List of Americans wrongfully imprisoned or detained abroad

This list encompasses Americans imprisoned or wrongfully detained abroad by state and non-state actors and includes both citizens of the United States and legal permanent residents. It consists of individuals who have been wrongfully detained through various channels, including criminal conviction, hostage diplomacy, and kidnapping. It does not include prisoners of war or war-time kidnappings.
Since 2015, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs leads and coordinates activities across the Executive Branch to bring home Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained in foreign countries. Non-governmental organizations that advocate for the return of Americans wrongfully detained abroad include the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the James Foley Legacy Foundation, and the Bring Our Families Home Campaign.

Africa

Egypt

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 5 July 2020		An Egyptian-American dual-citizen and New Jersey medical student who was arrested in Tahrir Square during a protest advocating for the release of falsely imprisoned people in Egypt.
		Released 3 May 2020		An Egyptian-American dual-citizen schoolteacher, she was detained for her Facebook page critical of the Egyptian president.
		Released 21 April 2017		An Egyptian-American dual-citizen and humanitarian, who ran an NGO focused on helping homeless children. During a government crackdown on NGOs, she was arrested on charges of child abuse without evidence and later found innocent by an Egyptian court.
		Deceased while in detention		An auto parts dealer and cab driver in New York who travelled to Egypt to visit family in 2013. He was arrested by security forces while shopping the night before he was scheduled to fly back to the U.S., during a crackdown on dissidents during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. in 2020 he died of heart failure caused by a myriad of medical conditions and inhumane treatment whilst being detained.

Libya

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 19 May 2011		A journalist who was kidnapped along with James Foley, beaten repeatedly, and released along with Spanish journalists in Tripoli.

Mozambique

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 5 October 2023		Ryan was a missionary pilot, arrested trying to fly supplies to an orphanage in northern Mozambique and was held without charges or bail. He was provisionally released but forbidden from leaving country on 15 March 2023.

Rwanda

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 25 March 2023		Arrested on charges of terrorism, arson, kidnap and "murder perpetrated against unarmed, innocent Rwandan civilians on Rwandan territory." At the time of his detention, Paul was a US Green Card holder.

Somalia

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 25 January 2012		A humanitarian aid worker, who was involved in a demining project with a Danish aid group, was kidnapped by Somali pirates in Galkayo who demanded the U.S. government pay a $45 million ransom. She was rescued, along with a Danish captive, in a raid by US Navy SEALs where nine of the pirates were killed.
		Released 22 September 2014		Journalist and novelist, he was in Somalia researching a book on Somali pirates Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting when he was abducted by a local gang of pirates and held for ransom.

Asia

Afghanistan

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 28 September 2025	~	A U.S. citizen, detained and imprisoned by the Taliban, was released after months of negotiations facilitated by representatives of Qatar.
		Released 20 January 2025		Worked for an education-focused NGO and was detained by the Taliban in Kabul.
		Released 19 September 2022		Kidnapped by the Haqqani network while working as an engineering contractor.
		Released 20 March 2025		Detained by the Taliban while on a cultural and archeological visit to Afghanistan, he was kept in solitary confinement and periodically tortured.
		Detained		Detained while working as a contractor for a telecommunications company.
		Released 20 November 2019		A professor at the American University of Afghanistan who was abducted by the Haqqani network, along with an Australian professor, in retaliation for the detention of Anas Haqqani.
		Detained		An author, last seen in Khost when he was on his way to Waziristan in Pakistan to interview Sirajuddin Haqqani. He is believed to have been taken by the Taliban, the Haqqani Network or an affiliated group. Journalist and former U.S. hostage David Rodhe noted that Overby is still in captivity.
		Released 19 June 2009		A New York Times journalist who was kidnapped by the Taliban while doing research for a book. He was moved to a Taliban compound near the border with Pakistan and later escaped.
		Released 20 December 2022		Independent filmmaker and journalist held by the Taliban.

Cambodia

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained	~	Cambodian-American human rights lawyer arrested for supporting democratic reforms and sentenced to six years in prison for treason in a mass-trial.

China

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 17 September 2025		A Chinese-born U.S. Citizen who lives in Atlanta, Ms. Chenyue works as an executive at Wells Fargo. She was prevented from returning to the U.S. without explanation.
		Released 27 November 2024		Detained for espionage after flying into Shanghai in relation to a U.S.-based export business he had started.
	2006	Released 16 September 2024	5844	Detained while establishing a missionary training school in Beijing, later charged with fraud and sentenced to life in prison.
		27 November 2024		Detained on a drug charge during a photography trip to China and sentenced to death in 2018.

