Brittney Griner can be seen in a video landing on US soil after being released from Russian detention.
Brittney Griner can be seen in a video landing on US soil after being released from Russian detention. The moment WNBA player Brittney Griner landed in the United States after spending nine months in a Russian prison is captured on camera.
Around 5:30 a.m., Griner arrived in San Antonio, Texas. ET on Friday, according to CNN. The basketball player can be seen stepping out of the aircraft and walking alone across the tarmac in the video broadcast by several news outlets, including CNN and NBC News.
As soon as Griner arrived, US officials said she was “in terrific spirits and exceedingly kind,” according to CNN.
Griner’s traveling companion Roger Carstens, a representative of the State Department, tweeted on Friday morning: “So pleased to have Brittney back on US soil. Welcome home, BG!”
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In February, Griner was detained at a Moscow, Russia, airport for having cannabis oil in her luggage. Early in August, she was convicted guilty of narcotics smuggling and given a nine-year prison term in a Russian penal camp.
The US government said on Thursday that it has decided to swap Griner for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. This decision has drawn criticism from several Republican leaders, including former President Donald Trump.
Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death,” has been imprisoned in America for the past 12 years after being found guilty of planning to aid terrorists in killing Americans. In 2008, he was apprehended and detained in Thailand following a US Drug Enforcement Agency sting operation.
One of her first destinations after landing is anticipated to be “at a treatment facility where she may obtain the medical attention that she might need after ten months in prison,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN on Thursday.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, who persistently fought for the basketball player’s release, said in a speech beside President Joe Biden on Thursday at the White House that her family was finally complete.
According to the BBC, she added, “Thank you, everyone, for your support. Today is just a great day for my family and me, so I’m going to grin right now.
