WASHINGTON (AP) — Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.

Three U.S. citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released, the White House said Wednesday. The citizens are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, according to the Associated Press. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said in a statement.

The White House says 3 Americans long held in China have now been released from custody.

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.

The plight of Americans facing exit bans in China show the enduring risks of getting caught in the country’s murky legal system.

The State Department announced the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung. A U.S. government official told NBC News the three were exchanged for Chinese detainees.

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China arrived back in the United States late Wednesday. Their release, announced earlier by the White House, was the result of a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.