WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Griner is now in the custody of American officials, a US official told CNN.

President Joe Biden is expected to speak at 8:30 a.m. ET, the White House said, though it did not immediately specify the topic.

The swap did not include another American that the State Department has declared wrongfully detained, Paul Whelan.

Both the Griner and Whelan families have been informed of Griner’s release, the source familiar with the matter said.

Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of death,” is a former Soviet military officer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to k*ll Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Moscow had slammed his sentencing in 2012 as “baseless and biased” and Bout has maintained he is innocent.

Griner – who, for years, had played in the off-season for a Russian women’s basketball team – had been detained since February, when she was arrested on drug smuggling charges at an airport in the Moscow region. Despite her testimony that she had inadvertently packed the cannabis oil that was found in her luggage, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in early August and was moved to a penal colony in the Mordovia republic in mid-November after losing her appeal.

Whelan, a US, Irish, British and Canadian citizen, was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges he has vehemently denied. Whelan had been carrying out his sentence at a different labor camp in Mordovia, an eight-hour drive from Moscow, where he told CNN in June 2021 he spent his days working in a clothing factory that he called a “sweatshop.”

I'm glad she's coming home, but did we really just trade her for a guy nicknamed The Merchant of death?

Seems like we lost on this one, all in the name of good liberal press.

Dark Brandon strikes again, for an octogenarian, I'm starting to fux with this n*gga......

But the real question is will n*ggas learn?

The Merchant of death

Waited to make sure black people would deliver the GA Senate before doing it. Glad she is home.. absolutely over punished. But probably could have given black folks a more tangible reward Dems.

Left the teacher guy over there as well

HipHopBible said I'm glad she's coming home, but did we really just trade her for a guy nicknamed The Merchant of death? Seems like we lost on this one, all in the name of good liberal press.

Major L, because shorty wanted to smuggle in a vape pen. Now she’s indebted to the government

It’s Brittney bi*ch!

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Dark Brandon strikes again

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SFamilyRep said Major L, because shorty wanted to smuggle in a vape pen. Now she’s indebted to the government

That vape pen became an issue for other issues. You’re right in the end though, if she knew better, she should do better.

I wouldn’t want to see anybody have to do that type of time of that type of crime though

HipHopBible said I'm glad she's coming home, but did we really just trade her for a guy nicknamed The Merchant of death? Seems like we lost on this one, all in the name of good liberal press.

you had no clue who that dude was...

theres more dangerous people in your local police department....



cho a*s up

SFamilyRep said Major L, because shorty wanted to smuggle in a vape pen. Now she’s indebted to the government

what debt does she have to the government?

Who is this man named Britney?

Once again Black folks happy,and we don’t give a fu*k who not. Y’all wouldn’t be so thirsty to make excuses for Taylor swift being locked up by some somali pirates and you know it. It would be “that’s an American, she will be brought home.” Besides the US probably just soleimani his a*s if he become a problem.

HipHopBible said I'm glad she's coming home, but did we really just trade her for a guy nicknamed The Merchant of death? Seems like we lost on this one, all in the name of good liberal press.

-He was scheduled to be released within 5-6 years anyway. So the plan would be to let him walk free while Griner is still in prison? Imagine the scenes when The US was forced to fly him back to Russia while Griner is still locked up for another 4 years. Imagine if Griner died or got really sick while in jail while that guy was in Russia chillen with Putin. That's just idiotic.

-His cover is blown. He has no real value to The Russians anymore. This is a public relations move for Putin. He was replaced the day he went to jail. You can't be a famous arms dealer, it just doesn't work.

-The Judge who sentenced him said she didn't feel like he should have got the 20+ year sentence but she had to do it because of the mandatory minimums.

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trading the merchant of death for a basketball dyke who smokes weed.

pippen33 said -He was scheduled to be released within 5-6 years anyway. So the plan would be to let him walk free while Griner is still in prison? Imagine the scenes when The US was forced to fly him back to Russia while Griner is still locked up for another 4 years. Imagine if Griner died or got really sick while in jail while that guy was in Russia chillen with Putin. That's just idiotic. -His cover is blown. He has no real value to The Russians anymore. This is a public relations move for Putin. He was replaced the day he went to jail. You can't be a famous arms dealer, it just doesn't work. -The Judge who sentenced him said she didn't feel like he should have got the 20+ year sentence but she had to do it because of the mandatory minimums. view image

I didn't know he was scheduled to be released in 5 or 6 years anyway. Glad you shared that info.

Everyone is making a big deal about this dude getting out for "a basketball player", talking about how he's the Lord Of War.

I saw that movie. I love that movie. and in the end of that movie, it's strikingly clear who the real Merchants of death are: the US military industrial complex.

I'm glad BG's free.

TheCompanyMan said I didn't know he was scheduled to be released in 5 or 6 years anyway. Glad you shared that info. Everyone is making a big deal about this dude getting out for "a basketball player", talking about how he's the Lord Of War. I saw that movie. I love that movie. and in the end of that movie, it's strikingly clear who the real Merchants of death are: the US military industrial complex. I'm glad BG's free.

The real BG is in prison.

This dyke is on her way home tho.

Don’t disrespect the HB like that.

cali22buck said The real BG is in prison. This dyke is on her way home tho. Don’t disrespect the HB like that.

You right. My bad.

This is the guy from the Nick Cage movie yeah?

The fake outrage is hilarious

People don’t care about Paul Whelan. People don’t know sh*t about the arms dealer. People don’t know sh*t about the negotiations that took place.

Literally just people saying words because Twitter is free. Thank God I was born in the 90s and didn’t grow up with the internet as my sole method of thinking

I know that alledged spy they tried to get back mad af

I mean, we got a WNBA player and they got a fu*king arns dealer, but BX Hoteps will still say Biden does nothing for black people, even though Brittany got picked over the other guy who's been in there longer.

Paul Whelan’s family can’t be surprised. Ain’t no way in hell the Biden administration was bringing home a white man and leaving a black, lesbian basketball “star” behind.

killahkazi said I mean, we got a WNBA player and they got a fu*king arns dealer, but BX Hoteps will still say Biden does nothing for black people, even though Brittany got picked over the other guy who's been in there longer.

She got picked because she's black and they hope this will boost voting for the dem side