“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly. Trevor, a former U.S. Marine, is free from Russian detention. I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence. And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom. I’m grateful for the tireless and dedicated work of Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation John Sullivan, and many others across our government to ensure that Trevor came home safely. 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. We won’t stop until Paul Whelan and others join Trevor in the loving arms of family and friends” said President Joe Biden in a Wednesday statement announcing Reed’s return.
Reed, was arrested in 2019 on likely bogus charges of assaulting a Moscow cop one night when he was shitfaced drunk and sentenced to 9 years in prison. In exchange for Reed, US officials returned Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenk, convicted in 2010 of smuggling cocaine. Not a bad deal.