(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. helicopter raid killed two members of the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria early Sunday morning local time, U.S. Central Command announced later that day.
Among those killed were Anas, a provincial official in eastern Syria who was involved in the group’s plotting and facilitation operations, according to a statement from Central Command, also known as CENTCOM.
CENTCOM said it appears that no civilians were hurt or killed in the raid.
“ISIS continues to represent a threat to the security and stability of the region. This operation reaffirms CENTCOM’s steadfast commitment to ensuring the group’s enduring defeat,” said Joe Buccino, a CENTCOM spokesperson.
“The death of these ISIS officials will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out destabilizing attacks in the Middle East,” Buccino said.
The Islamic State group is a shell of its former self after losing its self-declared caliphate, spanning parts of Iraq and Syria, around 2017.
Still, U.S. officials say the extremists, which include thousands of fighters scattered across affiliates in Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and elsewhere, remain a threat.
Three Islamic State leaders have been killed, with the fourth, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, taking over the group last month after the death of his predecessor.
(NEW YORK) — Nearly 34 years after 270 people, including 190 Americans, died in the mid-air bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, the Libyan intelligence officer accused of building the explosive device has been taken into custody by the United States to face justice, federal officials told ABC News.
Abu Agila Mas’ud will face criminal charges in the United States for his suspected role in the deadliest terror attack on British soil and among the largest involving Americans, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Justice.
The United States has charged Mas’ud with building the device used to blow up the Boeing 747 about 38 minutes after it took off from London’s Heathrow Airport en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The flight originally started in Frankfurt, Germany, and was scheduled to end in Detroit after it stopped in New York.
Among those killed were 35 Syracuse University students returning home for the holidays after a semester studying abroad.
“The United States has taken custody of alleged Pan Am Flight 103 bomb maker Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi,” the DOJ said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear when Mas’ud will appear in court. He is expected to make his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, according to the DOJ.
“The families of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have been told that the suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi is in U.S. custody,” a spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s public prosecution service, said in a statement to ABC News.
“Scottish prosecutors and police, working with UK Government and US colleagues, will continue to pursue this investigation, with the sole aim of bringing those who acted along with Al Megrahi to justice,” the statement said, referring to a Libyan intelligence operative convicted in 2001 for his role in the Pan Am bombing.
‘It is unbelievable’
Stephanie Bernstein, whose husband, Michael, was among those killed in the bombing, said she learned Mas’ud was in U.S. custody in a phone call from federal authorities before dawn Sunday.
“It is unbelievable. When I first learned about it, I thought I was dreaming,” Bernstein told ABC News. “This would not have happened without the top levels of the government and their commitment to bringing this individual to justice.”
Before his death, Michael Bernstein worked for the Justice Department tracking down former members of the Nazi regime.
“He believed that holding people accountable was of paramount importance,” Bernstein said.
She and other loved ones of some those killed said they had doubted that Mas’ud would ever be brought to justice given the complexities of Libya and its lack of an extradition treaty with the United States.
“It wasn’t clear that ever, ever we could get him. He confessed to the bombing, but to a Libyan authority,” Bernstein said, adding she plans to be in court when Mas’ud makes his initial court appearance.
The announcement comes two years after Mas’ud, who has been in custody in Libya for several years, was indicted on two federal criminal counts related to the bombing.
Suitcase bomb
Mas’ud is charged in federal court with destruction of an aircraft resulting in death, and destruction of a vehicle by means of an explosive resulting in death.
A criminal affidavit filed in the case, alleges Mas’ud worked for the External Security Organization, Libya’s intelligence service, mostly as a technical expert in building explosive devices from 1973 to 2011.
In addition to the Pan Am 103 bombing, Mas’ud allegedly participated in other plots against the United States and the West, including the April 5, 1986, bombing of the LaBelle Discotheque in West Berlin, Germany, in which two U.S. service members were killed and 229 people, including 79 Americans, were injured
Under instructions from two alleged Libyan intelligence operatives, including Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi, Mas’ud allegedly built the Pan Am 103 bomb in the winter of 1988 in a hotel room on the island of Malta, hiding the device in a medium-size Samsonite suitcase and setting a timer to go off 11 hours later on Dec. 21, according to the criminal affidavit.
Mas’ud allegedly gave the suitcase to Megrahi and the other Libyan operative, who both worked at the Malta airport, according to the affidavit. One of the operatives placed the suitcase on an airport conveyor belt and it was smuggled onto a flight bound for Frankfurt, where it was transferred to Pan Am Flight 103 as a piece of unattended luggage, according to the affidavit.
The bomb detonated as Flight 103 was at an altitude of 31,000 feet above Lockerbie, Scotland. The explosion ripped the aircraft into countless pieces that scattered across 840 square miles, nearly the entire width of Scotland. Eleven residents of Lockerbie were killed by falling wreckage, according to the affidavit.
