Russia Releases Former U.S. Marine In Prisoner Exchange

Russia has released former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who had been detained for more than two years, as part of a prisoner swap.

In exchange, the United States released Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian jailed on drug-smuggling charges.

The exchange took place in Turkey on Wednesday after President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of Yaroshenko.

The Russian pilot, who had been serving a 20-year sentence for smuggling cocaine into the U.S., is on his way back home.

Reed is returning to his home in Texas.

The news of Trevor’s freedom was conveyed to his parents by the President himself.

He expressed gratitude for “the tireless and dedicated” work of Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, and others across his administration to ensure Reed’s safe return.

“The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly. His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad,” Biden said in a statement.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Reed’s freedom is the result of “months and months of hard, careful work across the U.S. government,” and that his health condition required urgent treatment.

Trevor was arrested in Moscow in August 2019. He was visiting Russia to take Russian language classes for his bachelor’s degree and spend time with his Russian girlfriend, a resident of Moscow.

While attending an office party with his girlfriend, the police were called and they took a heavily drunken Reed to the police station. He was charged with endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers in an altercation.

In 2020, a judge sentenced Reed to 9 years in a prison camp on assault charges.

Trevor, 30, is an Eagle Scout and a former U.S. Marine. He served as a presidential guard during the Obama administration.

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