Washington D.C. – Colorado Public Radio, Feb. 04, 2026

Molly Long has one singular focus right now: getting her older brother Dennis released from Taliban custody.

Dennis Coyle, who lives in Pueblo and works in Kabul, Afghanistan, is a linguist researcher and has been traveling to and from Afghanistan for around 20 years. 

“He’s got a heart for people, and using his intelligence in ways that better the communities around and people who are in very difficult living circumstances,” Long, his youngest sister, said. “So it complemented the essence of who Dennis is.”

The 64-year-old Coyle was arrested by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence more than a year ago. He has not been charged with any crimes and has been living in almost solitary confinement, according to Long. The arrest happened about a week after the Taliban released two U.S. hostages as part of a prisoner swap. 

Like Coyle, one of the Americans had been doing business in Afghanistan for years and had not been charged by the Taliban.

It was a missed call on Jan. 27, 2025, that made Dennis Coyle’s family nervous.