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Marc Fogel, who had been detained in Russia since 2021, is back on American soil after President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff orchestrated a negotiated exchange. Fogel, a former teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was serving a 14-year sentence for possessing medical marijuana prescribed for chronic pain.
Witkoff left Russian airspace with Fogel earlier on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, as part of a diplomatic exchange that the White House framed as a step toward broader negotiations. "President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that 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," according to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The terms of the exchange were not immediately disclosed, but the administration emphasized its commitment to securing the return of all detained Americans. "Since President Trump’s swearing-in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States," Waltz added.
Fogel’s release comes just weeks after the State Department formally designated him as "wrongfully detained." His story gained renewed attention following the Dec. 25 release of *Did You Forget Mr. Fogel?*, a documentary on YouTube detailing his imprisonment and the efforts to bring him home.
By Tuesday night, Fogel was expected to reunite with his family after more than three years in Russian custody.
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