Iran

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained		A U.S. Green Card holder, who moved to the U.S. in 2016 after retiring as a commercial shipping captain, was arrested in 2016 after returning to Iran for his father's funeral and charged with espionage.
		Released 16 January 2016		A former U.S. Marine from Arizona, he was arrested on charges of spying for the CIA and sentenced to death in 2012. His sentence was overturned and a retrail ordered, and he was later freed in a prisoner exchange. Amir successfully sued Iran for wrongful detention in 2017.
		Deceased while in detention		Former DEA and FBI agent who disappeared in Iran and was presumed wrongfully detained by the Iranian government or other state-sponsored actors. He was declared dead in absentia in 2020, and his disappearance resulted in a shift in U.S. policy around hostage-taking.
		Released 5 October 2022		A former diplomat working for UNICEF, he was detained on charges of espionage after he travelled to Iran to visit his son, Siamak Namazi, who was also wrongfully detained in Iran at the time.
		Released 18 September 2023		Detained on charges of espionage and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
		Released 18 September 2023		Detained on charges of espionage and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2021 after having been previously cleared of all charges in 2019.
		Released 18 September 2023		An environmentalist and co-founder of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tahbaz was arrested in Iran along with other PWHF members who were accused of being Israeli spies.
		Released 4 June 2020		A U.S. Navy veteran who travelled to the Iranian city of Mashhad to meet his girlfriend, and was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for "sharing a private photograph" and "insulting the supreme leader." He has later released to the Swiss embassy and returned to the U.S. shortly thereafter. He has filed a $1 Billion lawsuit against Iran in relation to his wrongful detention.

Japan

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 12 January 2024		A United States Navy lieutenant involved in a car crash resulting in the deaths of two Japanese citizens, he was found guilty of negligent driving and sentenced to three years imprisonment. His case caused tension between the U.S. and Japan, particularly surrounding the exclusion of critical defense evidence and lack of basic due process. He was later transferred to U.S. custody and released.

Lebanon

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 4 December 1991		A former U.S. Marine and journalist for the Associated Press, he was kidnapped by the Islamic Jihad Organization after a game of tennis with a friend on his day off.
		Deceased as a result of detention		Lebanese-American restaurateur who was kidnapped by Hezbollah while visiting Beirut, later charged with a decades-old murder and finally released in March 2020. He developed late-stage Epstein Barr Virus related lymphoma while detained and died in August 2020.

Pakistan

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Deceased while in detention		USAID consultant working for an NGO, he was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda and was accidentally killed in a drone strike on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Israel

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim		Released 27 November 2025	284	A teenage Palestinian-American boy arrested by the Israeli military from his family home north of Ramallah. His relatives say that an interrogation video shows Ibrahim denying allegations of throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles. He was released on November 27, 2025.

Syria

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Deceased while in detention		A journalist during the Syrian Civil War, he was abducted by ISIS and later murdered by decapitation in August 2014. His wrongful detention and death led to his family founding the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, the most prominent advocacy group for American hostages and wrongful detainees.
		Deceased while in detention		A psychotherapist, he was running a nonprofit in Lebanon helping refugees deal with trauma when he drove to Syria in mid-February 2017 to visit a relative who had cancer. Once in Damascus, he called his wife to tell her that he had arrived safely. After that, the family never heard from him again. It was widely reported that he died while wrongfully detained in May 2024.
		Deceased while in detention		A humanitarian aid worker with Doctors Without Borders who was kidnapped in Aleppo and later killed.
		Detained		An American freelance journalist and a veteran U.S. Marine Corps officer who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria on August 13, 2012. He is the longest-held American journalist.
		Released 8 December 2024		Last seen in Budapest, he travelled to Syria via Lebanon on a Christian pilgrimage and was detained at the border. He was discovered by locals in a suburb of Damascus wandering barefoot during the Fall of the Assad regime.

United Arab Emirates

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained	~	A former Pepsi executive, he was hired as a CEO of a real estate company in Dubai. During a business meeting he was kidnapped, tortured, and forced to sign confessions for myriad crimes including, bribery, embezzlement, and fraud. He was sentenced to 47 years in prison and designated 'arbitrarily detained' by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2022.

Europe

Denmark

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained		A college student traveling in Europe for spring break when he were attacked by a disgruntled Uber driver in Denmark. Arrested at the airport by Danish police for assault and spent 2.5 weeks in prison before being released on bail, but is prevented from leaving Denmark despite not being charged.

Italy

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 3 October 2011		Arrested in Italy and wrongfully convicted for the murder of Meredith Kercher, she was acquitted by the Supreme Court of Italy.

