Photo by: Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — A scientist and his wife who both once worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, were arrested Friday after an FBI sting operation and charged with offering to help develop a nuclear weapon for Venezuela.
They were accused of dealing with an FBI undercover agent posing as a Venezuelan agent, but the government did not allege that Venezuela or anyone working for it sought US secrets.
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Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, 75, and Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 67, a US citizen, were arrested Friday, a day after they were indicted. They appeared in federal court in Albuquerque, where Mascheroni, a naturalized US citizen from Argentina, was ordered held pending another hearing scheduled for Monday morning. His wife was released under strict conditions.
They were accused of dealing with an FBI undercover agent posing as a Venezuelan agent, but the government did not allege that Venezuela or anyone working for it sought US secrets.
RELATED:
Iran denies it is building secret nuclear facility
US warns N. Korea, Iran: Abandon nukes
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, 75, and Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 67, a US citizen, were arrested Friday, a day after they were indicted. They appeared in federal court in Albuquerque, where Mascheroni, a naturalized US citizen from Argentina, was ordered held pending another hearing scheduled for Monday morning. His wife was released under strict conditions.