In 2001, Megrahi was convicted of his role in the bombing by three Scottish judges sitting in a special court in the Netherlands. He was released in 2009 because he had cancer and died in Libya in 2012.
Megrahi co-defendant, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, was acquitted of the charges stemming from the bombing.
‘This is as it should be’
Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced the charges against Mas’ud in his final week at the Justice Department. In his 2020 news conference, Barr noted that the breakthrough that led to the new charges against Mas’ud arose when law enforcement learned in 2016 he had been arrested after the collapse of the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi and interviewed by a Libyan law enforcement officer in September 2012.
Mas’ud allegedly told the officer that the bombing plot had been ordered by the then-leadership of Libyan intelligence and that Gadhafi personally thanked him for the successful attack on the United States.
Kathryn Turman, the retired assistant director of the FBI’s Victim Services Division, worked closely for years with the families of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing.
She told ABC News on Sunday that while she hasn’t had a chance to speak with the victims’ relatives, “I imagine many of them are pleased and relieved to see another step towards accountability even after all these years.”
“It is evidence that while the world may have moved on, the U.S. and Scottish justice systems did not forget about the murders of their loved ones and have not stopped their efforts over the years,” Turman said. “That is as it should be.”
(NEW YORK) — 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.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 09, 1:53 PM EST
Brittney Griner has reunited with her wife
Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner, have now seen each other in person, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed at Friday’s press briefing.
“She has been reunited with her wife, Cherelle. U.S officials who met her on the ground said she was in very good spirits, appears to be in good health,” Jean-Pierre said. “She was immediately taken to Brooke Army Medical Center [in San Antonio] where she is being offered a range of support options.”
Jean-Pierre did not give a timeline on when Griner might return home to Arizona.
“Every individual is different and those decisions are up to them and their families,” she said. “Typically upon arrival, people are offered a wide range of additional support, including full medical checkup, a mental health checkup.”
Dec 09, 1:17 PM EST
Viktor Bout gives first interview since release
Convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was traded for Brittney Griner and is now home in Russia, told Russian state-owned media outlet RT, “thank God” the exchange happened.
Asked about his first feelings at home, Bout replied: “Feelings need to be dealt with. We need to find more words to describe it all.”
Bout noted that he didn’t see any anti-Russia sentiments from prison staff.
Dec 09, 8:31 AM EST
Video shows Griner’s wife hearing she’s on her way home
The White House has shared video of the moment Thursday morning when President Joe Biden told Cherelle Griner her wife was on the way home.
“She’s on the ground,” Biden told Griner as they hugged.
“Stop it,” she replied.
‘Yep. She’s on the ground,” Biden said as she hugged him again.
The video also shows Griner exclaim, “It’s just such a good day!” as Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken look on, beaming.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 8:17 AM EST
Kirby says Griner ‘appears to be in good health’
Brittney Griner is “in very good spirits” and “appears to be in good health,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
“We’ve talked to our team on the ground who met her there [in San Antonio] as well as the team that traveled overseas with her on that airplane,” Kirby said. “She’s now going to go to the treatment facility, she’s going to get looked after by docs and nurses there, just to make sure everything is OK.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 6:21 AM EST
Brittney Griner arrives back in the United States
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.
Dec 08, 10:14 PM EST
Griner family thanks Biden administration
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.
Dec 08, 5:21 PM EST
Viktor Bout’s attorney says swap ‘fair’
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.
Dec 08, 4:22 PM EST
Video shows Brittney Griner boarding plane in Russia
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.
Dec 08, 4:00 PM EST
Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad
Lindsay Colas, Brittney Griner’s agent, said Griner “has carried herself with courage, grace and grit” and is expressing thanks to everyone who helped bring her home, including U.S. officials, the WNBA and the NBA.
Colas especially thanked President Joe Biden, who she said “kept his word.”
“Also, to so many people around the world who raised their voices and stood with us – especially Black women, the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights leaders – thank you,” Colas said in a statement.
Colas said Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad and called people out by name, including Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia, and Americans who are in Iran, Venezuela, China, Syria, Mali and Rwanda.
“Our commitment to President Biden and to the families of Americans who are being held hostage and wrongfully detained – especially Elizabeth and David Whelan, on behalf of their brother Paul Whelan, who remains in Russia and whose continued detention weighs heavily on our hearts – is to continue our work in the movement to bring them home,” Colas said.
Dec 08, 3:44 PM EST
Swap initiated on Nov. 29 with US Marshals taking custody of Bout
The prisoner swap that resulted in Brittney Griner’s release has been in the works since at least Nov. 29, when the U.S. government requested the removal of Viktor Bout from USP Marion in Marion, Illinois, according to a court document unsealed Thursday.
