Brittney Griner was swapped for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport in February in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to nine years in prison on Aug. 7. She appealed the sentence, but was quickly rejected in October.
A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the U.S. early Friday, nearly 10 months after she was detained in Russia.
The Gulfstream jet landed at about 5:30 a.m. ET at San Antonio’s Kelly Air Force Base.
Brittney Griner’s family in a statement Thursday night offered their “sincere gratitude” to President Joe Biden and his administration for their efforts in bringing the WNBA star home.
The family also expressed their gratitude to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Mickey Bergman, the executive director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, for their help in facilitating the release.
The statement thanked the family of Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine still held captive in Russia, for their support during “a heartbreaking time.”
“We pray for Paul and for the swift and safe return of all wrongfully-detained Americans,” the statement said.
Griner is expected to arrive in the U.S. late Thursday or early Friday.
The attorney for Viktor Bout called the prisoner exchange "fair" in a statement Thursday.
"As we have urged for some time, given the fifteen long years that Viktor Bout has been in custody since the United States government targeted him in 2006, his exchange for Brittney Griner, who has only been in custody for a few months, is fair," the attorney, Steve Zissou, said. "Like Brittney Griner, Viktor Bout will soon be reunited with his family."
Zissou thanked the Russian foreign ministry and Russian President Vladimir Putin for Bout's release from prison.
"Hopefully, this is just the first of many reasonable agreements between the U.S. and Russia that will lead to better relations and a safer world," Zissou said.
The exchange has drawn concern from some U.S. lawmakers, as well as criticism from the Drug Enforcement Administration agent who oversaw the agency's investigation of Bout.
Video released by Russian state media on Thursday shows Brittney Griner boarding a plane in Russia and saying she’s happy to be heading home.
The video was taken before Griner was released into U.S. custody.
