(NewsNation) — The Trump administration announced Tuesday it had secured the release of American Marc Fogel, who had been detained by Russia.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff was involved in negotiating an exchange that would bring Fogel back to the U.S.
National security adviser Mike Waltz said in a statement the exchange “serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.”
Fogel, a teacher, was arrested for bringing medical marijuana into the country in 2021 and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2022.
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The U.S. government did not initially label Fogel as unlawfully detained, despite doing so in a similar case involving WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Griner was released in a prisoner swap in 2022, and Fogel’s family called on her to advocate for his release from the penal colony where he was serving his sentence.
In 2024, the Biden administration negotiated the release of Americans, including journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva as well as former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
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Fogel’s name was reportedly brought up in those negotiations, but he was not included in the deal.
The White House has not said what the U.S. has offered in exchange for Fogel.
Waltz said Fogel will be on American soil by Tuesday night.
