TEMPLE, Texas — The wife of a Fort Cavazos soldier who was detained in Russia said she did not know her husband, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was traveling there to see his longtime girlfriend, but hopes he will be allowed to come home as soon as possible, according to a statement released by her attorney on Thursday.
"Mrs. Black first became aware of Mr. Black being absent from his assigned duty location when the investigations branch of the Army reached out to Mrs. Black seeking any information she might have regarding what was, at that time, a missing person investigation," her attorney, Brett Pritchard, said in a statement first obtained by 6 News.
Pritchard confirmed that Black's wife filed for divorce from her husband back in July 2022 after nearly 10 years of marriage. The two share a daughter together, according to the statement.
According to U.S. officials, Black was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos. Instead, he took a detour to Russia to see a longtime girlfriend from Korea.
Officials told AP News that the girlfriend and Black got into some sort of altercation or domestic dispute while living in South Korea, and afterward, she moved back to Russia. It isn't known at this time when she left and whether or not she left voluntarily as a result of their interaction.
"[Mrs.] Black firmly believes that Mr. Black's decision to travel to Russia, while ill-advised, was motivated by entirely personal reasons involving an extra-marital affair between himself and a Russian National and that Mr. Black is not involved in any form of geopolitical intrigue," the statement reads.
Army Spokeswoman Cynthia Smith also told AP News that Black was arrested on Thursday, May 2, in Vladivostok, which is a major military and commercial Pacific port. He was charged with criminal misconduct and is accused of stealing from his longtime girlfriend.
Black reportedly did not tell his unit that he was going to Russia prior to Fort Cavazos. He was also not authorized to go there.
However, with Black being held in Russia, their divorce proceedings are now in "limbo by a Texas family law court pending a potentially indefinite resolution of Mr. Black's incarceration status" Pritchard said.
His wife said she does hope Black will be released and can return to the U.S. as soon as possible.
According to AP, his arrest further complicates U.S. relations with Russia, which has grown increasingly tense as the war in Ukraine drags on.
The State Department advises Americans to not travel to Russia.