Taliban swaps U.S. veteran for drug lord

The Biden administration Monday traded Bashir Noorzai, a drug lord and member of the Taliban, for Mark Frerichs, a Navy veteran and civilian contractor. Frerichs’ family said he was held in Afghanistan for more than two years, and they worked with two administrations for his release. Frerichs, 60, had been working in Afghanistan for a decade on development projects before being abducted in February 2020. An unnamed U.S. official confirmed the swap. 

Who is Noorzai? The United States detained Noorzai on suspicion of smuggling in 2005. The government accused him of smuggling $50 million worth of heroin into the U.S. and Europe, giving him a life sentence. His lawyer denied the charges. The Taliban demanded Noorzai in exchange for Frerichs even before it took over in 2021. 

Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger’s report in WORLD magazine on Afghan allies waiting for U.S. help.