Marc Fogel, American detained in Russia, freed after visit by Trump envoy

WASHINGTON (CBS NEWS) — The White House announced Tuesday that it has negotiated the release of Marc Fogel, an American schoolteacher who had been held in Russia since 2021.

White House national security adviser Michael Waltz said that Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, was leaving Russian airspace with Fogel, who was serving a 14-year sentence and was designated as “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. late last year. Waltz said he would be on U.S. soil by Tuesday night.

“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,” he said in a statement. “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.”

The White House did not provide details about what the U.S. was giving up in the deal with Russia. Mr. Trump told reporters that he would greet Fogel at the White House on Tuesday night.

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