From the Office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski:
Senator has continued to push for his release since his arrest on December 3, 2009 in Havana
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today heralded the release of Marylander Alan Gross from his imprisonment in Cuba since December 3, 2009.
“I was so pleased to be at Andrews AFB this morning to welcome Alan Gross as he touched ground back in the United States of America. ?I am so honored to be part of his first day back home in five years. Today is a new day and a monumental breakthrough.
“Last night I got the call from Vice President Biden that Alan Gross will be coming home after so many years of imprisonment by the Cuban government, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I am so honored and want to thank all those who helped make this happen.
“During his long imprisonment, Alan’s health deteriorated. He suffered tremendously. His wife Judy and two daughters fought every single day for his release. Today that ends and Alan is free.
“I applaud his release and hope that he can finally get the care and assistance he so desperately needs. I am looking forward to learning more details when the President speaks this afternoon.”
Since his imprisonment in 2009, Senator Mikulski has continued to call for his immediate and unconditional release. Since his imprisonment in 2009, Senator Mikulski has continued to call for his immediate and unconditional release. In March, she wrote (available here) to President Obama calling for the administration to redouble their efforts to secure the release of Mr. Gross ahead of the President’s trip to the Vatican. On the third anniversary of his imprisonment in 2012, Senator Mikulski lead bipartisan Senators in introducing a resolution (available here) calling for his release. In 2011, Senator Mikulski joined a bipartisan group of Senators sending a letter (available here) directly to the Cuban government calling Alan Gross’ continued incarceration a ‘major setback in bilateral relations.’
She has stayed directly in touch with Mrs. Gross and the Gross family, and has called for ‘whatever steps necessary’ to secure his release.
Alan Gross was arrested on December 3, 2009. He was held for 14 months without being charged with a crime. After a two-day trial, he was given a 15-year prison sentence by Cuban authorities for facilitating communications between Cuba’s Jewish community and the rest of the world. Mr. Gross was in Cuba working as a sub-contractor for the United States Agency for International Development, helping a small, peaceful, non-dissident community. He was doing the type of work he had done his whole career in international development – helping others in need.
A 65-year-old husband and father, Mr. Gross has lost a significant amount of weight since his arrest and suffers from severe degenerative arthritis that affects his mobility, as well as other health problems. Members of his family have also faced serious illnesses during this time.
Good to have our spy back, but we swapped too many spies in order to get him. Senator, could you possibly try harder to pat yourself on the back? I trust you were as interested in freeing our U.S. Marine from that prison on Mexico.
What Marine. I only know of the mentally ill guy who broke the law going into Mexico despite the big signs at the border!
Apparently you have the same comment as the president and babs. Ever heard of PTSD and being a military member. When you getting your plane ticket to Cuba. I’m sure if Obama is thinking rhat the world is not such a bad place.
Was this Marine on official buisness when he broke the law in Mexico? No, Alan Gross was! Was Tamoressie held for even 1/10th the time of Alan Gross? NO! Was the sgt. A constituents of the Senator? No but Gross is!
Bottom line is the former Sgt. Suffers from a mental disorder and broke the law in Mexico, lied about his whereabouts and got caught. Tell me if a mentally ill Iranian army officer showed up at our border with a bunch of arms and lied about his previous visits should we let him go?
But she claims to be a big veteran supporter. So she seems to forget that. Also, a military member is IN the military as a reservist. Same uniform, same training. I’m sure Kerry would agree, but he protested and his liberal beliefs are evident. Can’t be seen with a marine
The point is one was taken hostage as a political prisioner while in service of his country. The other was not and breaking the law of the other country. His congressman advocated for him as he should. Gross is a MArylander and as such Babs has been advocating for his release for his 5 year incarceration which is much longer than the liar that is the other one.
You overlook the fact, cdev, that Mr. Gross’ “official business” was considered by the Cuban government to be the same as espionage, in that Mr. Gross was trying to circumvent the clamps imposed on Internet access by the communist oppressors in Havana. Do I support Havana in this? Not just no, but *&$% no. But it needs to be kept in mind that Mr. Gross was considered by the Cuban government to be a criminal, just as much as the Mexicans considered Sgt. Tahmooressi a criminal. When it comes to Mr. Gross, it is well to remember the words of that famous cartoon superhero Super Chicken to his hapless sidekick: “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.” Mr. Gross, protestations aside, should have known the same. I’m glad he’s home. But I have to agree that once again, the US came out on the short end of a spy swap.
Made my heart sick reading this. Glad gross is back and seeing the swift boat commander, who, allegedly, return his medals, sitting on s couch watching Obama make another bad decision. When is the president going to stand up for our values and stop selling put the country. This truly is a national tradegy and I didn’t defend freedom to have us give away the store. The U.S. marine, in Mexico, didn’t get the due respect. Guess the liberals, babs, only pays lip service to veterans.
The marine is an American invader with arms in a foreign country and is jailed by due process. Same thing with Mexican illegals in the USA. What part of illegal don’t you understand????
Sounds like another country we’ll be sending trillions of $ in foreign aid to.
Trillions in aid??? Aren’t you a bit over the top? Cuba hasn’t received a penny either!! Maybe Israel can start paying back some of the billions we give them yearly…
The Majority of Aid that Israel gets is spent for military.
The aid is American taxpayer $$$ regardless of how it is spent.
Cuba has been getting between 15 and 20 million each year. click on the cuba and see for yourself.
https://eads.usaid.gov/gbk/data/aid_by_country.cfm
Is this aid for the Guantanamo Base lease? I don’t think it is direct aid or loans to the Cuban Government. Thanks for posting the link, but it isn’t real clear in explaining the type of aid, grants, loans or if private or government $$$ are involved.
BC, you should change your name to BS:
No direct aid has been given to Cuba only to American interests in Cuba to support American interests and objectives, see the article for yourself!!!
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/mar/23/ted-poe/ted-poe-decries-us-aid-venezuela-cuba/
What you got to say now???
My sentiments exactly. ^^^^^^^^^^
I sure hope the congress blocks the nomination and funding of an embassy in Cuba. Obama needs to start thinking like a president instead of a king.
The embassy was already funded in the last bill. We have lots of countries with no ambassador and a perfectly functioning embassy!
It’s a shame that we couldn’t have traded ,her for him!