In a recent diplomatic development, American schoolteacher Marc Fogel returned to the United States after being released from Russian detention. The 63-year-old former diplomat landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., before proceeding to the White House.
President Donald Trump welcomed Fogel at the White House, and described the exchange as “very fair, very reasonable.” The Kremlin confirmed that a Russian citizen would be released by the US as part of the agreement, with their return expected in the coming days. The Russian citizen’s identity remains undisclosed until their arrival home.
Trump indicated that another detainee would be released on Wednesday, though no specific details were provided. He characterized the release as a “show of good faith” from Russia, suggesting it could contribute to resolving the conflict in Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that while such agreements build trust, they were unlikely to mark a “turning point” in bilateral relations.
Fogel, who expressed feeling like “the luckiest man on Earth,” was arrested in 2021 for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana prescribed in the US. He received a 14-year sentence and was held in a penal colony in Rybinsk until his release.
His family, including his wife Jane and sons Ethan and Sam, released a statement describing the period as “the darkest and most painful” of their lives. Fogel’s sister, Anne, revealed that while the family knew release negotiations were ongoing, they remained “very tenuous.”
Fogel’s legal team acknowledged Trump’s role in the negotiation while criticizing what they termed “bureaucratic inaction” by the Biden administration. They noted that Trump secured Fogel’s release “in just a few weeks.” The US government had not classified Fogel as wrongfully detained until December 2024, despite his imprisonment beginning in 2022.
The release follows several previous prisoner exchanges between Russia and the US, including those of Brittney Griner, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva. Approximately 10 Americans remain in Russian custody, including Gordon Black and Robert Woodland.
Fogel, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, previously worked at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and the US embassy. He returned to the US accompanied by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, marking the first visit by a senior US official to Russia in several years.
Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to visit Ukraine later this week. Regarding the ongoing conflict, Trump recently stated on Fox News: “They [Ukraine] may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday or they may not be Russian someday.”
Possible Clickbait Title: “SHOCK DEAL: Trump Pulls Off 24-Hour Prison Swap That Biden Couldn’t Do in Years!”
About the author
Trump Administration Reverses Course on International Student Visa Terminations
According to a Justice Department attorney at a Friday hearing in the Northern District of California, the Trump administration is restoring the legal status of international students whose records were terminated in recent weeks. Elizabeth D. Kurlan stated that international students' records will be reactivated while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) develops a "framework for status record termination." This reversal follows the administration's recent revocation of hundreds of international student visas, their records, and legal statuses, particularly affecting those involved in political activism or with previous issues like DUIs. "ICE still maintains the authority to terminate a SEVIS record for other reasons, such as if a student fails to maintain his or her nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated, or engages in other unlawful activity that would render him or her removable from the United States," Kurlan explained during […]
Suspect Nabbed After โฌ50K Jewel Heist in Dublin’s Luxury District
A man in his 20s has been arrested following the theft of โฌ50,000 worth of jewelry from a high-end store on Kildare Street in Dublin 2. Gardaรญ responded to reports of a burglary at approximately 2:45 am, with officers from Pearse Street station quickly arriving at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing a male suspect fleeing into St Stephen's Green park. Officers pursued the individual on foot and apprehended him around 3 am while hiding in the park in bushes. "On arrival, they encountered a suspect and he fled the scene on foot. He was observed entering St Stephen's Green park and pursued by gardaรญ on foot. The man (20s) was apprehended by gardaรญ in the park and arrested," according to a garda spokesperson. Due to the darkness, an initial search failed to locate the stolen jewelry. Authorities secured the park […]
Trump Calls on Putin to “STOP” After Deadly Attack on Kyiv
Russia launched a massive overnight strike against Kyiv, killing at least 12 people in what officials described as the largest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year. The assault prompted an unusual public rebuke from Donald Trump, who directly addressed the Russian president with "Vladimir, STOP!" The attack, which Trump called "not necessary" and "very bad timing" as he pursues peace negotiations, injured 90 people, damaged buildings, and ignited fires across the city. Rescue workers were still recovering bodies from the rubble more than 12 hours later. This strike comes at a critical juncture in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are attempting to demonstrate to Trump that they are making progress toward his goal of a swift peace agreement. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. […]
Irish Child Killer Jerome Kavanagh Released After 30 Years Behind Bars
Jerome Kavanagh, one of Ireland's most notorious child killers, was released from Shelton Abbey Open Prison in Wicklow last week after serving more than three decades for a crime that shocked the nation. In February 1995, Kavanagh fatally cut the throat of five-year-old Ciaran Malone during a botched attempt to sexually assault the child's mother in their home in Caragh, County Kildare. The attack occurred on Saturday, February 11, when Kavanagh, wearing a balaclava to conceal his identity, forced his way into the neighboring Malone family home. In a letter read at his sentencing hearing in December 1995, Kavanagh confessed to murdering the child and stabbing his aunt during the failed attempt to assault Ciaran's mother, Mary. Judge Paul Carney made the unprecedented decision to have Kavanagh's confession letter read in court despite his guilty plea, stating, "It seems to […]
Costa Rica Grants Special Migratory Status to Deported Migrants from the U.S.
