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.

Three Americans have been released after spending years imprisoned in China, the White House said Wednesday. Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung were released and would soon "return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,

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,