December 17, 2014
Mariah Timms
News Writer
National
Cuba released Alan Gross, an American contractor held prisoner for five years, early Wednesday. The move initiated talks between the two countries. President Obama announced that a new U.S. Embassy will be opened in Havana for the first time in more than 50 years. Gross, a Bethesda native, was arrested in 2009 after being accused of being a spy. He is an internet contractor, who visited Cuba four times that year before his arrest. The deal was reached after nearly 18 months of secret talks hosted mainly in Canada. Pope Francis hosted a meeting at the Vatican recently. Gross touched down on American soil about 11:30 a.m. ET at Joint Base Andrews.
