The Trump administration has successfully negotiated the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia for more than three years, in what was described as an "exchange," the White House announced on Tuesday.
Fogel, who had been classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department, was freed as part of a deal brokered by President Donald Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and "the President's advisers," according to a statement from national security adviser Mike Waltz.
The statement did not disclose specifics about the "exchange" but characterized it 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." The National Security Council opted not to provide further details.
In an unusual diplomatic move, Witkoff personally traveled to Russia to bring Fogel home, as indicated in the statement. This marks the first known instance of high-level U.S. travel to Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
"By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump's leadership," Waltz's statement confirmed.
Fogel, a history teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow for nearly a decade, taught students that included children of U.S. diplomats.
His arrest took place in August 2021 at a Moscow airport after authorities discovered cannabis in his possession. He had entered the country carrying approximately 17 grams of cannabis, which his family and lawyer stated had been prescribed by a doctor to manage "severe spinal pain."
In June 2022, a court just outside Moscow found him guilty of "large-scale drug smuggling" and sentenced him to 14 years at a Russian hard labor camp. The same court previously tried WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was later released in a prisoner swap in December 2022.
Despite multiple prisoner exchanges under the Biden administration, Fogel had not been included, including in an August deal that secured the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.
Fogel's family had voiced serious concerns regarding his health, previously telling CNN in July 2022 that his sentencing amounted to "a death sentence for him."
The U.S. government had repeatedly urged Russia to release Fogel on humanitarian grounds, citing his age and chronic back pain.
Sen. Steve Daines had advocated for Fogel's case, writing to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2023, urging an immediate designation of Fogel as "wrongfully detained." This designation was not formally granted until December 2024.
On Tuesday, Daines commended Trump for securing Fogel's release.
"This is a major victory for President Trump, the United States and most importantly, Marc Fogel and his family. No American should have to endure this injustice, and I am relieved Marc is on his way home to the country he loves," the Montana Republican wrote on X.
Although Fogel is originally from Pennsylvania, he has family ties to Montana, where his sister Anne Fogel resides. Speaking to CNN in December, she expressed her family's gratitude for the government's decision to classify her brother as wrongfully detained.
"We've been assured that he is prioritized, which is what we have been fighting for three-and-a-half years," Anne Fogel told CNN's Brianna Keilar on "OutFront." "We do believe that there is a plan."