Costa Rica has granted a special migratory status to 85 migrants who were deported from the United States in February under the Trump administration, according to Omar Badilla, the country's immigration director, who announced it on Wednesday. Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Chรกvez's government agreed with the Trump administration to receive up to 200 migrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the initial intention to repatriate them within weeks. However, Costa Rican authorities confirmed that not all migrants accepted repatriation. In response, the government issued a resolution on Monday establishing a special migratory category valid for 90 days, with an option to extend. "These people have freedom of movement anywhere within the country... the point of this resolution is not to force anybody to return to their country of origin," Badilla stated in a video shared with the press. Since […]
Trump Criticizes Zelenskyy as Ukraine Peace Talks Falter
President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for allegedly impeding peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. In a Truth Social post, Trump described Zelenskyy's refusal to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea as "very harmful" to achieving peace, claiming a deal was "very close." "It's inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy's that make it so difficult to settle this War," Trump wrote. Zelenskyy has consistently rejected ceding Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. "There's nothing to discuss here," he stated at a recent media conference. "This is against our constitution." High-level negotiations aimed at pausing hostilities recently collapsed after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff withdrew from planned London talks, diminishing Kyiv's hopes for a short-term agreement. Despite this setback, President Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, was still scheduled to meet with Ukrainian presidential chief […]
Related
Wisconsin Judge Arrested After Allegedly Helping Immigrant Flee From Federal Agents
A Wisconsin judge has been taken into custody by federal authorities after allegedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in avoiding arrest during a court appearance. The US Marshals Service confirmed to CBS News that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday morning. Shortly after the arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X claiming that Dugan had helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing three misdemeanor battery charges, escape from her courtroom. This post was deleted minutes after being published. According to reports, Flores-Ruiz had appeared in Dugan's Milwaukee courtroom for a scheduled hearing on April 18 and was later apprehended by immigration authorities. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrived at the courtroom that day, Dugan directed them to the chief judge's office. While the agents were meeting with the […]
Trump Administration Reverses Course on International Student Visa Terminations
According to a Justice Department attorney at a Friday hearing in the Northern District of California, the Trump administration is restoring the legal status of international students whose records were terminated in recent weeks. Elizabeth D. Kurlan stated that international students' records will be reactivated while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) develops a "framework for status record termination." This reversal follows the administration's recent revocation of hundreds of international student visas, their records, and legal statuses, particularly affecting those involved in political activism or with previous issues like DUIs. "ICE still maintains the authority to terminate a SEVIS record for other reasons, such as if a student fails to maintain his or her nonimmigrant status after the record is reactivated, or engages in other unlawful activity that would render him or her removable from the United States," Kurlan explained during […]
Suspect Nabbed After โฌ50K Jewel Heist in Dublin’s Luxury District
A man in his 20s has been arrested following the theft of โฌ50,000 worth of jewelry from a high-end store on Kildare Street in Dublin 2. Gardaรญ responded to reports of a burglary at approximately 2:45 am, with officers from Pearse Street station quickly arriving at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing a male suspect fleeing into St Stephen's Green park. Officers pursued the individual on foot and apprehended him around 3 am while hiding in the park in bushes. "On arrival, they encountered a suspect and he fled the scene on foot. He was observed entering St Stephen's Green park and pursued by gardaรญ on foot. The man (20s) was apprehended by gardaรญ in the park and arrested," according to a garda spokesperson. Due to the darkness, an initial search failed to locate the stolen jewelry. Authorities secured the park […]
Trump Calls on Putin to “STOP” After Deadly Attack on Kyiv
Russia launched a massive overnight strike against Kyiv, killing at least 12 people in what officials described as the largest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year. The assault prompted an unusual public rebuke from Donald Trump, who directly addressed the Russian president with "Vladimir, STOP!" The attack, which Trump called "not necessary" and "very bad timing" as he pursues peace negotiations, injured 90 people, damaged buildings, and ignited fires across the city. Rescue workers were still recovering bodies from the rubble more than 12 hours later. This strike comes at a critical juncture in Russia's war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Both Kyiv and Moscow are attempting to demonstrate to Trump that they are making progress toward his goal of a swift peace agreement. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. […]
Irish Child Killer Jerome Kavanagh Released After 30 Years Behind Bars
Jerome Kavanagh, one of Ireland's most notorious child killers, was released from Shelton Abbey Open Prison in Wicklow last week after serving more than three decades for a crime that shocked the nation. In February 1995, Kavanagh fatally cut the throat of five-year-old Ciaran Malone during a botched attempt to sexually assault the child's mother in their home in Caragh, County Kildare. The attack occurred on Saturday, February 11, when Kavanagh, wearing a balaclava to conceal his identity, forced his way into the neighboring Malone family home. In a letter read at his sentencing hearing in December 1995, Kavanagh confessed to murdering the child and stabbing his aunt during the failed attempt to assault Ciaran's mother, Mary. Judge Paul Carney made the unprecedented decision to have Kavanagh's confession letter read in court despite his guilty plea, stating, "It seems to […]
Costa Rica Grants Special Migratory Status to Deported Migrants from the U.S.
Costa Rica has granted a special migratory status to 85 migrants who were deported from the United States in February under the Trump administration, according to Omar Badilla, the country's immigration director, who announced it on Wednesday. Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Chรกvez's government agreed with the Trump administration to receive up to 200 migrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the initial intention to repatriate them within weeks. However, Costa Rican authorities confirmed that not all migrants accepted repatriation. In response, the government issued a resolution on Monday establishing a special migratory category valid for 90 days, with an option to extend. "These people have freedom of movement anywhere within the country... the point of this resolution is not to force anybody to return to their country of origin," Badilla stated in a video shared with the press. Since […]
Be the first to leave a comment