Former hostage thanks Trump upon release after years of detention in Kuwait

Tony Holden, an American defence contractor, is thanking President Donald Trump aft gaining his state from detention successful Kuwait. In a video successful which Holden was surrounded by loved ones, helium expressed his gratitude to the president.

"I wanted you to beryllium capable to meditate connected however you’ve affected, personally, lives and the quality that you’ve made," a visibly affectional Holden said. He called the squad down the efforts to bring him location "instruments" of God.

Adam Boehler, the Trump administration's apical envoy for hostage affairs, left, greets subject contractor Tony Holden, who was precocious released from Kuwait, astatine Washington Dulles International Airport, successful Chantilly, Virginia, connected Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (U.S. State Dept. via AP)

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In November 2022, Holden was arrested portion moving astatine Camp Arifjan, a U.S. Army basal successful Kuwait, nether Vectrus, a U.S.-based company. Holden’s household described the ordeal connected a website dedicated to securing his release.

According to his family, the men who arrested Holden "became convulsive truthful rapidly that Tony thought helium was being kidnapped." They past forced him to pb them to his flat connected basal wherever they searched for "drugs." However, Holden’s household and supporters said helium abstains from drugs and intoxicant for spiritual reasons. Once the men realized Holden had a woman and daughter, they forced him to instrumentality them to wherever his household lived disconnected base. The men reportedly bushed Holden aggregate times during the incident.

Tony Holden stands with loved ones arsenic helium acknowledgment President Trump for securing his merchandise from Kuwait prison. (@SebGorka/X)

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After searching the 2nd off-base flat and not uncovering drugs, the men took Holden, on with his woman and 3-year-old daughter, into the godforsaken successful the mediate of the night. According to Holden’s family, the men "physically threatened" his woman and daughter. The household said Holden was aboriginal "coerced into signing a written confession successful Arabic to support his family." They past administered a cause trial connected Holden, which came backmost negative, but the defence contractor was inactive charged with cause possession, cause trafficking and attempting to fly the country. His household said Holden was not fixed ineligible representation.

The justice successful Holden’s proceedings yet realized that the lawsuit was false, arsenic the officers presented a fabricated speech betwixt themselves and Holden successful English, adjacent though they didn’t talk the language. Despite this, Holden was sentenced to 5 years successful prison, wherever helium remained adjacent aft an interior constabulary probe recovered that his confession had been coerced, according to his family.

Holden spent 903 days successful Kuwaiti detention until helium was released connected Wednesday, April 30.

President Donald Trump welcomes Marc Fogel backmost to the United Stated aft being released from Russian custody, astatine the White House connected Feb. 11, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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In his archetypal 100 days successful office, Trump secured the merchandise of dozens of Americans held hostage crossed the globe, including Keith Siegel, who was taken hostage by Hamas connected Oct. 7, and Marc Fogel, an American teacher taken captive successful Russia. Siegel and Fogel some thanked Trump for securing their respective releases. Fogel and his parent were guests astatine Trump’s code to a associated league of Congress successful aboriginal March.

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the State Department for remark connected this report, but did not get an reply successful clip for publication.