New York ( CNN ) -- Ten Russians allegedly involved in intelligence gathering will be expelled from the United States in short order , in exchange for Russia 's release of four Russian prisoners accused of spying for the United States , officials from both countries said Thursday . The elaborately choreographed announcements emanating from both nation 's capitals described a case evocative of the Cold War . In Washington , Attorney General Eric Holder said none of the 10 had passed classified information and therefore none were charged with espionage . `` They were acting as agents to a foreign power , '' he told CBS News , referring to the Russians who had been under observation by federal authorities for more than a decade . All of their children have been repatriated , he said . But White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel told PBS `` NewsHour '' that , although they did n't plead guilty to being spies , they `` were clearly caught in the business of spying . '' Carlos Moreno , a lawyer representing two of the Russians , told CNN Thursday night that all 10 were in a detention center in New York City . They were to be taken to an airport in the city later Thursday or Friday , put on a plane provided by the Russian government , and flown directly to Moscow , he said . In a conference call with reporters , senior administration officials said the 10 Russians agreed never to return to the United States without permission from the U.S. government . Holding them would have conferred no security benefit to the nation , they said . This `` clearly serves the interests of the United States , '' one official said . A second official said the four prisoners in Russia were in failing health , a consideration that prompted quick completion of the deal . Under the plea agreements , the defendants disclosed their true identities in court and forfeited assets attributable to the criminal offenses , the Justice Department said in a news release . `` The defendants known as 'Richard Murphy ' and 'Cynthia Murphy ' admitted they are Russian citizens named Vladimir Guryev and Lydia Guryev and are agents of the Russian Federation , '' it said . `` Defendants 'Michael Zottoli ' and 'Patrica Mills ' admitted they are Russian citizens named Mikhail Kutsik and Natalia Pereverzeva , and are agents of the Russian Federation ; . `` Defendants 'Donald Howard Heathfield ' and 'Tracey Lee Ann Foley ' admitted they are Russian citizens named Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova , and are agents of the Russian Federation ; . `` 'Juan Lazaro ' admitted that he is a Russian citizen named Mikhail Anatonoljevich Vasenkov and is an agent of the Russian Federation ; . Defendants Vicky Pelaez , Anna Chapman and Mikhail Semenko , who operated in the United States under their true names , admitted that they are agents of the Russian Federation ; and Chapman and Semenko admitted they are Russian citizens , '' the Justice Department said . Authorities have lost track of an 11th suspect , who was detained in Cyprus , released on bail and then failed to check in with authorities as he had promised to do . In Moscow , Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree Friday pardoning the four individuals imprisoned for alleged contact with Western intelligence agencies , the Kremlin press service said , according to state-run RIA Novosti . Though the four Russians were released to the custody of the United States , that does not necessarily mean they would go to the United States , an embassy spokesman said . `` Three of the Russian prisoners were convicted of treason in the form of espionage on behalf of a foreign power and are serving lengthy prison terms , '' the Justice Department said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood . `` The Russian prisoners have all served a number of years in prison and some are in poor health . The Russian government has agreed to release the Russian prisoners and their family members for resettlement . '' It added , `` Some of the Russian prisoners worked for the Russian military , and/or for various Russian intelligence agencies . Three of the Russian prisoners have been accused by Russia of contacting Western intelligence agencies while they were working for the Russian ( or Soviet ) government . '' The individuals pardoned by Russia are Alexander Zaporozhsky , Gennady Vasilenko , Sergei Skripal and Igor Sutyagin . All four appealed to the Russian president to free them after admitting their crimes against the Russian state , press secretary Natalia Timakova said . The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move was made `` in the general context of improving Russian-American relations , and the new dynamic they have been given , in the spirit of basic agreements at the highest level between Moscow and Washington on the strategic character of Russian-American partnership . '' Meanwhile , a lawyer for Sutyagin , who was convicted in Russia in 2004 for spying for U.S. intelligence services , said her client arrived Thursday in Vienna , RIA-Novosti reported . Sutyagin was convicted in 2004 of passing secret data to members of U.S. intelligence services acting as employees of a British company called Alternative Futures , in exchange for monetary rewards in 1998-1999 . But in Washington , State Department spokesman Mark Toner denied Thursday that Sutyagin had been a spy . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Elise Labott , Jill Dougherty , Eden Pontz , Deb Feyerick and Raelyn Johnson contributed to this report .
NEW : Emmanuel : none passed classified info . NEW : Emmanuel : ` ` Caught in the act of spying '' Release of the foreign spies is to occur quickly , federal officials say . The suspects on Thursday plead guilty to failing to register as foreign agents .