custody of the alien for a brief period of time so that ICE can take custody of that person in a safe and secure setting upon release from that agency’s custody," the ICE added.

Butina's representative in Moscow Alexander Ionov earlier said that she signed documents on her release from prison. Butina's sentence ends on October 25. After her release, the Russian national will be transported to one of US cities, and then deported to Russia from there. Ionov did not rule out that Butina may be deported to Russia from New York.

Maria Butina was arrested in Washington on July 15, 2018 - ahead of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Helsinki. She was charged with participation in a collusion for carrying out activity on US territory to benefit a foreign state. American intelligence services stated that the Russian citizen carried out this activity without being registered as an agent of a foreign state with the Department of Justice. On April 26, Butina was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison. Moscow stated that the charges were fabricated and demanded that she be released from custody.