According to a report by RedState, Marc Fogel, who had been sentenced to 14 years for attempting to bring medical marijuana into Russia and subsequently imprisoned, has been released after spending four years in a Russian gulag. Upon his release, Fogel was accompanied back to the United States by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The plane carrying them touched down in the United States a little before 10:00 p.m. EST on a Tuesday.
MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! 🇺🇸
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZMceoU0OfA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2025
This photo was taken while Fogel was in flight. The look of sheer relief and gratitude on Fogel’s face is unmatched.
Real time photo of Marc@Fogel@coming home. @realDonaldTrump @SteveWitkoff @StateSPEHA pic.twitter.com/FIAm8fwZtL
— Adam Boehler (@aboehler) February 11, 2025
Following their arrival, Fogel and the envoy team from the State Department landed at Joint Base Andrews and were directly taken to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump, who played a significant role in securing Fogel’s release.
President Trump emerged from the White House alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA), Steve Witkoff, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The scene was quite striking as snow fell around them. Fogel, with the American flag draped across his shoulders, warmly greeted Trump, shaking his hand as the crowd applauded. Following a brief conversation among the Cabinet members, President Trump headed back inside the White House and invited Fogel to address the press.
Fogel began:
I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now. And uhh… I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And, President Trump, is a hero. And these men that came from the diplomatic service, are heroes. The senators and representatives who passed legislation in my honor to get me home are the heroes. I know what they all did. My family has been a force. I think my 95-year-old mother is probably the most dynamic 95-year-old on earth right now. And I am so indebted to so many people.
I think I remember a Churchill quote that he said when the RAF was fighting the Luftwaffe, he said that, “Never have so many owed so much to so few,” and I put myself fortunately, and unfortunately into that category, and I said, “Never has one owed so much to so many.” That this superorganism of people who came to my support. And the love that I was given sustained me for three-and-a-half years in a prison that had me in hospitals for more than 100 days. I was given more than 400 injections in that time. And knowing I had the support of my fellow Pennsylvanians, my family, my friends. It was so overwhelming that… it brought me to my knees and it brought me to tears. It was my energy, it was my being, that kept me going that whole time.
And I will forever be indebted, President Trump. To Steve [Witkoff] over there, what a dynamic man this guy is. When I met him, the energy, the can-do attitude just exudes from his body. And when he smiled at me and introduced me, and I got the feel for what has happened… It’s not just me, it’s everybody. And Secretary Rubio who met my son a while back… I’m a middle class school teacher who is now in a dream world…
President Trump interjected: “We’re going to show you the Lincoln Bedroom. It’s a very special, special place, appropriate for tonight, very appropriate.”
