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Monday marks one year since Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old academic from Colorado, was taken by force from his Kabul apartment by the Taliban. His abduction came just six days after another American, Ryan Corbett, was released at the start of President Trump’s second term.
Coyle, who spent nearly two decades in Afghanistan conducting language research, is being held by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence in near-solitary confinement with no charges filed, according to his family. Coyle’s capture so soon after Corbett’s release illustrates the ongoing risks faced by Americans in Afghanistan, even those with long-standing legal status and deep ties to local communities.
Family of Dennis Coyle
“Dennis is a gentle, soft-spoken man who always listens deeply to others, often over a comforting cup of hot green tea, embodying the Afghan cultural emphasis of hospitality and respectful presence,” Molly Long, one of Coyle’s sisters, told CBS News. “In his nearly two decades in Afghanistan, Dennis faithfully honored the Afghan cultural values of hospitality and kindness.”
Coyle’s mother, Donna, 83, and his three sisters, Molly, Amy and Patti, have said the isolation has been crushing. He has missed births, family celebrations, and everyday moments. According to the family, Coyle is confined to a basement room, where he must ask permission to use the bathroom.
“This past year has been incredibly challenging for our family, as we’ve become entangled in the abhorrent practice of hostage diplomacy amid my brother’s wrongful detainment by the Taliban since January 27, 2025,” Long said. “We are deeply grateful for the broad bipartisan support we’ve received for President Trump to wield the formidable strength of the United States — as he has done so effectively in securing the release of over 90 hostages in Gaza, Venezuela, and around the world — to bring our brother home.”
“Our family is thankful and comforted that the president has personally committed to addressing this matter and taking a strong position on it, and we look forward to seeing Dennis again soon,” Long said.
Two Taliban officials insist Coyle is in good health and his “rights as a prisoner are protected.” They also claim formal court proceedings in his case would begin “soon.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an interview in which Coyle’s case was raised last week, President Trump said he would “take a very strong position on it,” without elaborating further.
Photo provided by Dennis Coyle’s family 
Last June, the U.S. government officially designated Coyle as wrongfully detained under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, a status that unlocks select government tools and elevates the priority of efforts to secure his release.
“The Taliban should immediately release Dennis Coyle and all Americans detained in Afghanistan and end its practice of hostage diplomacy,” the State Department told CBS News in a statement. “We remind all Americans — do not travel to Afghanistan. The Taliban has detained Americans for years and the U.S. Government cannot guarantee your safety.”
The United States does not recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government and lacks a diplomatic presence in the country, complicating release negotiations that are often conducted by Qatar as an intermediary on behalf of the U.S.
A Qatari official declined to comment on any involvement in mediating Coyle’s case.
Acknowledging Coyle’s detention, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News, “Negotiations have indeed taken place and are ongoing; however, both sides have not yet reached a final conclusion.”
“The Afghan government remains committed to what has been discussed with the United States. It should also be noted that Afghans have been wrongly detained by the United States and continue to be held there. Their fate, as well as the suffering of their families, is similar to that experienced by others in detention.”
“These talks should lead to concrete results and a final conclusion, ensuring that prisoners from both sides are released,” Mujahid said.
The Biden administration held negotiations with the Taliban to swap Americans detained in Afghanistan for Muhammad Rahim al Afghani, a Guantanamo Bay detainee alleged to have been an associate of Osama bin Laden, but the talks ultimately fell through. U.S. officials proposed releasing Rahim in exchange for George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett and Afghan-American Mahmoud Habibi, who was abducted in 2022, while the Taliban countered by seeking Rahim and two others while denying it held Habibi.
With the help of Qatari negotiators, Corbett and another American, William McKenty, were released last January in exchange for a Taliban figure who had been imprisoned for life on drug trafficking charges. Glezmann and another American, Faye Hall, were released in March, followed by a fifth American, Amir Amiri, who was freed last September.
Another senior Taliban official who spoke with CBS News on condition of anonymity referred to Rahim and claimed the U.S. offered a timeframe of three to six months for releasing Rahim. “When we released U.S. citizens last time, the U.S. committed to releasing the last Afghan detainee from Guantanamo. We have already made many concessions. That is enough.”
In addition to Coyle, at least one other American — a former U.S. army soldier whose purpose for traveling to Afghanistan is unclear — is believed to be currently held by the Taliban.
The State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Habibi’s return.
“We are not aware of Habibi’s current status and we [have] not arrested him,” the second senior Taliban official told CBS News.
During the first Trump administration, the U.S. took steps to normalize relations with the Taliban, including troop withdrawal agreements and increased diplomatic contacts. Last September, President Trump expressed interest in regaining access to Bagram Air Base, underscoring a desire to maintain strategic leverage in Afghanistan, while Taliban officials have signaled interest in deeper engagement with the U.S.
That engagement has stalled to an extent as the U.S. has implemented sweeping restrictions that include suspending visa issuance and entry for Afghan nationals under recent national security proclamations, tightening vetting, and pausing processing of virtually all Afghan immigration and asylum applications. The moves have significantly reduced legal pathways for Afghans seeking entry or resettlement in the U.S.
The domestic policy debate intensified following a November 2025 shooting in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national evacuated to the U.S. after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan allegedly killed a National Guardsman and wounded another. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, previously served for several years in Afghanistan’s elite “Zero Units,” paramilitary forces that operated under CIA direction.
Still, the Taliban and the United States remain in contact, Taliban sources said, noting former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad visited Kabul earlier this month. White House counterterrorism advisor Seb Gorka and special envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler traveled to Afghanistan to broker Amiri’s release in September.
“We are very clear that we will not offer any further goodwill gestures,” one of the senior Taliban officials told CBS News.
Last September, the Trump administration created the State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation to target countries or groups that hold Americans without legal justification. Modeled after the state sponsors of terrorism designation, the measure would give the State Department authority to impose sanctions, export controls and travel restrictions on nationals of designated countries that detain Americans for political leverage, and to restrict where U.S. passports may be used. To date, no countries have been designated.
Coyle’s family has launched FreeDennisCoyle.com to coordinate advocacy and share updates.
