Who is Trevor Reed and why was he detained in Russia?
A RUSSIAN court sentenced US Marine Trevor Reed to nine years in prison in 2020 after a night of heavy drinking in Moscow.
Reed was brought home in a prisoner exchange on April 27, 2022, but he's facing a new setback while serving abroad.
Who is Trevor Reed and why was he detained in Russia?
Reed is a resident of Texas who lived in Hood County outside of the Dallas area.
He spent the summer of 2019 in Moscow studying Russian and visiting his then-girlfriend Alina Tsybulnik - a lawyer in Moscow - and was preparing to return home that August, his family told .
However, just days before his return, he celebrated a night out with his friends and his girlfriend's co-workers.
On August 16, 2019, Reed was arrested in Moscow and accused of intentionally endangering the lives of government officials in the line of duty.
read more on trevor reed
According to Russian officials, on the night of August 16, 2019, Reed was arrested after he got drunk and allegedly grabbed the arm of an officer as he was being taken to a station, causing the vehicle to swerve and endangering the lives of officers.
At the time, the US ambassador dismissed the allegation as “preposterous” and noted that video evidence showed no swerving.
In July 2020, Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison.
During the trial's closing arguments - Reed said he would not admit guilt to a crime he didn't commit.
Most read in The US Sun
Reed said in his closing statement on the eve of the trial's verdict: "I think it would be unethical and immoral to plead guilty to a crime I didn't commit.
"If I am going to be given a prison sentence, I'd rather stay in prison than walk free tomorrow a liar and a coward."
When was Trevor Reed released?
On April 27, 2022, Reed was brought back home after a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US.
According to The Associated Press, a senior US official, the trade for the Marine veteran was made in exchange for convicted Russian drug trafficker, Konstantin Yaroshenko, serving a long prison sentence in America.
President Joe Biden said in a statement on the morning of Wednesday, April 27, 2022: "Negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly.
"I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence.
"And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom."
Reed's family released a statement following the news he was being released.
The family said: "Our family has been living a nightmare. Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States."
What has Vladimir Putin said about Reed?
In 2021, Russian President Putin called Reed “just a drunk” and “a troublemaker,” in a rare acknowledgment of the imprisoned Texan’s case in advance of his summit with President Biden in Geneva.
Putin also suggested that Reed was lucky to be in a Russian prison because if he’d attacked a cop in the United States, “he would have been shot dead on that spot."
“Among other things, he, he hit a cop. It’s, it’s nothing. It’s just a common crime. There is nothing to it.”
Where is Trevor Reed now?
Reed was able to return home from Russia after US officials determined he was wrongfully detained in April 2022.
Concern for the US Marine seemed to settle down until July 2023, when he was injured while fighting for Ukraine, per .
He was injured after he stepped on a landmine, reported.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Reed was evacuated from the country because of the injuries and is being treated in a German hospital.
He is expected to make a full recovery.