What Was Trevor Reed Doing In Russia?

Trevor Reed’s detention stemmed from a drunken night in Russia that he said he did not remember.

It resulted in a nine-year prison sentence in 2020 for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers. He denied any wrongdoing and has described his case as “clearly political.”

Reed is a former American marine held in a Russian prison for three years. He has now been exchanged by Russia for its citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko who was serving a 20-year sentence in the United States on drug charges.

The prisoner swap took place on Wednesday as the result of a lengthy negotiation process, foreign ministry spokewoman Maria Zakharova said on her Telegram channel.

Russian State TV aired footage of Reed being brought to Vnukovo airport ahead of his return to the US. The exchange took place in Turkey.

The swap eaves at least two well-known Americans in Russian custody: Paul Whelan, another former Marine, who was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges and sentenced to 16 years in prison; and Brittney Griner, a professional basketball player who was detained upon arrival at a Moscow-area airport in February for allegedly carrying hashish oil.

U.S. officials, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday morning on condition of anonymity under Biden administration rules, said Reed was on his way back to the United States and was in good spirits, and that Yaroshenko was in Russian custody. They provided few details about the exchange.