Two Americans held by the Taliban were released on Tuesday in a prisoner exchange for Khan Mohammed, a Taliban member who had been serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison.
The freed Americans were identified as Ryan Corbett, a businessman abducted in Afghanistan in August 2022, and William McKenty. While details about McKenty’s capture remain unclear, both men were held for over a year.
Mohammed, 55, was convicted in 2008 for trafficking heroin and opium to support attacks on U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He was transferred to Doha, Qatar, for the exchange, with Qatar facilitating the negotiations and logistics.
The deal was negotiated in the final hours of President Joe Biden’s administration and finalized after Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Biden’s special envoy for hostage affairs, Ambassador Roger Carstens, oversaw the negotiations and accompanied Mohammed during the transfer.
The Taliban called the deal a success and a step toward improved relations with the United States.
While the swap secured the freedom of Corbett and McKenty, other Americans remain in Taliban custody, including George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi. Their families expressed frustration and urged the Trump administration to prioritize their release.
