Islamabad, Pakistan — A prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghan Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure jailed for life on drug-trafficking charges in California, officials said Tuesday.

The deal came as President Joe Biden, who oversaw a chaotic 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, handed over power to returning President Donald Trump.

The Taliban hailed the exchange as a step toward “normalizing” relations between the US and the US. Afghanistan but that likely remains a tall order, as many countries around the world still do not recognize militant rule.

The Taliban's foreign ministry in Kabul confirmed the exchange, saying two unidentified US citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life sentences in 2008.

In a statement, the family of Ryan Corbett, an American held by the Taliban, confirmed his release. Corbett, who was living with his family in Afghanistan during the fall of the US-backed government in 2021, was abducted by the Taliban in August 2022 while on a business trip.

“Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for preserving Ryan's life and bringing him home after the most difficult and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family said in a statement also many officials of both administrations for their efforts to free him.

Corbett's family also praised Qatar in the Middle East for its vital role in facilitating Ryan's release and for Ryan's visits as a force protecting the United States. Energy-rich Qatar, which has held talks between the US and the Taliban for years, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. :

Before Biden left office, his administration was trying to broker a deal to release Corbett, as well as George Glezman and Mahmoud Habibi, in exchange for one of the remaining Guantanamo Bay detainees, Muhammad Rahim.

last week Biden spoke with relatives of three Americans but at the time there was no deal to get them back, family members said.

Glezman, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was picked up by Taliban intelligence while traveling across the country in December 2022. Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a telecommunications company based in Kabul, also disappeared in 2022. The Taliban denied that they have Habibi.

It was not immediately clear whether either of the two men had been released.Washington officials did not respond to requests for comment after Mr. Trump's inauguration early Tuesday morning.

Corbett's family said in a statement: “It was our hope that Ryan, George, and Mahmoud would get their families back together, and we can't imagine how lucky it will be for them. We realize the immense privilege of our family reunification today. And please keep praying and fighting for George and Mahmoud's speed.” for release.”

The Taliban called the exchange the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the US and said it was a good example of resolving issues through dialogue.

“The Islamic Emirate has a positive attitude towards the actions of the United States of America, which help in the regulation and development of relations between the two countries,” the message states.

The Taliban sought to gain recognition in part to avoid the economic downturn caused by their rule.Billions in international funds were frozen and tens of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country, taking their money with them.