The document, signed by George Turner, assistant United States attorney from the Southern District of New York, requested the Bureau of Prisons allow U.S. Marshals to take custody of Bout sometime between Dec. 2 and Dec. 16.
The move was “based on the significant foreign policy interests of the United States,” the document said, but did not mention Griner or a prisoner exchange.
The government expended significant resources and time to bring Bout to justice, but a source familiar with the prosecution of Bout said they recognized the “competing interests” that resulted in his release from U.S. custody.
Whether Bout represents a future threat, this source said that while Bout is not old he has been “out of the game,” which would impede his ability to go back to his former operations. However, the source called Bout a “shrewd operator” with “a lot of friends” in Russian military and intelligence circles.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Dec 08, 3:28 PM EST
Whelan’s sister: US needs to find way around Russian ‘fairy tale’ of him being a spy
Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of ex-Marine Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen being held in Russia as an alleged spy, told ABC News in an interview Thursday she is happy for Brittney Griner, but also frustrated Paul remains in custody.
“The Russians have been clear with all of these cases that they treat them all separately,” Elizabeth Whelan told ABC News. “We try to bundle them together and get everybody out at once. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. But that is not necessarily the way our opponents are dealing with this situation.”
“We’ve always known that the Russians were treating Paul separately, and therefore, we always knew that there was a chance that this would happen, that Brittney would be released first,” she continued.
U.S. officials said they wanted to exchange Viktor Bout for both Griner and Paul Whelan, but that Russian officials would not engage on both and said either Griner could be swapped for Bout or no one could be swapped.
“I think we need to start dealing with Russia as the entity that it actually is now and not the way we might want it to be,” Elizabeth Whelan said. “They talk about Paul being a spy, but they’re the ones who set Paul up and created this spy story that is sort of based in a fairy tale [that] has to be undermined. We have to find a way around that.”
Dec 08, 2:26 PM EST
Biden delivered news of release to Cherelle Griner in person
President Joe Biden delivered the good news about Brittney Griner’s release in person directly to her wife, Cherelle, at the White House Thursday morning, according to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Cherelle had been invited to the White House for a meeting with the national security adviser Jake Sullivan. When she arrived, she was welcomed into the Oval Office by President Biden, who personally delivered the news that Brittney would be returning home today,” Jean-Pierre said.
ABC News’ Mary Bruce pressed the White House on any plans Biden has to meet with Griner upon her return to the United States, but Jean-Pierre didn’t have any guidance.
“I don’t have anything to preview at this time. Our efforts right now, our focus, is to get her home safely and to get her back to her family, to her team, to her loved ones, and give her all the necessary tools she will need to reengage, to come back to the U.S. in the way that she chooses, right?” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 08, 2:13 PM EST
Senators celebrate release, but fear it incentivizes Americans being ‘scooped up’
Senators from both side of the aisle celebrated Brittney Griner’s freedom from Russian detention Thursday, but several members also questioned the decision to swap Griner for known international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC News that while he sees Griner’s return as “good news” and a “significant accomplishment by the Biden administration,” he’s worried about the precedent that could be set for exchanges of high-profile Russian criminals like Bout.
“It was clear over many months that Putin was only going to release Brittney Griner in exchange for this person,” Coons said. “And that’s the risk, is that the more we engage in such exchanges, the more Americans are at risk of being scooped up and held as leverage to try and secure the release of folks who we would rather not have to release.”
Republicans shared Coons’ concern.
“I worry about — this sets in motion, you know, just ‘grab an American,'” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
“Well, I hate it,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said when asked about the administration’s move to free Bout. “But I think you’re left with the decision: yes or no. And like I said, I think I would never be happy to have an American in a Russian penal colony, or under any circumstances, so unfortunately, that’s the sort of way Putin does business.”
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed with that assessment.
“We traded a basketball player for a known terrorist criminal,” Marshall said, suggesting that the U.S. should have driven a tougher bargain.
-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin
Dec 08, 1:07 PM EST
Paul Whelan calls CNN from prison
Paul Whelan called CNN from prison on Thursday, saying he’s “happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor [Reed] went home when he did — but I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he’s “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,” adding, “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred.”
Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, said his message to Biden is: “This is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly, and I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home. regardless of the price they may have to pay at this point.”
Biden said Thursday that the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Brittney Griner and Whelan.
“Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release we are not giving up. We will never give up,” he said.
“We’ll continue to engage the Russians on Paul, and we’ll continue to look at everything possible to bring him home,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken added.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 12:38 PM EST
Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s WNBA team, releases statement: ‘She’s on her way’
The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner’s WNBA team, celebrated their star player’s return Thursday.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the team wrote on Twitter. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one.”
Griner has played her entire nine-year career with Phoenix, making eight All-Star teams and winning the WNBA title in 2014.
