Official announcements from the U.S. State Department or credible news outlets

Missing American from Missouri, Travis Timmerman, Found in Syria After Release from Damascus Prison

Dec 12, 2024, 10:55 AM

An American citizen named Travis Pete Timmerman from Missouri, who had been missing since earlier this year after disappearing in Budapest, Hungary, has been found in Syria after being released from a prison near Damascus. Timmerman, who said he entered Syria illegally from Lebanon via Zahle on a religious pilgrimage, was detained for seven months. He was held in Far Falastin Prison, where he heard sounds of torture being carried out on other prisoners, though he stated he was treated well. Initially, reports suggested the individual might be missing journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, but it was later confirmed that the person is Timmerman, not Tice. He was found in the town of Al-Dhiabiyah, south of Damascus. The U.S. State Department is aware of his case and is working to provide support.