Marc Fogel taught at my school in Russia – we should thank President Trump

President Donald Trump’s commitment to bringing Americans home has made a big difference for Mark Vogel. After enduring some tough years of confinement in Russian prisons, after not knowing when he would return home, he lands on our soil and is welcomed in the White House is a blessing.

For me, Fogel’s return is more than just a welcome headline. As a young American living in Moscow, his wife was one of my first teachers while accustomed to attending schools in central Russia. In 2012, Fogel’s wife Jane taught me about the science of sixth graders. Vogel himself taught at school, and many of my former classmates took his history classes and considered him an excellent teacher and person. I personally never met Mark, but I always felt a strong connection to his case and desperately wanted him to go home with his wife and family. .

Fogel, a Pennsylvanian, was taken into custody in 2021 because he possessed less than one ounce of medical marijuana prescribed for chronic low back pain. He was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison on charges of drug smuggling and possession. Despite years of pleas for his family to be included in the prisoner swap, the Biden administration was unable to secure his release.

Americans among three detainees released from Belarus

It was soon clear that the Russians were mistakenly detaining Vogel. However, the Biden administration did not legally declare him that way. In contrast, the Biden administration almost immediately declared WNBA player Britney Griner “illegally detained” in almost the same circumstances.

This designation will actively strive to obtain release of the US government incorrectly detained, transfer cases to hostage and detainee negotiators, and assign additional resources to the cases. It is important because it requires you to work. After years of delays and at the last minute, the Biden administration impartially designated Vogel as “illegally detained” weeks before Trump returned to the White House.

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Thankfully, Trump has seriously secured the release of Fogel. In fact, Vogel’s mother Malfin was scheduled to attend Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the rally was shortened due to an attempted assassination against Trump and she did not speak to the crowd. However, before the rally, Trump pledged to meet with her and secure Vogel’s release.

After entering the White House, Trump kept his promise and was delivered. Within a month of taking office, Trump secured Foggel’s release in a “fair” exchange, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkov. Obviously, Trump prioritized the return of Americans overseas, including the release of six Americans from Venezuela and his request to release hostages held in Gaza.

In addition to keeping Americans safe at home, Trump’s seriousness about keeping Americans safe abroad sends a strong message to enemies who want to detain Americans. From Russia to Gaza, or China to Venezuela, Trump has made it clear that he intends to put America first and is ready to fight on behalf of the American people. It’s no longer business, it’s bad news for the adversaries of America.

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File: Ellen Kieran and other families will gather outside the White House on July 15, 2023 for the release of Mark Vogel, who was detained in Russia since August 2023.

With Fogel returning to the US, all involved should celebrate his return as a successful example of American diplomacy. But the important thing is that the work is not finished. Other Americans remain in mistaken detention abroad and it is the fundamental responsibility of the US government to bring them home. Despite their uncertainty, Americans unfairly detained around the world are comforting to the fact that President Trump and his administration are fighting hard to bring them home. You should do it.

At the White House, Fogel called himself “a middle-class school teacher now in a dream world” and called Trump a “hero.” Every American should be grateful that there is a president who fights for all his citizens. I’m certainly.

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