The team had posted each week, saying how many days Griner had been in detention in Russia and continuing to advocate for her release. Teammates like Kia Nurse, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Shey Peddy tweeted their relief at Griner’s release.
“BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come,” the Mercury said in its joint statement with the Phoenix Suns.
“We no longer have to Bring BG Home — she’s on her way,” they concluded.
Dec 08, 12:29 PM EST
Griner headed to Brooke Army Medical Center
Brittney Griner is en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a spokesperson at the base confirmed to ABC News. She’s expected to arrive late Thursday night or early Friday, according to the base.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri and Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 11:28 AM EST
WNBA, NBA commissioners praise release
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert applauded the release of Griner, an eight-time league All Star, and said she showed “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert wrote in a statement.
The WNBA celebrated Griner all season, putting her No. 42 on every court and even having every player in this year’s All Star Game wear her number. Many players spoke out throughout the season for her release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who had also consistently pushed for Griner’s release, said in a statement, “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP and a teammate of Griner on both the U.S. national team and Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, had posted a plea for Griner’s release every day on Twitter, counting the days and tagging President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House in the posts. On Thursday, she wrote, “BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!”
Dec 08, 9:22 AM EST
Griner negotiations were ‘painstaking,’ Russians treating Whelan differently: Biden
The road to Griner’s release involved “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Biden said as he thanked many across his administration who “worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
“She’s relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma,” he said. “She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
Biden said Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and that the country helped facilitate the transfer.
Paul Whelan was not part of this exchange, the president said, adding, “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”
“Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up,” Biden said. “We remain in close touch with Paul’s family — the Whelan family — and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
“They have to have such mixed emotions today,” he continued. “And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul Whelan. I guarantee that. I say that to the family. And I guarantee you. I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treat are maintained until we can bring him home. I don’t want American to be detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
Dec 08, 9:20 AM EST
Blinken says Russia not willing to release Paul Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s grateful to everyone “who worked tirelessly” to bring Brittney Griner home, but lamented that Paul Whelan and his family “continue to suffer needlessly.”
“Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney,” he said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones.”
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(NEW YORK) — 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.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 09, 8:31 AM EST
Video shows Griner’s wife hearing she’s on her way home
The White House has shared video of the moment Thursday morning when President Joe Biden told Cherelle Griner her wife was on the way home.
“She’s on the ground,” Biden told Griner as they hugged.
“Stop it,” she replied.
‘Yep. She’s on the ground,” Biden said as she hugged him again.
The video also shows Griner exclaim, “It’s just such a good day!” as Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken look on, beaming.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 8:17 AM EST
Kirby says Griner ‘appears to be in good health’
Brittney Griner is “in very good spirits” and “appears to be in good health,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
“We’ve talked to our team on the ground who met her there [in San Antonio] as well as the team that traveled overseas with her on that airplane,” Kirby said. “She’s now going to go to the treatment facility, she’s going to get looked after by docs and nurses there, just to make sure everything is OK.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 09, 6:21 AM EST
Brittney Griner arrives back in the United States
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.
Dec 08, 10:14 PM EST
Griner family thanks Biden administration
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.
Dec 08, 5:21 PM EST
Viktor Bout’s attorney says swap ‘fair’
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.
Dec 08, 4:22 PM EST
Video shows Brittney Griner boarding plane in Russia
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.
Dec 08, 4:00 PM EST
Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad
Lindsay Colas, Brittney Griner’s agent, said Griner “has carried herself with courage, grace and grit” and is expressing thanks to everyone who helped bring her home, including U.S. officials, the WNBA and the NBA.
Colas especially thanked President Joe Biden, who she said “kept his word.”
“Also, to so many people around the world who raised their voices and stood with us – especially Black women, the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights leaders – thank you,” Colas said in a statement.
Colas said Griner will continue to advocate for other Americans held abroad and called people out by name, including Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia, and Americans who are in Iran, Venezuela, China, Syria, Mali and Rwanda.
“Our commitment to President Biden and to the families of Americans who are being held hostage and wrongfully detained – especially Elizabeth and David Whelan, on behalf of their brother Paul Whelan, who remains in Russia and whose continued detention weighs heavily on our hearts – is to continue our work in the movement to bring them home,” Colas said.
Dec 08, 3:44 PM EST
Swap initiated on Nov. 29 with US Marshals taking custody of Bout
The prisoner swap that resulted in Brittney Griner’s release has been in the works since at least Nov. 29, when the U.S. government requested the removal of Viktor Bout from USP Marion in Marion, Illinois, according to a court document unsealed Thursday.
The document, signed by George Turner, assistant United States attorney from the Southern District of New York, requested the Bureau of Prisons allow U.S. Marshals to take custody of Bout sometime between Dec. 2 and Dec. 16.
The move was “based on the significant foreign policy interests of the United States,” the document said, but did not mention Griner or a prisoner exchange.
