U.S. Marine Veteran Trevor Reed was freed from a Russian prison on Wednesday after nearly 1,000 days in captivity.
“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly,” said President Joe Biden in a statement. “Trevor, a former U.S. Marine, is free from Russian detention.”
Joey and Paula Reed, Trevor’s parents, issued a statement thanking President Biden “for making the decision to bring Trevor home,” as well as other administration officials.
The family also expressed gratitude to Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who they said traveled to Moscow in the hours before the Ukraine war began in the hopes of securing Reed’s release.
The release came as U.S. officials agreed to a prisoner swap, letting go of Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko in exchange for Reed. Yaroshenko was serving a 20-year sentence in a Connecticut federal prison.
Reed had been in prison in Russia for almost three years after being sentenced to nine years behind bars in July 2020. According to Russian authorities, Reed was accused of endangering Russian police officers during an altercation in the summer of 2019 after a night of him heavily drinking.
Reed and his family continued to deny the charges during his imprisonment.
His parents pleaded for his release, especially due to Reed’s deteriorating health. According to the Reeds, Trevor’s health had declined while in prison. Reed was in solitary confinement and may have contracted tuberculosis, as he coughed up blood daily. Trevor also could have potentially been suffering from a broken rib.
Reed has not been the only American taken prisoner in Russia. WNBA star athlete Brittney Griner has been detained in the country since February after local officials allegedly found traces of cannabis in one of her bags.
Additionally, business executive Paul Whelan has been held captive since 2020, serving a 16-year sentence for charges relating to espionage, an accusation that his family refutes.
In a statement, United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the government would not stop its efforts until Whelan and others were released.