Marc Fogel, an American teacher wrongfully detained in Russia for over three years, has been released following successful diplomatic negotiations led by the Trump administration.
Upon his return, he was greeted by President Trump at the White House, where he expressed immense gratitude to those who negotiated for his freedom.
“I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now,” Fogel said as he stood beside the President. “I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all and President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are heroes. I am in awe of what they all did.”
“I love our country and I am so happy to be back.” –Marc Fogel 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/LXqEmZIfsF
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 12, 2025
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In August 2021, Fogel, a longtime employee of the Anglo-American School of Moscow who had taught abroad for 27 years, was arrested after authorities discovered cannabis cartridges in his luggage. According to his family, Fogel had been prescribed the medical marijuana by an American doctor to alleviate chronic pain from surgeries on his back, shoulder, and knee.
After being convicted of drug possession, Fogel was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian labor camp. He had planned to retire from teaching the same year he was arrested.
In the years that followed, Fogel’s family, including his 95-year-old mother, Malphine, advocated tirelessly on his behalf, eventually bringing their petition to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump himself. Malphine met with Trump just before his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and was scheduled to appear onstage with him until a would-be assassin opened fire on the stage.
Fogel was notably excluded from high-profile prisoner exchanges carried out during the Biden administration, which secured the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned on similar charges, as well as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom had been imprisoned for espionage. At the time, Fogel said that he felt like a “second-class citizen” in the eyes of the US government, stating that “It’s hard to have any faith.”
President Trump noted that Fogel’s return was a positive sign amid ongoing tensions with Russia, and he commended Fogel for his resilience during his time in prison.
The details of the diplomatic exchange remain undisclosed, although Trump noted that the US did not concede much in the deal. Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, also played a key role in facilitating the deal.
Further hostage negotiations are now reportedly in the works as part of ongoing efforts by the US government. Fogel is the tenth American to be released from foreign imprisonment since Trump took office last month.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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