ALBAWABA- In a high-stakes prisoner exchange with Russia, President Donald Trump secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than three years on drug charges.
The negotiation, led by Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, resulted in Fogel’s return to the United States on Tuesday.
Fogel was arrested in August 2021 for bringing medical marijuana into Russia and sentenced to 14 years in prison in June 2022.
While the Biden administration classified him as "wrongfully detained" late last year, his release was finalized through diplomatic efforts under Trump.
Upon his arrival in the U.S., Fogel was welcomed at the White House, where Trump confirmed that another American detainee would be freed on Wednesday as part of the ongoing negotiations.
“This was a very fair and reasonable exchange,” Trump stated, without revealing further details about the deal with Moscow.
The White House announced Fogel’s return with a post on social media, sharing a photo of him stepping off the plane with the caption: "We promised, and we delivered."
