American Teacher Marc Fogel Released in U.S.-Russia Prisoner Exchange
American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been imprisoned in Russia for over three years, was released in a prisoner exchange deal between the United States and Russia. Fogel, a 63-year-old former diplomat and teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, was arrested in 2021 for carrying a small amount of medical marijuana, which had been prescribed in the U.S. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, a punishment widely criticized as excessive by his family and legal team.
Fogel’s release was secured in exchange for Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercrime boss who operated the cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e. Vinnik, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in the U.S. in 2024, was extradited to Russia as part of the deal. The agreement was facilitated by high-level negotiations involving Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Upon his return to the U.S., Fogel was greeted by former President Donald Trump at the White House, where Trump hailed the exchange as a “show of good faith” from Russia and suggested it could contribute to ending the war in Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed the significance of the deal in resolving the conflict, calling it a step toward building trust but not a “turning point.”
Fogel’s family expressed relief and gratitude for his release, describing the ordeal as the “darkest and most painful period” of their lives. His legal team credited Trump for his role in the negotiations, criticizing the Biden administration for what they called “bureaucratic inaction.” Fogel was not classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government until December 2024, despite his imprisonment beginning in 2022.
The exchange marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the U.S. and Russia, whose relations have been strained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At least 10 Americans remain imprisoned in Russia, highlighting ongoing challenges in securing their release.
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Russia says its citizen will return from the US in the coming days, after Trump hailed the release of American Marc Fogel.
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President Donald Trump said his exchange with Russia for the imprisoned teacher Marc Fogel was “very fair,” but he declined to disclose its terms.
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The 63-year-old Butler County native had been wrongfully detained in Russia since 2021.
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