In a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and the Taliban, two American citizens were released in return for a Taliban member serving a life sentence in California for drug trafficking and terrorism, officials announced on Tuesday.
This agreement coincided with the transfer of power from Joe Biden to returning President Donald Trump, following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban hailed the swap as a step toward normalizing relations with the U.S., a goal that faces significant obstacles given the lack of international recognition of their rule.
The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the exchange, stating that two unnamed U.S. citizens were released for Khan Mohammed, sentenced to two life terms in 2008.
The family of Ryan Corbett, one of the released Americans, confirmed his release. Corbett, who resided in Afghanistan with his family before the 2021 collapse of the U.S.-backed government, was apprehended by the Taliban in August 2022 during a business trip.
“Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family stated, expressing thanks to Presidents Trump and Biden and numerous government officials.
Corbett’s family also commended Qatar for its instrumental role in facilitating Ryan’s release and for its visits to him as the U.S. Protecting Power in Afghanistan. Qatar, a key mediator in U.S.-Taliban talks, hasn’t yet commented.
CNN and The New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. officials, identified the second American as William McKenty, although further details remain undisclosed.
Mohammed, 55, was incarcerated in California following his 2008 conviction. The Bureau of Prisons reported that Mohammed was no longer in their custody early Tuesday.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, confirmed Mohammed’s return to Afghanistan and reunion with his family, adding that there were no immediate plans for celebration.
Mohammed was captured in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and subsequently transferred to the U.S. A federal jury found him guilty of supplying heroin and opium destined for the United States, thereby aiding terrorist activities.
The Justice Department described Mohammed as “a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker” who “sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets.” He was the first individual convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws.
Before leaving office, the Biden administration attempted to secure the release of Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi in exchange for Muhammad Rahim, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay.
Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was detained by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 while traveling in Afghanistan. Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman and contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, also disappeared in 2022; the Taliban deny his detention.
Washington officials did not respond to requests for comment following Trump’s inauguration.
The Taliban attributed the exchange to “long and fruitful negotiations” with the U.S., highlighting it as an example of resolving issues through dialogue.
“The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America that help the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,” the Taliban stated.
The Taliban seeks international recognition to mitigate the economic crisis stemming from its takeover, which led to the freezing of billions in international funds and the exodus of tens of thousands of skilled Afghans.
—Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
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