Watch the moment Dennis Coyle reunites with his family after returning home
Colorado researcher Dennis Coyle spent more than a year as a Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan.
American Dennis Coyle returned to U.S. soil a day after being freed by the Afghan Taliban after more than a year in captivity.
Coyle, a Colorado researcher who was captured in January 2025 while in Afghanistan studying a language, was greeted at sunrise on March 25 at Joint Base San Antonio by cheers and hugs from loved ones, including his mother and sisters.
The Taliban announced the decision to release Coyle following his mother’s request and after the Supreme Court “determined that the period of detention was sufficient.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 24 that Coyle’s release was a “positive” step by the Taliban, but that the group should stop engaging in “hostage diplomacy.” In early March, the United States declared Afghanistan a state sponsor of illegal detention and called on the Taliban to release Coyle and other hostages.
Coyle’s family thanked President Donald Trump, Rubio and other officials for securing Coyle’s release.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to the God who sustained Dennis’ life and brought him home after 421 of the most difficult and uncertain days of our lives,” Coyle’s family said in a statement to the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Contributor: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY. Zach Hillstrom, Pueblo chief; Reuters
