Mistook a military base for McDonald’s: Two Russian women seeking a meal end up arrested in US

Two Russian women were arrested after they accidentally entered a U.S. military base while trying to find the nearest McDonald’s.

The women could face up to six months in prison, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Russian Telegram channel SHOT. 

SHOT says the friends, Kristina and Natasha from Samara, were travelling by car across the United States. While driving on a highway near San Diego, the women got hungry and decided to stop at the nearest McDonald’s. Their navigation system suggested the shortest route to the restaurant, and the women turned off the road. When they arrived, they found themselves at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. They were still five kilometres away from the restaurant.

The women drove onto a military vehicle parking area, where they were immediately detained by military personnel. Their car was impounded. The women have now been held in custody for about three days. Friends are trying to secure their release and are raising money to hire lawyers.

Russians living in the United States told SHOT that it is possible to accidentally enter Camp Pendleton. They said tourists often “turn the wrong way” due to navigation errors and end up in the hands of the military. The issue is reportedly caused by the base’s unusual layout: the checkpoint is located farther in than the actual entry point. Whether lost travellers are released or arrested depends largely on the mood of the military personnel.

By Khagan Isayev