One of three Americans being held captive in North Korea has been released, the White House said on Tuesday.

Jeffrey Fowle, of Ohio, is reportedly flying back to the U.S. in a jet the Department of Defense sent to pick him up in the capital Pyongyang, according to USA Today. It was not immediately clear if the U.S. had to make a deal with North Korea in exchange for his release. It's also unclear when Fowle will arrive home.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest thanked the Swedish government for the "tireless efforts of their embassy in Pyongyang" in aiding efforts to secure Fowle's freedom.

Because the U.S. does not have formal diplomatic relations with North Korea, Sweden's embassy in the Asian country's capital lobbies on behalf of American interests.

Fowle, a 56-year-old municipal worker from Miamisburg, first arrived in North Korea in April on a tourist visa. North Korean police detained him in May after he allegedly left a Bible in a hotel, according to The New York Times. Experts told the newspaper that Fowle might have been detained on suspicion he was trying to convert others to Christianity, which, in a country with an authoritarian regime, is viewed as a threat.

There are now two Americans- Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller- that are still being detained. In a rare move, North Korea allowed the Associated Press and other American news outlets to interview the captives in September.

At the time Fowle said he has been allowed to speak to his wife and three kids but hasn't had contact with them in three weeks.

"I'm desperate to get back to them," Fowle said according to The NY Times.

Earnest praised the captive's release but also urged North Korea to release Bae, who is serving 15 years of hard labor for alleged acts against the state, and Miller, who was detained after he allegedly destroyed his U.S. passport and demanded asylum.

"The United States government will continue to work actively on their cases," Earnest said according to USA Today.