Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released from detention, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

Three American men held for years in Chinese prisons have been released in a holiday prisoner swap just in time for Thanksgiving.

Three Americans who had been detained in China for years have been released in a prisoner swap between Washington and Beijing.

The Americans freed from China are Mark Swidan, a businessman from Texas, who was arrested in 2012 and accused of drug related offenses; Kai Li, who had been held since 2016 on espionage charges; and John Leung, who had residency in Hong Kong, and was sentenced last year to life in prison on spying charges.

China released three American detainees Wednesday after striking a deal for a prisoner exchange with the Biden administration.

Three American citizens who had been detained for years in China were released, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. They are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung.Li, 62, who is from Long Island,

Three Americans that were detained in China have been released, according to a State Department official. NBC News' Gabe Gutierrez reports from the White House on the details of the release.

The Americans were freed in exchange for a Chinese intelligence officer who was serving a 20-year sentence in the United States, officials said.

The news comes about two months after China released 68-year-old California pastor David Lin, who was detained for almost 20 years. “We are pleased to announce the release of Ma