Pueblo man, Dennis Coyle, released by Taliban
By Alexander Brunet
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PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan says the Taliban have released Dennis Coyle, a Pueblo man detained in Afghanistan in January of 2025.
According to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Coyle was released in the presence of the Taliban foreign ministry and a United States representative for detainee affairs.
The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs posted a picture of Coyle on a plane holding an American flag on social media.
The post said the following:
Dennis Coyle is on his way home! We remain committed to freeing all Americans wrongfully detained abroad. Today the Taliban took an important step in the right direction, now they must release all remaining Americans immediately, including Mahmood Habibi and Paul Overby.
Coyle, 64, was held in “near-solitary conditions, requiring permission to even use the bathroom, and without access to adequate healthcare,” according to his family’s website.
Coyle’s family released the following statement :
Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Dennis’ life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 421 days of our lives.
We are profoundly grateful to President Trump and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. We are also grateful to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler, and Julia Speer. We express our deepest gratitude to acting SPEHA Dustin Stewart and his extraordinary team, especially Paul Ellis for their efforts to help bring Dennis home. The countless hours of negotiations, unwavering support, and determination demonstrated by all involved have not gone unnoticed, and we will forever hold this kindness in our hearts.
To the team that has been by our side to advocate for Dennis’ release – we could not have done this without you. We are overwhelmed by the kindness of Hansel Lee for his tireless advocacy on behalf of Dennis, for his unwavering hard work and hours of time, and for his steadfast counsel to us throughout this ordeal. We thank the NewsNation Family, especially Katie Pavlich and Chris Cuomo, who used their platforms to shed light on Dennis’ plight. Your efforts were instrumental in making his story known, and we would not have been reunited with Dennis were it not for your support. We are grateful for the amazing support from Hostage US as they walked with us through this unfathomable crisis and provided funds and counsel for our advocacy efforts. We also thank the Foley Foundation and Servants International for their support in bringing Dennis home.
To our many champions on the Hill, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James Risch, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Mark Kelly, and Senator John Hickenlooper, also Congressman Abe Hamadeh, Congressman Jeff Hurd, Congressman J. French Hill, and Congressman Jeff Crank – you never gave up on Dennis and are a testament to what we can achieve when we work together across party lines.
We wish to thank Sara Levinson for the work she has done over many years on behalf of so many families who have had their loved ones detained. Your instrumental work in getting the Levinson Act into law put things into motion so that the U.S. Government can put full efforts into bringing wrongfully-detained Americans back home. You also therefore played an important part in seeing Dennis released.
We want to extend our deepest thanks to the President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Government of the United Arab Emirates for their vital role in facilitating Dennis’ release. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and the government of Qatar for their visits to Dennis during his detainment as the United States’ Protecting Power in Afghanistan. Your efforts as mediators, your compassion, and your commitment to diplomacy have given our family the most precious gift imaginable: Dennis’ freedom. We also thank Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad for his contributions and advocacy on behalf of Dennis.
To our friends, neighbours, and everyone who prayed for Dennis’ safe return, called or wrote your Member of Congress, or fueled our advocacy in countless other ways, your support has carried us through the darkest moments. You reminded us that hope endures, even in the face of despair.
While we begin the healing process with Dennis back with us, we remain mindful of the many families who are still waiting for their loved ones to return, including the families of Mahmoud Habibi and Paul Overby. It was our hope that Dennis, Mahmoud Habibi, and Paul Overby would be returned together to their families, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them. We recognize the immense privilege of our family’s reunion today, and pledge to keep praying and fighting for all Americans held to be swiftly released.
At this time, the family is prioritising Dennis and his well-being. Please allow time for the family to be reunited with Dennis. They may choose to engage with media once they have been reunited.
With endless gratitude and hope, The Family of Dennis Coyle
Statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Note: Islamic Emirate Officials refer to Coyle as “Curry.” This is the phonetic pronunciation of Coyle in Arabic.
“On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has released an American citizen, Dennis Curry who had been detained for violating the applicable laws of Afghanistan. The detainee’s family had requested his release on the occasion of the blessed days of Eid, based on an appeal for compassion and pardon from the respected leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The respected Supreme Court deemed his previous detention sufficient, and today he was handed over to his family in Kabul. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan states that this action was taken on the basis of humanitarian considerations and goodwill, and expresses hope that such steps can further strengthen an atmosphere of trust between countries. It also expresses hope that both countries will find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.” – Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan also thanks the brotherly country of the United Arab Emirates for facilitating and cooperating in this matter.” – Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
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