Three UCLA basketball players, including LiAngelo Ball, were arrested for shoplifting sunglasses in China. Whether they like it or not they can thank President Trump for their freedom.
The three players were arrested last Tuesday for attempting to steal sunglasses from a Louis Vutton store. In the early stages it seemed like ten years in prison was a real possibility for the young men.
Per Daily Caller:
LiAngelo Ball and his two UCLA basketball teammates were freed from Chinese custody early Tuesday after President Donald Trump intervened on their behalf.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill had all boarding a Delta flight home after being detained for over a week. They slipped out of possibly serving up to ten years for allegedly stealing from a Louis Vuitton store in Hangzhou, China.
Trump spoke directly to Chinese President Xi Jinping about the players during his trip to Asia, and now they’re out less than 24 hours later.
Per Daily Wire:
Early Tuesday morning, the players were released from Chinese custody and safely boarded a 9 a.m. Delta flight to come home, according to the Wall Street Journal. Their release came less than 24 hours after Trump personally intervened on their behalf in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump spoke with the Chinese president on Monday while on a two-day trip to Beijing. The Washington Post reports that President Trump revealed that he had brought up the players' release amid a discussion of other topics, including a bilateral trade deal and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
"They're working on it right now," Trump told the press Monday. "Hopefully everything is going to work out," he added.
Per ESPN:
A source with firsthand knowledge of the investigation said the players could be in Hangzhou for "a week or two." The source noted that there is surveillance footage of the players shoplifting from three stores inside of a high-end shopping center, which houses Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Salvatore Ferragamo stores.
Let's hope these young men learn from the incredibly stupid mistake they made. Luckily President Trump was able to intervene and help bring them back to freedom in the United States. They easily could have spent some serious time behind bars.
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