Russia

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained		He was detained in Russia on accusations of child abuse he allegedly committed while living in Texas, but which were unfounded according to Texas law enforcement. He was sentenced to 21 years in a labor camp.
		Detained		A U.S. soldier who was arrested after an argument with his girlfriend over $113 and sentenced to four years in prison.
		Released 13 November 2020		A businessman from Wisconsin, Calvey had spent decades helping to create large technology companies, like Yandex, by building and growing investment firms in Russia. He because involved in a commercial dispute with another finance company, the managers of which fabricated a fraud case against Calvey and ordered his arrest. He was detained in prison, and later under house arrest, until his release in 2020.
		Released 11 February 2025		A teacher working at an English language school, he was arrested entering Russia with medical marijuana for which he had a valid prescription and entry clearance.
		Released 1 August 2024		A journalist for the Wall Street Journal, he was arrested on his way to meet a fellow reporter for dinner and charged with espionage. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison during a secret trial, but was later released as part of the 2024 Russian prisoner exchange.
		Detained		A former U.S. Marine, who taught English in Poland, was transiting Russia on his way to Moldova when he became ill and was arrested for assault of a police officer and was later tortured in prison and charged with additional crimes.
		Released 8 December 2022		A WNBA player and Olympic gold medalist, she was detained for possession of <1g of hashish oil for which she had a medical prescription. She was released as part of the Viktor Bout–Brittney Griner prisoner exchange.
		Detained		A 73-year-old retiree and English teacher living in Ukraine with his wife, was arrested and accused of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine and sentenced to 6.5 years in prison where he has been tortured and beaten.
		Released 10 April 2025		A Russian-American ballet dancer who was arrested for treason after donating $51.80 to a charity supporting Ukraine. She was released in a prisoner exchange on April 10, 2025.
		Detained		He was arrested during a layover in Moscow for illegal possession of a firearm, which was properly stowed in his luggage.
		Released 8 December 2022		An English language teacher since 2017, she was attacked by her roommate and arrested for using a knife to defend herself. She was released in the Viktor Bout–Brittney Griner prisoner exchange.
		Released 1 August 2024		A journalist working for Radio Free Europe was arrested for failing to register as a foreign agent, and later released as part of the 2024 Russian prisoner exchange.
		Detained		A former paratrooper who spent 10 years in Russia teaching English and fronting for two Russia rock bands before he was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
		Detained		A U.S./Russian dual citizen, he was arrested while visiting Russia for social media posts he had made previously which were critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was charged with "rehabilitation of Nazism" and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
		Released 27 April 2022		A former U.S. Marine who was detained at the request of friends while intoxicated, and later charged with assaulting police officers and espionage. After his release he traveled to fight against Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
		Detained		A businessman whose company manufactured medical supplies, he was arrested for bribery and later charged with espionage.
		Detained		Arrested for intent to distribute marijuana, sentenced to 11 years to a labor camp.
		Released 1 August 2024		A former U.S. Marine who was framed by a longtime friend for espionage during a trip to Moscow while visiting for a wedding. He was released as part of the 2024 Russian prisoner exchange.
		Detained		A musician working on a motion picture soundtrack on location in Russia, he was kidnapped and forced to sign a confession for indecent exposure.
		Detained		Adopted by U.S. parents as a child, he returned to Russia to find his birth mother and taught English while living in Russia. He was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and manufacture.

North America

Cuba

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained	~	A schoolteacher arrested for espionage, because her husband worked for the U.N., sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Turks and Caicos

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 24 April 2024		A 72-year-old tourist with terminal cancer visited the country to renew his vows with his wife, and was arrested while trying to return to the U.S. for possessing seven loose rounds of ammunition in his luggage. He was detained in the country and allowed to return to the U.S. due to his medical condition and after paying a $20,000 bond.
		Released 20 July 2024		A grandmother on a surprise vacation who was arrested trying to leave the country with two rounds of ammunition found in her luggage. She was chained to a chair in a cold, damp jail cell for a number of days and was released after a coordinated effort of U.S. media publicity and the intervention of members of the U.S. Congress.
		Released 25 May 2024		A tourist arrested for possessing twenty rounds of ammunition is his luggage. He was detained in the country, along with other Americans in similar circumstances, and faced a 12-year prison setence under the country's strict firearms laws. He was released after a coordinated effort of U.S. media publicity and the intervention of members of the U.S. Congress.
		Released 23 June 2024		A tourist arrested while trying to return to the U.S. for possessing four loose rounds of ammunition in the lining of his luggage. He was detained in the country, along with other Americans in similar circumstances, and faced a 12-year prison setence under the country's strict firearms laws. He was released after a coordinated effort of U.S. media publicity and the intervention of members of the U.S. Congress.
		Released 28 May 2024		A 911 operator who was vacationing on a cruise ship which stopped in Turks and Caicos. He was arrested for possession of 2 rounds of 9mm ammunition and spent three weeks in jail and fined $9,000 before being released after a coordinated effort of U.S. media publicity and the intervention of members of the U.S. Congress.

