Two Americans Freed in U.S.-Taliban Prisoner Exchange

Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released in exchange for Taliban figure Khan Mohammed, convicted of narco-terrorism, in a deal brokered by the outgoing Biden administration.

The Biden administration secured the release of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, two Americans held by the Taliban, in its final days in office.
The prisoner swap involved Khan Mohammed, a Taliban member convicted in 2008 of narco-terrorism and aiding attacks on U.S. forces, who was serving a life sentence in California.
Corbett, a businessman with long ties to Afghanistan, had been detained by the Taliban since 2022, while McKenty's circumstances remain largely undisclosed.
The exchange, facilitated with the assistance of Qatar, leaves two other Americans—George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi—still in Taliban custody, with their families urging further action.
The Taliban hailed the deal as progress toward better U.S.-Afghanistan relations, though international recognition of their government remains elusive.