Nevada's two U.S. senators have shared their reactions to the U.S. conducting a prisoner swap to free basketball player Brittney Griner from Russia.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both Democrats, both shared statements via Twitter about the exchange.
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that Griner was released from a Russian prison and en route to the U.S.
Griner was convicted and sentenced to spend several years in a penal colony over a drug charge. The U.S. State Department considered her unlawfully detained.
In exchange, the federal government will release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been dubbed "the Merchant of Death." Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.
Cortez Masto said she was relieved that Griner would return safely after nine months of "unjust detention" and thanked the White House and State Department for their work.
"The U.S. must continue working to bring home all Americans who have been wrongly detained abroad," she said.
Sen. Jacky Rosen also said she was glad that Griner would be back home.
"We must continue fighting to bring back home Paul Whelan and all Americans wrongly detained abroad," Rosen said.
Whelan is a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless.
Biden said at Thursday's announcement that the White House would continue to negotiate for Whelan's release in good faith.
Whelan's brother Paul released a statement saying he was also glad for Griner's release and did not fault the U.S. government for making the exchange.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.