Two Americans held by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have been swapped for an Afghan imprisoned in the United States on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

The news comes after the release of Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McEntee. Khan Mohammad, an Afghan national, is serving a life sentence in a federal prison in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

A statement from the Taliban government in Kabul announced the deal, which was struck before the end of President Joe Biden’s term.

Mr Corbett’s release was confirmed by his family. US media quoted official sources as saying that McEntee was the second American.

The deal, reportedly the culmination of two years of negotiations, was completed before Joe Biden handed power to Donald Trump on Monday.

“An Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammad, imprisoned in the United States has been released in exchange for American citizenship and return to the country,” the Taliban’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ryan Corbett’s family thanks both governments and Qatar for the important role they have played.

“Today, our hearts are filled with endless gratitude and praise to God for keeping Ryan alive and bringing him home after 894 of the most challenging and uncertain days of our lives,” the family said .

Mr. Corbett, who had lived with his family in Afghanistan for many years, was detained by the Taliban when he returned from a business trip more than two years ago.

Details about Mr McEntee are sparse and his family has asked for privacy.

Khan Mohammad was a Taliban member who was captured in Afghanistan during a U.S. military campaign. he is Imprisoned in 2008. Joe Biden commutes sentence before leaving office.

The Taliban called the exchange the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the United States and a “good example of problem-solving through dialogue.”

“The Islamic Emirate views positively the actions of the United States of America that contribute to the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,” the statement said.

The Taliban has not been officially recognized by any government since taking power in 2021.

While the move is unlikely to change relations between Kabul and Washington, more talks are likely – Two other Americans remain in Afghanistanbelieved to be Georges Griezmann and Mahmoud Habibie.

The Taliban are also seeking the release of an Afghan who is one of the few remaining prisoners at the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.

President Trump threatened at a rally in Washington on the eve of his inauguration that he would cut humanitarian aid to Afghanistan unless the Taliban returned military equipment seized after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.

an america Defense Department 2022 report estimates $7 billion worth of military equipment forgotten After U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan.