U.S. Marine veteran, Texan student freed in Russian prisoner exchange

A University of North Texas (UNT) student and Marine veteran imprisoned for nearly three years was released in a prisoner swap with Russia amid heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Trevor Reed was exchanged for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2010 for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the U.S., according to Russia’s foreign ministry.

Reed was a student at UNT when he was arrested there in 2019 after allegedly assaulting two Russian police officers while drunk. He was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020.

The U.S. government said Reed had been unjustly detained. His family has continued to assert his innocence and expressed concerns about harsh conditions in prison and his deteriorating health.

The swap took place in Turkey, where “the two planes pulled up side by side, essentially, and then they got out,” Reed’s father, Joey, told The Associated Press.

“I think it’s going to really hit home for him and for us when we finally get to see him and touch him,” he added in an interview with AP.

State Department officials said talks for Reed’s release began months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s not something that’s done in one day,” Alexey Tarasov, a Houston-based lawyer who represents Yaroshenko, told The Wall Street Journal.

“It took a very, very long time. The highest levels of government were involved. Like the absolute top.”

President Joe Biden praised the release, as did Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), the congressman of Reed’s district who worked to help bring him home.

“The Reeds have been living a 2½-year nightmare fighting for their son’s release,” Rep. Pfluger said in a statement.

“Today, our prayers have been answered.”

Two notable American citizens remain in Russian custody – WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is lesbian and Black, for alleged possession of marijuana and Paul Whelan, another former Marine accused of espionage.