Pennsylvania teacher Mark Vogel has been sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison, released and returned to the US after being arrested for claiming that it was legally prescribed marijuana. The White House announced Tuesday.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkov can announce that Witkov will be leaving Russia's airspace along with American Mark Vogel, who has been detained in Russia. “We do this,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said in a statement.
“President Trump, Steve Witkov and his advisors have exchanged as a sincere show from the Russians as a sign that they are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” Waltz said. continued. “Since President Trump took the oath, he has successfully secured the release of detained Americans around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans detained are returned to the United States. By night, Mark Vogel will be in American soil and will be reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump's leader.”
It was not immediately clear which Russians had been released in exchange for Fogel's freedom, or how many Russians had been released.
In August 2024, Vogel was removed from prisoner swaps negotiated by the Biden administration, securing releases of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and corporate security executive Paul Whelan.
