NewsNational News

Actions

Brittney Griner returns to the U.S. after 10 months in Russian custody

Brittney Griner
Posted at 7:24 AM, Dec 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-09 07:24:32-05

WNBA star Brittney Griner returned to the U.S. early Friday morning, arriving at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

Video captured her arrival at the San Antonio airport.

It was unclear who was on hand to greet Griner.

“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the White House’s special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

Griner spent 10 months in Russian custody after she was arrested for possessing cannabis oil at an airport. Griner maintains she was using the cannabis for medical purposes and had a prescription.

She was later convicted and sentenced to a nine-year prison term.

The Associated Press reported the deal was in exchange for Viktor Bout, an international arms dealer.

The Department of Justice accused Bout of conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles and over 20,000 AK-47s to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia.