HOUSTON — Austin Tice was captured at a checkpoint near Damascus in 2012, and now, 12 years later, there are renewed efforts to bring him home.
Tice was a journalist working for the Washington Post at the time of his capture. The country was descending into civil war at the time.
A video uploaded to YouTube weeks after his disappearance showed a blindfolded Tice being held by armed men. Since then, there have been no verified public sightings of the Marine veteran.
The United States Department of State said their top hostage negotiator is in Beirut, Lebanon, working to collect more information about Tice's whereabouts. Lebanon has been involved for years in mediation about Tice.
The latest developments follow the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad's government.
Tice's family as well as the White House are making a new push to bring him home. The FBI has renewed its reward offer of up to $1 million leading to Tice's return.
Two of Tice's brothers said they've received new information from a trusted source confirming Tice was alive and being held in Syria but they didn't reveal specifics.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden committed to bringing him home but said the White House had "no direct evidence" of Tice's status.
Tice's family is hoping that amid the chaos, there's an opportunity for his release.
"Austin Tice is treated well and there is no doubt about that. And so I think that is the most important thing and I would sincerely appreciate your most faithful prayers that we will see him walk free," Tice's sister, Debra Tice, said.