The White House announced on Monday that an American citizen who had been held hostage in Yemen for the past 18 months has been successfully "recovered and reunited" with his family.
Danny Burch, a U.S. citizen, had been imprisoned in war torn Yemen for the past year and a half. His release marks the 20th American rescued from abroad by the Trump administration.
"It is my honor today to announce that Danny Burch, a United States citizen who has been held hostage in Yemen for 18 months, has been recovered and reunited with his wife and children," President Donald Trump said in a statement. "I appreciate the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home. Danny's recovery reflects the best of what the United States and its partners can accomplish."
The UAE is believed to have played a critical role in negotiating Burch's release, as well as the release of other Americans held captive in the Middle East.
"We work every day to bring Americans home," Trump said. "We maintain constant and intensive diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement cooperation within the United States Government and with our foreign partners. Recovering American hostages is a priority of my administration, and with Danny's release, we have now secured freedom for 20 American captives since my election victory. We will not rest as we continue our work to bring the remaining American hostages back home."