First, American B.G is on her way home. She was arrested for possession of cannabis oil nearly ten months ago. Sentenced to nine years to prison and sent to a penal colony in Russia. Her release was part of prisoner swap for international arms dealer V.B. The so-called merchant of death was serving a twenty-five years federal prison sentence in Illinois for conspiring to kill Americans and for supporting terrorism. Left out of deal, ex-Marine P.W imprisoned in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges.

These final details came together within just past four eight hours. US officials fear it could all fall apart and it wasn’t until very early this morning that officials here in Washington breathe a sigh of relief when B.G finally boarded a US plane. Gathered in the oval office, President B and B.G’s wife S spoke by phone with the Thirty-two years old basketball star once she had been handed over. Russian state media shows video of the swap on the tarmac at Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi. G and convicted arms dealer V.B walked towards each other and then headed to separated plane home. In Russian video filmed days earlier. G is seen signing what appears to be release forms. President B agreed last week last week to free B in order to bring G home. It follows months of public pressure from G’s fellow athletes and quiet contact between the CIA and Russia intelligence, who exchange messages between V.P’s Kremlin and Mr. B. Throughout the summer, B administration had tried to bring home both G and fifty-two-year-old P.W, a private corporate security contractor who had been imprisoned for four years on espionage charges, but Russia refused. P.W was also left behind in April when the B administration negotiated the release of marine veteran T.R. Today, a devastated W spoke by phone from a Russian penal colony. Meanwhile, G is enroute to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio where she will get evaluation.