Trevor Reed is a US Marine Corps veteran who was born in Ft. Worth, Texas and grew up in Tehachapi, California.
Reed has been in a Russian jail since 2019, ever since charges against him were trumped up when he was visiting his girlfriend in Moscow.
According to cops, he got extremely drunk and tried to assault cops who were taking him to the drunk tank. He was sentenced to a whopping nine years for the offense.
Though now Reed’s family has gotten great news, and the Biden administration has scored a big win: Reed is now a free man.
Let Our People Go
Reed’s mom and dad, Paula and Joey, have been worried sick about their son ever since his arrest and long sentencing in Russia. They have been urging Biden and his crew to step in and do something; now, Biden has.
Particularly noteworthy here was the work of hostage specialist Roger Carstens and the US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan. Biden thanked these individuals in a speech, urging the country to “welcome home” Reed from his nightmare in Russia.
Biden said the “negotiations” were very “difficult” and required some difficult compromises. What he’s referring to specifically is the requirement of the US to let a Russian prisoner go in exchange for Reed.
The US let a very bad man go back to Russia in exchange for Reed: convicted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving 20 years behind bars after being fairly convicted in a court of law.
Unlike Russia, the American judicial system still has some standards and there’s no doubt Yaroshenko was guilty, unlike Reed. Plus, his crime was much more serious. Now, he’s headed back to Russia.
Major breaking news, confirmed by Reed’s family just now. “Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States,” they say in new statement. https://t.co/ADzCvzpdq1
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 27, 2022
The Current Status of the Prisoner Swap
At this point in time, the prisoner swap took place in an unidentified country, but is believed to have happened in the capital of Turkey, a place by the name of Ankara.
Reed had been deteriorating in condition for months now, especially after he launched a second hunger strike in protest of his detention for nine years on false charges.
Specifically, Reed was also speaking out against the way his medical condition was being ignored by prison officials; his status was becoming very serious with active tuberculosis.
The family is extremely thankful to Biden and his team for their attention to his son; as tensions are currently at an all-time high with Russia, this is no easy feat.
[Day 985] #TrevorReedFree.
Thank you President Biden & so many others inside & outside the USG for your help and support. We will update everyone as we learn more. (For Press Contact @jonfranks). pic.twitter.com/tV44fbIafr— Free Trevor Reed (@freetrevorreed) April 27, 2022
Home in America
Reed is now home, thank God. Biden will also do his best to get back Paul Whelan, another American being held in Russia on accusations of spying.
Do you agree with Biden’s action in giving up a Russian drug dealer for Reed, due to his critical poor health, or was it going too far and setting a bad precedent?
