The Pentagon says a prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been sent to his native Saudi Arabia to serve out the remainder of his sentence.
Ahmed al-Darbi is the first prisoner to leave the U.S. base in Cuba since President Donald Trump took office. The last announced detainee transfer from Guantanamo was over a year ago, in Jan. 19, the day before Mr. Trump was inaugurated.
Al-Darbi is returning to Saudi Arabia as part of plea deal.
He pleaded guilty before a military commission in 2014 to charges stemming from an attack on a French oil tanker and he has about nine years left to serve. He has waived his right to appeal.
The U.S. agreed to send him to a Saudi rehabilitation program in exchange for what prosecutors say was “invaluable” testimony against other prisoners held at Guantanamo.
The Pentagon announced his transfer Wednesday. There are now 40 men still held at Guantanamo.
CBS News’ David Martin contributed to this report.
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