The government expended significant resources and time to bring Bout to justice, but a source familiar with the prosecution of Bout said they recognized the “competing interests” that resulted in his release from U.S. custody.
Whether Bout represents a future threat, this source said that while Bout is not old he has been “out of the game,” which would impede his ability to go back to his former operations. However, the source called Bout a “shrewd operator” with “a lot of friends” in Russian military and intelligence circles.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Dec 08, 3:28 PM EST
Whelan’s sister: US needs to find way around Russian ‘fairy tale’ of him being a spy
Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of ex-Marine Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen being held in Russia as an alleged spy, told ABC News in an interview Thursday she is happy for Brittney Griner, but also frustrated Paul remains in custody.
“The Russians have been clear with all of these cases that they treat them all separately,” Elizabeth Whelan told ABC News. “We try to bundle them together and get everybody out at once. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. But that is not necessarily the way our opponents are dealing with this situation.”
“We’ve always known that the Russians were treating Paul separately, and therefore, we always knew that there was a chance that this would happen, that Brittney would be released first,” she continued.
U.S. officials said they wanted to exchange Viktor Bout for both Griner and Paul Whelan, but that Russian officials would not engage on both and said either Griner could be swapped for Bout or no one could be swapped.
“I think we need to start dealing with Russia as the entity that it actually is now and not the way we might want it to be,” Elizabeth Whelan said. “They talk about Paul being a spy, but they’re the ones who set Paul up and created this spy story that is sort of based in a fairy tale [that] has to be undermined. We have to find a way around that.”
Dec 08, 2:26 PM EST
Biden delivered news of release to Cherelle Griner in person
President Joe Biden delivered the good news about Brittney Griner’s release in person directly to her wife, Cherelle, at the White House Thursday morning, according to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Cherelle had been invited to the White House for a meeting with the national security adviser Jake Sullivan. When she arrived, she was welcomed into the Oval Office by President Biden, who personally delivered the news that Brittney would be returning home today,” Jean-Pierre said.
ABC News’ Mary Bruce pressed the White House on any plans Biden has to meet with Griner upon her return to the United States, but Jean-Pierre didn’t have any guidance.
“I don’t have anything to preview at this time. Our efforts right now, our focus, is to get her home safely and to get her back to her family, to her team, to her loved ones, and give her all the necessary tools she will need to reengage, to come back to the U.S. in the way that she chooses, right?” Jean-Pierre said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Dec 08, 2:13 PM EST
Senators celebrate release, but fear it incentivizes Americans being ‘scooped up’
Senators from both side of the aisle celebrated Brittney Griner’s freedom from Russian detention Thursday, but several members also questioned the decision to swap Griner for known international arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told ABC News that while he sees Griner’s return as “good news” and a “significant accomplishment by the Biden administration,” he’s worried about the precedent that could be set for exchanges of high-profile Russian criminals like Bout.
“It was clear over many months that Putin was only going to release Brittney Griner in exchange for this person,” Coons said. “And that’s the risk, is that the more we engage in such exchanges, the more Americans are at risk of being scooped up and held as leverage to try and secure the release of folks who we would rather not have to release.”
Republicans shared Coons’ concern.
“I worry about — this sets in motion, you know, just ‘grab an American,'” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
“Well, I hate it,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said when asked about the administration’s move to free Bout. “But I think you’re left with the decision: yes or no. And like I said, I think I would never be happy to have an American in a Russian penal colony, or under any circumstances, so unfortunately, that’s the sort of way Putin does business.”
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed with that assessment.
“We traded a basketball player for a known terrorist criminal,” Marshall said, suggesting that the U.S. should have driven a tougher bargain.
-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin
Dec 08, 1:07 PM EST
Paul Whelan calls CNN from prison
Paul Whelan called CNN from prison on Thursday, saying he’s “happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor [Reed] went home when he did — but I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he’s “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,” adding, “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred.”
Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, said his message to Biden is: “This is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly, and I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home. regardless of the price they may have to pay at this point.”
Biden said Thursday that the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Brittney Griner and Whelan.
“Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release we are not giving up. We will never give up,” he said.
“We’ll continue to engage the Russians on Paul, and we’ll continue to look at everything possible to bring him home,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken added.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 12:38 PM EST
Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s WNBA team, releases statement: ‘She’s on her way’
The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner’s WNBA team, celebrated their star player’s return Thursday.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the team wrote on Twitter. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one.”
Griner has played her entire nine-year career with Phoenix, making eight All-Star teams and winning the WNBA title in 2014.
The team had posted each week, saying how many days Griner had been in detention in Russia and continuing to advocate for her release. Teammates like Kia Nurse, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Shey Peddy tweeted their relief at Griner’s release.
“BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come,” the Mercury said in its joint statement with the Phoenix Suns.
