Marc Fogel, an American history teacher detained in Russia since 2021, has returned to the United States. Fogel, who had been working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was released following negotiations led by the Trump administration.
He had been serving a 14-year sentence after being arrested at a Russian airport for possessing what his family described as medically prescribed marijuana. His release marks the end of a years-long ordeal.
A photo posted by the White House showed Fogel smiling and raising his fist while wrapped in an American flag as he stepped off the plane. After arriving back on U.S. soil, the Pennsylvania native met with President Donald Trump at the White House, where he expressed gratitude and called Trump a hero for securing his freedom.
“I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero,” Fogel said after meeting Trump.
“These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes,” Fogel continued. “The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes.”
Fogel’s family thanked Trump and others who worked to secure his release.
“We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home,” the family said in a statement.
“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” the statement added.