Oceania

New Zealand

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Detained		Hired as an English/Spanish translator, he was arrested in connection with a Mexican cartel-linked cocaine smuggling operation and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

South America

Chile

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 11 August 2025		A 19-year-old social media influencer, who was flying solo to all seven continents with the goal of raising $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, experienced engine trouble in bad weather and made an emergency landing at a Chilean airstrip in Antarctica on June 28, 2025, where he was arrested and charged with illegally landing in Chilean territory. Guo was detained in a military base where he was confined indoors, fed meager rations, and given only limited communication with the outside world until he agreed to donate $30,000 to a Chilean cancer charity in order to secure his release.

Venezuela

Name	Detained	Status	Days in detention	Reason for detention
		Released 21 December 2023		Former Green Beret arrested for involvement in a beach landing to overthrow the government.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.
		Released 21 December 2023		Former Green Beret arrested for involvement in a beach landing to overthrow the government.
		Released 31 January 2025		A 64-year-old father of 5 from New Jersey, living part time in Ecuador and traveling to visit friends. He was detained while applying for a tourist visa and taken by Venezuelan authorities across the border from Columbia and subjected to intense physical and psychological torture. Released as part of a group of six Americans after a visit by special presidential envoy Richard Grenell to meet with Nicolas Maduro.
		Released 31 January 2025		A nurse from Florida traveling for 3 weeks with his fiancee who is a Venezuelan citizen. They were detained while applying for a tourist visa and taken by Venezuelan authorities across the border from Columbia and subjected to intsnese physical and psychological torture. Released as part of a group of six Americans after a visit by special presidential envoy Richard Grenell to meet with Nicolas Maduro. After his release, he returned to Columbia to be with the family of his fiancee who remains detained.
		Released 1 October 2022		A decorated US Marine veteran, he was arrested in Columbia for arms trafficking after authorities discovered two handgun magazines. He was released but was arrested in Venezuela for arms trafficking and espionage.
		Released December 21, 2023		A Salvadoran-American lawyer working as an L.A. Public Defender, he was arrested by Venezuelan military agents near the border during a trip with a friend who was travelling to Venezuela.
		Released 18 July 2025		A tourist on a windsurfing trip to Colombia who was taken across the border into Venezuela after reportedly approaching an unmarked border crossing. Released with 10 other Americans in a prisoner swap.
		Released 13 January 2026		Son of famous singer Diane Luckey (Q Lazzarus), he was traveling Latin America following the death of his parents, researching gold mining practices in the Amazon rainforest in Guyana. He was planning to fly out of Caracas when he was reportedly taken by Venezuelan authorities. He was later released along with other U.S. citizens on January 13, 2026.
		Released 18 July 2025		A Peruvian-American, he traveled to Venezuela to meet with family, and was detained and charged with terrorism and conspiring to assassinate Nicolás Maduro. He was beaten and tortured in prison before being released in a prisoner exchange.
		Detained		A Cuban-American, and Florida resident, he travelled to Caracas for his wedding to his Venezuelan fiancée, and was detained in Güiria.
		Released 1 January 2026		A Venezuelan Americans and son of actress Rhoda Torres, he was arrested in Venezuela and accused of being an American spy. He was later released along with at least 80 other prisoners on January 1, 2026.
		Released 18 July 2025		A U.S. Navy SEAL who was traveling with friends as a tourist, he was arrested with other U.S. citizens and accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Released with 10 other Americans in a prisoner swap.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.
		Released May 20, 2025		An Air Force veteran, who served four tours in Afghanistan, was traveling in the region in relation to PTSD treatment. After vanishing for several months it was revealed in February 2025 that Joseph was wrongfully detained in Venezuela.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.
		Released 31 January 2025		A 62-year-old software developer on a backpacking and hiking trip. He was detained at an airport, along with his Venezuelan girlfriend, and taken to Caracas where he was subjected to intense phsyical and psychological torture. Released as part of a group of six Americans after a visit by special presidential envoy Richard Grenell to meet with Nicolas Maduro.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.
		Released March 9, 2022		Arrested for corruption charges and detained among the Citgo Six.