“We no longer have to Bring BG Home — she’s on her way,” they concluded.
Dec 08, 12:29 PM EST
Griner headed to Brooke Army Medical Center
Brittney Griner is en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a spokesperson at the base confirmed to ABC News. She’s expected to arrive late Thursday night or early Friday, according to the base.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri and Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 11:28 AM EST
WNBA, NBA commissioners praise release
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert applauded the release of Griner, an eight-time league All Star, and said she showed “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert wrote in a statement.
The WNBA celebrated Griner all season, putting her No. 42 on every court and even having every player in this year’s All Star Game wear her number. Many players spoke out throughout the season for her release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who had also consistently pushed for Griner’s release, said in a statement, “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP and a teammate of Griner on both the U.S. national team and Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, had posted a plea for Griner’s release every day on Twitter, counting the days and tagging President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House in the posts. On Thursday, she wrote, “BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!”
Dec 08, 9:22 AM EST
Griner negotiations were ‘painstaking,’ Russians treating Whelan differently: Biden
The road to Griner’s release involved “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Biden said as he thanked many across his administration who “worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
“She’s relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma,” he said. “She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
Biden said Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and that the country helped facilitate the transfer.
Paul Whelan was not part of this exchange, the president said, adding, “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”
“Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up,” Biden said. “We remain in close touch with Paul’s family — the Whelan family — and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
“They have to have such mixed emotions today,” he continued. “And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul Whelan. I guarantee that. I say that to the family. And I guarantee you. I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treat are maintained until we can bring him home. I don’t want American to be detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
Dec 08, 9:20 AM EST
Blinken says Russia not willing to release Paul Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s grateful to everyone “who worked tirelessly” to bring Brittney Griner home, but lamented that Paul Whelan and his family “continue to suffer needlessly.”
“Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney,” he said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones.”
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(TIJUANA, Mexico) — Authorities in Mexico are searching for a suspect responsible for the recent deaths of three women who worked in bars and strip clubs in Tijuana, a Mexican state attorney general said Thursday.
Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez said the women were found dead in hotel rooms last month.
Investigators have a good idea who the suspect is, the attorney general said, describing him as an American who lives north of the border.
Authorities have yet to name the suspect.
The FBI and other U.S. law enforcement agencies have reportedly been notified and are assisting with the search, Carpio Sánchez said.
The FBI did not return ABC News’ request for comment on the agency’s involvement in this investigation.
Mexican authorities compared the killings to the murders committed by notorious U.S. serial killer Ted Bundy.
“This subject has criminal tendencies associated with violent and psychopathic behavior,” Carpio Sánchez said during a recent meeting with reporters in Tijuana. “His profile is very similar to someone who became very well-known decades ago: Ted Bundy.”
Bundy was one of the nation’s most prolific serial killers, having confessed to murdering 30 women across the U.S. between 1973 and 1978. He was executed in 1989.
(NEW YORK) — 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.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 08, 1:07 PM EST
Paul Whelan calls CNN from prison
Paul Whelan called CNN from prison on Thursday, saying he’s “happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor [Reed] went home when he did — but I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Whelan said he’s “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release,” adding, “I was arrested for a crime that never occurred.”
Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years, said his message to Biden is: “This is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly, and I would hope that he and his administration would do everything they could to get me home. regardless of the price they may have to pay at this point.”
Biden said Thursday that the prisoner swap was “not a choice” between Brittney Griner and Whelan.
“Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release we are not giving up. We will never give up,” he said.
“We’ll continue to engage the Russians on Paul, and we’ll continue to look at everything possible to bring him home,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken added.
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 12:38 PM EST
Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s WNBA team, releases statement: ‘She’s on her way’
The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner’s WNBA team, celebrated their star player’s return Thursday.
“Miraculously, mercifully, the count of days detained has ended at 294, and our friend, our sister is headed back home where she belongs,” the team wrote on Twitter. “The emotions for our organization, just like for our fans and so many across the world, are those of joyous celebration, deep gratitude, grief for the time lost, and sincere hope for all families still awaiting the return of a loved one.”
Griner has played her entire nine-year career with Phoenix, making eight All-Star teams and winning the WNBA title in 2014.
The team had posted each week, saying how many days Griner had been in detention in Russia and continuing to advocate for her release. Teammates like Kia Nurse, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Shey Peddy tweeted their relief at Griner’s release.
“BG’s strength in this process, her unwavering belief that resolution would come, and the hope she displayed every day is what kept all of us believing this day would come,” the Mercury said in its joint statement with the Phoenix Suns.
“We no longer have to Bring BG Home — she’s on her way,” they concluded.
Dec 08, 12:29 PM EST
Griner headed to Brooke Army Medical Center
Brittney Griner is en route to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a spokesperson at the base confirmed to ABC News. She’s expected to arrive late Thursday night or early Friday, according to the base.
