US Detains Samara Tourists in Base McDonald's Mix-Up

Two tourists from Samara, Russia, are facing up to six months in prison in the United States after accidentally driving onto a Marine Corps base while looking for a McDonald's.

Feb 14, 2026

The tourists from Samara have been held in custody for three days following the incident.
Source:
Social media profiles of Natalia G. and Kristina M.

Two residents of Samara traveling in America are facing up to six months in prison for an inadvertent «invasion» of a strategic facility. While traveling in California, friends Kristina M. and Natalia G. wanted to have a snack and asked their navigator to find the nearest McDonald«s. It led them directly onto the territory of the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton. This was reported by SHOT.

The women drove onto a parking lot with military equipment, where they were immediately detained. The Russian women have now been in custody for three days, and their car has been moved to an impound lot. Friends of the detainees are trying to organize legal assistance by collecting funds for lawyers.

As noted by compatriots living in the USA, such cases at this base are not uncommon. Due to the specific location of the checkpoint, which is deep within the territory, tourists can indeed mistakenly drive onto the guarded facility. The decision to detain or simply turn away often depends on the subjective judgment of the patrol on site.