Hoax website reports US Marines arrested Victoria Nuland
Nuland was nominated to the post by President Joe Biden in January 2021
(Reuters) - US Marines did not arrest Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland in early March 2024, with reports on social media originating from a website that publishes false narratives about high-profile arrests.
Nuland was nominated to the post by President Joe Biden in January 2021, to effectively become the country’s third-ranking diplomat.
Facebook posts, opens new tab saying “United States Marines on Monday arrested warmonger and top Deep State Department official Victoria Nuland, enforcing a military arrest warrant that charges the vile woman…,” originate from a March 7, 2024, story by Real Raw News, titled, “Marines Arrest Victoria Nuland and Husband, opens new tab.”
The article cites unnamed sources in Marine Corps' commandant General Eric M. Smith’s office.
It was published two days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Nuland, recognized for her support for Ukraine in the war with Russia, would leave her post in the following weeks.
A US State Department spokesperson said in an email that “the Real Raw News report is pure disinformation” and a spokesperson for the Department of Defence said it “came from a hoax website.”
There are no credible news reports on the alleged arrest or warrant. No press release about any alleged arrest is visible on the U.S. Marine Corps' official website, opens new tab.
High-profile arrests of political figures is a recurring theme in hoax reports published by Real Raw News.
The Real Raw News website describes itself at the bottom of the article page as exploring “content often ignored by mainstream media.”
A disclaimer on the site’s “About Us, opens new tab” page says the content includes “humor, parody, and satire” but then describes that disclaimer as “for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel” and as a response to fact-checkers.
VERDICT
False. Posts saying U.S. Marines arrested Victoria Nuland and her husband in March 2024 stem from a website that often publishes false stories.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
