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WASHINGTON — A group of Americans, including veterans and military contractors imprisoned in Kuwait for years on drug-related charges, have been freed. According to a representative for the detainees, the release is seen as a goodwill gesture between the two allied nations. The Associated Press received this information on Wednesday.
This release occurred after Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s leading hostage envoy, recently visited the region. It also coincides with the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to secure the release of American citizens incarcerated in foreign countries.
Jonathan Franks, a private consultant specializing in cases involving American hostages and detainees, accompanied six of the newly freed prisoners on a flight from Kuwait to New York. Franks had been in Kuwait to assist in securing their release.
Franks stated, “My clients and their families are grateful to the Kuwaiti government for this kind humanitarian gesture.”
He also mentioned that his clients maintain their innocence and that additional Americans he represents are expected to be released by Kuwait in the future.
The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comments. The names of the released prisoners have not been made public.
Kuwait, a small, oil-rich nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia and located near Iran, is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently emphasized this relationship, stating that the U.S. “remains steadfast in its support for Kuwait’s sovereignty and the well-being of its people.”
The two countries have maintained a strong military alliance since the 1991 Gulf War, when America intervened to expel Iraqi troops following Saddam Hussein’s invasion. Currently, approximately 13,500 American troops are stationed in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan and Ali al-Salem Air Base.
However, Kuwait has also detained numerous American military contractors on drug charges, some for extended periods. Families of these contractors have alleged abuse while imprisoned in Kuwait, a country with strict drug laws and a ban on alcohol.
Critics have accused Kuwaiti police of fabricating charges and evidence against these contractors, allegations that the autocratic nation, ruled by a hereditary emir, has not acknowledged.
The State Department advises travelers that drug charges in Kuwait can result in lengthy prison sentences and even the death penalty. Defense cooperation agreements between the U.S. and Kuwait likely stipulate that U.S. troops are subject to American laws, though this may not extend to contractors.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, his Republican administration has successfully negotiated the release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel in a prisoner exchange with Russia and announced the release of an imprisoned U.S. citizen by Belarus.
The Americans released on Wednesday were not officially designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained. This designation is reserved for a specific group of Americans jailed abroad and typically ensures that their cases are handled by the administration’s special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, the office responsible for negotiating releases.
Advocates for those held in foreign countries are hopeful that the Trump administration will adopt a more flexible approach and secure the release of individuals not deemed wrongfully detained.
Franks stated, “The sad reality is that these Americans were left in prison for years due to a misguided policy that had, before President Trump took office, effectively abandoned Americans abroad who hadn’t been designated wrongfully detained.”
He added, “These releases demonstrate what is achievable when the U.S. government prioritizes bringing Americans home.”
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
