Two U.S. pilots are being detained in Guinea on “bogus” airspace violation charges after a routine fuel stop, prompting their families to seek urgent help from the Trump administration.
Two American contract pilots, Fabio Nicolas Espinal Nunez and Bradley Scott Schlenker, have been held in a Conakry prison for six weeks following a refueling stop on December 29. Flying a Brazilian family from Suriname to Dubai, the pair landed at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport after communicating with air traffic control. However, Guinean military officials subsequently accused them of violating national airspace and jeopardizing defense.
Despite an appellate court ordering their release pending a Supreme Court review, the pilots remain behind bars due to reported military interference. “The prosecutor refused to sign off on their release because of pressure from the military,” said Nunez’s fiancée, Lauren Stevenson. The families are now urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration to intervene in the high-stakes diplomatic standoff.
Human Rights Watch reports that the Guinean junta has intensified its crackdown on dissent, using arbitrary arrests to silence perceived threats. The pilots’ lawyers maintain the charges are “bogus,” noting that the crew followed all standard aviation protocols. As the legal battle moves to the Supreme Court, loved ones describe the situation as a “mentally draining” roller coaster with no clear resolution in sight.
NEWS NOW:
- Nicki Minaj responds to Newsom’s ‘I’m a 960 SAT guy. I can’t read’
- WATCH: Fareed Zakaria’s take on blue cities
- Kash Patel responds following backlash for celebrating with US hockey team while on work trip
- Cartels attack civilian targets across Mexico after U.S.-Mexico mission kills drug leader ‘El Mencho’