Swidan was arrested and imprisoned in 2012 in China on allegations of drug trafficking and sentenced to death. Texans in Congress have advocated for Swidan’s release for years. Members of both parties have denounced the imprisonment as politically motivated.

A Houston man will return home this week after being detained in China for over a decade. Mark Swidan from Houston was involved in a prisoner swap between the United States and China that also led to the release of Kai Li and John Leungas,

Three American citizens who had been detained for years in China were released, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.