-ABC News’ Gina Sunseri and Ben Gittleson
Dec 08, 11:28 AM EST
WNBA, NBA commissioners praise release
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert applauded the release of Griner, an eight-time league All Star, and said she showed “extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity.”
“There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends,” Engelbert wrote in a statement.
The WNBA celebrated Griner all season, putting her No. 42 on every court and even having every player in this year’s All Star Game wear her number. Many players spoke out throughout the season for her release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who had also consistently pushed for Griner’s release, said in a statement, “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, the 2018 WNBA MVP and a teammate of Griner on both the U.S. national team and Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, had posted a plea for Griner’s release every day on Twitter, counting the days and tagging President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House in the posts. On Thursday, she wrote, “BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!”
Dec 08, 9:22 AM EST
Griner negotiations were ‘painstaking,’ Russians treating Whelan differently: Biden
The road to Griner’s release involved “painstaking and intense negotiations,” President Biden said as he thanked many across his administration who “worked tirelessly to secure her release.”
“She’s relieved to finally be heading home and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma,” he said. “She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
Biden said Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and that the country helped facilitate the transfer.
Paul Whelan was not part of this exchange, the president said, adding, “This was not a choice of which American to bring home.”
“Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up,” Biden said. “We remain in close touch with Paul’s family — the Whelan family — and my thoughts and prayers are with them today.”
“They have to have such mixed emotions today,” he continued. “And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul Whelan. I guarantee that. I say that to the family. And I guarantee you. I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treat are maintained until we can bring him home. I don’t want American to be detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
Dec 08, 9:20 AM EST
Blinken says Russia not willing to release Paul Whelan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he’s grateful to everyone “who worked tirelessly” to bring Brittney Griner home, but lamented that Paul Whelan and his family “continue to suffer needlessly.”
“Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney,” he said in a statement. “We will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones.”
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(WASHINGTON) — 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 earlier this year in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
(NEW YORK) — Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries is here.
The highly-anticipated first three episodes of the six-part series, titled Harry & Meghan, were released Thursday at 3 a.m., EST, on Netflix.
The duke and duchess of Sussex open up in the docuseries about everything from their love story to their decision two years ago to step down from their senior royal roles.
The docuseries, directed by Oscar-nominated Liz Garbus, is billed as a “first-hand account of Harry and Meghan’s story, told with never before seen personal archive.” It opens by noting that interviews for the docuseries were completed by August, one month before the death of Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The docuseries also says from the beginning that members of Britain’s royal family, “declined to comment on the content within this series.”
Here is a look at the docuseries’ biggest moments so far, along with what to know:
Harry and Meghan met through Instagram, a mutual friend
For the first time, the Sussexes share extensive details of the start of their relationship in 2016, when Meghan was an actress on the TV show Suits.
Harry revealed he saw Meghan on a mutual friend’s Instagram page, and asked to be connected.
They had their first date in July 2016 at Soho House in London, followed by a second dinner date at the same location.
After two dates, Harry and Meghan went on a five-day trip to Botswana, where they spent time just the two of them.
“We had to get to know each other before the rest of the world and the media sort of joined in,” Harry said.
He later adds, “When I got to know Meghan more and more, I’m like, ‘Now, I’m really falling in love with this girl,’ so despite my fear, I just opened my heart to see what’s going to happen.”
Harry says Meghan reminds him of Princess Diana
In one clip, Meghan is seen holding a baby who appears to be their son Archie in what appears to be a nursery and showing him a photo of Harry’s mom Princess Diana, whom she tells him is “Grandma Diana.”
Later, Harry describes the similarities he sees between his wife and Diana, who died in 1997.
“So much of what Meghan is and how she is, is so similar to my mom,” Harry said. “She has the same compassion. She has the same empathy. She has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”
Harry gives a glimpse into pressures of royal life
The docuseries is also a rare look into Britain’s royal family, from Harry and Meghan’s perspective.
Harry is the fifth in line to the British throne. His father is King Charles III and his older brother Prince William is the heir to the throne.
Charles, William and other members of the royal family have not publicly commented on the Sussexes’ docuseries.
Docuseries generates controversy before its debut
In addition to generating headlines because of Harry’s royal ties and the couple’s willingness to speak out about the royal institution, the docuseries faced other controversies even before its debut.
When Netflix released trailers for Harry & Meghan, some U.K. tabloids claimed the docuseries was misleading, stating that some of the footage used in the trailers showed press and paparazzi from moments unrelated to Harry and Meghan.
An image of photographers shown in the trailer, cited as an example, is in fact from 2011, five years before the couple started dating. Another snippet from the trailer showing paparazzi swarming a vehicle appears to have been shot in 2019 outside the apartment of Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer.
