“Is this done under the First Amendment to the US Constitution or the Fourth?” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked sarcastically, commenting on ex-US intelligence officer Scott Ritter's removal from his flight to Russia and the confiscation of his passport. The First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees, among other things, non-interference with the freedoms of speech and assembly, while the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and detentions. Earlier today, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and Sputnik contributor Scott Ritter told Sputnik that US Customs and Border Protection officers seized his passport “by orders” from the State Department as he boarded his flight, preventing him from traveling to Russia for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.Ex Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter and former judge Andrew Napolitano forced off plane headed to Russia What is known so far: - Ritter said that Customs and Border Patrol officers seized his passport by “orders of the State Department” - The analysts were scheduled to address the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) as guest speakers - This year the forum will take place from June 5-8 “Little Blinkie's utter mediocrity/imbecilic pettiness now in day-glo for the whole planet to see: preventing Scott and Judge Nap from boarding a plane in NYC to attend the St. Petersburg forum,” veteran geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar wrote on his Telegram channel. UPD: According to Scott Ritter, Andrew Napolitano canceled his flight to Russia for different reasons unrelated to Ritter's removal from the plane. "He was unable to travel for completely different reasons that have nothing to do whatsoever... He had to cancel for other reasons, not because of this," Ritter clarified.