Debra Tice spent more than 12 years searching for her son. Austin Ticea Marine veteran and journalist who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2012. Through four presidential administrations, she never gave up hope that her son would return home alive. In fact, she describes the new Trump administration as “a breath of fresh air.”
“They're thinking about what they need to do, they're making suggestions, they're standing by, they're having ideas,” Tice told Fox News Digital, referring to the Trump administration. “The burden is not on me anymore than it was in the past.”
The first homecoming trip for the mother of a Marine Corps veteran Damascus, Syria, More than 10 years old, it follows a revolution within the war-torn country. Debra Tice has only been in Serra for a few days, but she's already gotten to meet the country's de facto leader. Ahmed al-SharaaWho led the group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
“It was really surprising that we were able to have a meeting with Shara,” Tice said. “It was a very good meeting.”
In this photo published by the official Syrian news agency SANA, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de facto leader of Syria, on the right, Debra Tice, the mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012, on the left, and Nizar Zakka, president of Hostage Aid Worldwide, meet. Profitability Center, Damascus, Syria, Monday, January 20, 2025. (SANA via AFP)
Helping hostages around the worldA non-profit organization coordinating Tice's visit to Syria was able to take her to some of the prisons that have been abandoned since the fall of Assad. She said seeing the conditions in these prisons was “very difficult,” but she appreciated learning “what Austin faces.”
Tice also issued a challenge to those in the US government who “feel Austin can wait” to go see the prisons for themselves.
“I think if they had to come here – and I wouldn't even ask them to spend the night in one of those prisons – but I think if they had gone to see what he had gone through, they probably would have done it.” “He was more excited to get Austin out of there.”
Debra Tice, mother of missing American journalist Austin Tice who disappeared while covering events in Syria in August 2012, attends a news conference where she urged President Donald Trump to help uncover her son's fate in Damascus, Syria on January 20, 2025. (Bakir Qasim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
During a press conference On Monday, Tice praised the incoming Trump administration and confirmed that they have “already communicated” regarding the Austin case.
“I haven't seen that in the last four years, but I'm optimistic about their help and participation. I believe they will move quickly,” Tice said.
Tice also used the press conference to send an emotional message to her missing son.
“Austin, if you can somehow hear this, I love you. I know you won't give up, and I won't either,” Tice said.
Tice says she “had no doubt about the fact that Austin would be freed. It was a matter of time, and it was my belief that it was God's timing.”
When speaking about her hope and optimism about finding her son, Tice attributed her “one hundred percent” faith. “If I didn’t have faith, I think I would fall apart into a bunch of really small pieces,” she added.
The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria renews US efforts to find Austin Tice
The State Department's Reward for Justice program is offering $10 million for information related to locating Austin Tice. 9/12/2024 (State Department Reward for Justice)
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “extensive efforts remain underway to find Austin Tice.” In addition, the spokesperson said the department is “working to bring US officials to Damascus” to assist in the search, but is awaiting confirmation that “conditions are safe and that local authorities can accommodate the visit.”
The spokesman added: “We have used relevant information, as well as declassified intelligence, to inform search efforts by Syrian and international partners on the ground in Damascus who search for Austin every day.”
“They have visited and searched several secret prisons that have now been exposed, but have yet to find Austin or any additional information that would help us locate him.”
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Last month, after receiving a letter from Deborah Tice, the Russian president Vladimir Putin He promised to ask Assad for help in finding Austin. However, so far, there are no signs of this happening.
