Eric Holder on U.S.-Russia Spy Swap

Attorney General Eric Holder told Bob Schieffer today that the United States elected to engage in a "swap" of the recently-detained Russian spies "so that we had access to or got back four people who had been charged in Russia with conducting intelligence activities on behalf of Western countries."

Schieffer, interviewing Holder at the Aspen Ideas Festival for "Face the Nation," asked Holder why the United States closed in on the spies now, after years of tracking them.

"One of the members, the husband of one of the couples was in the process of going to France and then on his way to Russia," Holder replied. "The concern was if we let him go we would not be able to get him back. If we did not act at that point the possibility existed that would not be able to break up the ring in the totality that we have now."

Watch the exchange above. The full interview with Holder airs on "Face the Nation" Sunday.