Harry and Meghan have not commented on the docuseries since its release. Netflix has also not commented on the recent criticism.
The timing of the first trailer’s release was also controversial as it dropped just before William and his wife Kate, the princess of Wales, arrived in Boston for their first trip to the U.S. in eight years.
The two couples, who last reunited publicly in September for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, did not see each other during William and Kate’s U.S. trip.
Docuseries is made ‘in association’ with Sussexes’ production company
The final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan’s docuseries will be released on Netflix on Dec. 15.
The Netflix docuseries is part of a deal with the company the couple inked in 2020, shortly after they stepped down from their royal roles. The Sussexes now helm a California-based production company, Archewell Productions.
(BEIJING) — China loosened some key COVID-19 controls on Wednesday after residents began protesting against the strict measures in November.
Authorities did not acknowledge the unrest in their decision but the sudden announcement by China’s State Council Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism directly addresses some of the key concerns of the demonstrators, including relaxing quarantine rules and allowing for home quarantine for mild and asymptomatic cases. Previously, residents who tested positive were sent to a central quarantine facility. People who been in close contact with sick individuals can now self-isolate at home for five days.
Local authorities were in charge of enforcing their own preventative measures and usually erred on the side on excessive curbs, locking down entire neighborhoods, towns and even cities.
Lockdowns are now dependent on individual “buildings, units, floors and households, instead of residential compounds, communities and subdistricts,” according to authorities.
Moreover, quarantine measures will now be lifted if no new infections are reported for five consecutive days.
Authorities will also move away from relying on mass nucleic acid PCR testing and expand the use of rapid antigen tests. Since the Shanghai lockdown in April and May, PCR testing was required in most Chinese cities, with residents needing to have a negative test every 48-72 hours in order to access places including school and offices. Long lines around testing booths became a normal sight across the country throughout the summer and the fall. PCR tests will now only be used for high-risk areas and occupations.
People no longer need to show a valid negative test or a health code to enter public venues or to travel, except when entering hospitals, schools and elderly homes.
While China has relaxed its measures, the ruling Communist Party still intends to control the spread of virus. International borders remain mostly closed and likely will be for the near future. Beijing has not allowed foreign vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer to be used on its population, holding out for its own mRNA technology vaccines, which have been delayed.
According to a new study from predictive health analytics firms Airfinity, at least 1.3 million residents could die if China opened its borders today.
While cases across China have been dropping from a peak of just over 40,000 daily infections, it remains unclear how the easing of restrictions will pan out.
The annual Lunar New Year travel period, which begins the first weekend of January, could be a challenge for controlling a larger outbreak. Hundreds of millions will be traveling back and forth to their hometowns, increasing their potential risk to the virus.
(NEW YORK) — A sanctioned Ukrainian politician who U.S. authorities said has ties to Russian intelligence services was hit with new criminal charges Wednesday over his alleged purchase of two condominiums in Beverly Hills, California.
The charges were announced by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the Justice Department’s KleptoCapture task force against Andrii Derkach, a member of Ukraine’s parliament who has been labeled by the United States as a Russian agent and who allegedly sought to influence the 2020 presidential election by meeting with and funneling disinformation about Joe Biden to Rudy Giuliani.
Derkach is charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and four counts of money laundering. Derkach allegedly purchased the two California properties in violation of new U.S. sanctions imposed earlier this year and concealed his interest in the transactions.
“The conduct of this Kremlin asset, who was sanctioned for trying to poison our democracy, has shown he is ready, willing, and capable of exploiting banking system in order to advance his illicit goals. The U.S. will not be a safe haven where criminals, oligarchs or sanctioned entities can hide their ill-gotten gains or influence our elections,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement announcing the charges.
Derkach, who remains at large, was sanctioned for his alleged efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election on behalf of the Russian intelligence services while prosecutors said he simultaneously conspired to fraudulently benefit from a comfortable life in the U.S.
“Attempting to enjoy the safety, security, and freedoms of an open society, while secretly working to undermine that very society, is a hypocrisy that runs through every sanctions charge announced by the Task Force. It is a particularly egregious hypocrisy in the case of Andrii Derkach – sanctioned for attempts to undermine American democracy, while corruptly seeking to benefit from its protections,” said KleptoCapture Director Andrew C. Adams.
Derkach, a member of a pro-Russian political party, allegedly schemed to purchase and maintain two luxury condominiums in Beverly Hills while concealing his interest in the transactions from U.S. financial institutions, according to the complaint. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Treasury officials previously said Derkach controlled two websites that helped spread disinformation about U.S. officials.
Giuliani traveled to Ukraine in 2019 with OAN news anchor Chanel Rion where the two met with Derkach for an interview and took documents from him. Federal prosecutors in New York investigated Giuliani’s activities in Ukraine but decided earlier this year not to file criminal charges.
