Marc Fogel, an American citizen detained in Russia since 2021, returned to the United States on Tuesday.

Fogel, a history teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, was released following negotiations with the Trump administration.

He had been serving a 14-year sentence after his August 2021 arrest at a Russian airport on charges of possessing medically prescribed marijuana, according to his family.

A White House social media post showed Fogel smiling and raising his fist, wrapped in an American flag, upon his arrival.

“MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!!” the White House announced on X.

Upon his return, Fogel, a Pennsylvania resident, met President Trump at the White House and lauded him for securing his release.

“I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero,” Fogel stated.

“These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes,” Fogel continued. “The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes.”

Fogel added: “I am in awe of what they all did.”

He expressed feeling “like the luckiest man on Earth right now.”

Trump’s national security advisor, Michael Waltz, confirmed that the U.S. and Russia engaged in an exchange to facilitate Fogel’s release, though specifics remained undisclosed. Previous negotiations have sometimes involved the release of Russian nationals by the U.S. or its allies in exchange for a detained American.

When questioned about concessions made by the U.S., Trump briefly responded “not much,” declining further elaboration.

Fogel’s family expressed gratitude to Trump and others instrumental in his release.

“We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home,” the family said in a statement.

“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” the statement concluded.