When an American is taken hostage abroad, the crisis doesn’t end at the border – it ripples through families, institutions, and governments for months or years. Join us to explore how these cases unfold, how the U.S. government works to bring Americans home, and what families endure during months and years of uncertainty.

Ambassador Roger D. Carstens, former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, will draw on firsthand experience from some of the most high-profile hostage cases of recent years. He’ll shed light on how the U.S. government approaches hostage cases, what families experience behind the scenes, and what communities can learn from these crises.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ambassador Roger D. Carstens served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 2020 to 2025. During his tenure, he orchestrated and led negotiations with the Taliban, Syria’s Assad Regime, Venezuela’s Maduro government, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Belarus, and Foreign Terrorist Organizations such as Afghanistan’s Haqqani Network, Yemen’s Houthis, and Mali’s JNIM, returning over 65 American hostages and wrongful detainees during the Trump and Biden Administrations. He also prioritized supporting the families of those detained, partnering with them and keeping them informed of the work being done to bring their loved ones home.

José A. Freig is Vice President of International and Inflight Dining Operations for American Airlines. He oversees American’s Airport Operations in more than 120 international destinations as well as Business Partner Operations and the delivery and performance of Inflight Dining on more than 6,200 daily departures from more than 125 catering locations – together focused on providing an exceptional customer experience.