American Marc Fogel lands on US soil after years in Russian prison

Fogel, a history teacher, was imprisoned by Russia for marijuana possession, and sentenced to 14 years.

Published: February 11, 2025 10:58pm

Marc Fogel, an American who has been detained in Russia since 2021, has successfully landed back on U.S. soil, the White House confirmed late Tuesday night.

President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff secured Fogel's release during a prisoner swap with Russia earlier Tuesday. Fogel, a history teacher, was imprisoned for marijuana possession, and sentenced to 14 years.

"MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! 🇺🇸" the White House posted on X. "PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!! 🇺🇸"

The president greeted Fogel at the White House on Tuesday night, alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The news comes after Trump’s special envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, told Fox News' Sean Hannity that another prisoner would be coming home on Wednesday. It is not clear whether the newcomer would also be from Russia.

“It’s another in a stream of hostages. It’ll be unilateral as well," Boehler said, per the New York Post. "And I can’t release [the person’s name] until the person’s released, obviously it could endanger the hostage release and that I can’t do. But I can say that we expect another one tomorrow. And hopefully a lot more through that, because the president made it a priority to get all Americans home."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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