2 Russians seek asylum in U.S. after reaching remote Alaskan island in small boat, officials say

Two Russians who said they fled the country to avoid compulsory military service have requested asylum in the U.S. after landing on a remote Alaskan island in the Bering Sea, Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office said Thursday. Karina Borger, a spokesperson for Murkowski, said by email that the office has been in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection and that "the Russian nationals reported that they fled one of the coastal communities on the east coast of Russia to avoid compulsory military service." ICE officials are currently holding the two Russian nationals who arrived in Alaska in a small boat on Tuesday, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez. The individuals were transported to Anchorage for vetting and screening after DHS was alerted of their arrival by local officials. Alaska's senators, Republicans Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, said Thursday the individuals landed at a beach near Gambel