Marc Fogel Has Been Released From Russia — Why Did He Go There in the First Place?

After weeks of negotiations, American schoolteacher Marc Fogel was freed from Russian custody on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. He had been in Russia since August 2021, when he was stopped at customs and officials found half an ounce of medical marijuana in his luggage.

Marc was soon convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 14 years in prison. However, as stated before, he has since left Russia and returned to the United States.

While his release brings relief, many are left wondering: Why did Marc Fogel go to Russia in the first place? Here's what you need to know.

Throughout their teaching careers, Marc Fogel and his wife Jane taught at international schools in Colombia, Malaysia, Oman, Mexico, and Venezuela. Since 2012, the couple had lived and worked in Russia, teaching primarily to the children of diplomats at the Anglo-American School of Moscow.

Over the years, Marc and Jane frequently traveled to and from Russia as part of their jobs at the private international school. But in August 2021, as the two prepared for what they intended to be their final year teaching there, their trip took a drastic turn.

Upon entering Russia, Marc was arrested and accused of drug smuggling after authorities discovered less than an ounce of cannabis in his luggage (the substance was prescribed to him in the United States to treat his chronic back pain.

Up until a year before his arrest, Marc, like all of the other teachers at the Anglo-American School, had diplomatic immunity. But, as tensions between the U.S. and Russia started to escalate further, that protection was stripped away from educators.

To make matters worse, in 2022, Russia shut down the Anglo-American School and seized its property, further complicating Marc's situation.

As mentioned earlier, Marc Fogel's wife, Jane Fogel, is also a teacher. Throughout her own career, she also taught at several international schools around the world — including the Anglo-American School in Moscow, where she worked alongside Marc.

Although Jane has largely stayed out of the public eye, keeping details of her personal life more private than Marc's, she has been a vocal supporter of her husband throughout his ordeal. She consistently expressed her desire to see him return home to the United States, where she and their two sons, Ethan and Sam, were waiting for his safe return.

Luckily, Jane's long-held wish has come true. After more than three years in prison, Marc was released and is now back on American soil.

In a statement to CBS News, Jane, along with their sons Ethan and Sam, shared their relief and gratitude: "We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home. Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs. This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal."