Two American contract pilots remain detained in Guinea following what family members describe as a routine fuel stop during an international flight. Brad Schlenker of Illinois and Fabio Espinal Nunez of New Jersey were taken into custody by national authorities in late December after landing in Conakry.
The pilots were transporting a Brazilian family from Suriname to Dubai aboard a Gulfstream GIV. Guinea authorities have said the flight was not permitted to land in the country, lacking proper permitting. The pilots maintain that they were not aware of any special country-specific permitting and that they were in communication with air traffic controllers at all times, who gave no warnings of possible issues and cleared them to land in Conakry.
According to their families, the pilots were immediately detained on arrival and treated as serious national security threats.
“If they were entering airspace illegally and if they were a national threat – which is what they’re accusing them of – they should have told them to go to an alternative and they would have said ‘no problem,'” Jon Schlenker, Brad Schlenker’s brother, said. “They landed and they were greeted with 15 machine guns and 80-armed people in the distance. No there was no drugs on the plane, okay, they searched it five times with dogs.”
The U.S. State Department said it is providing consular support and has remained in contact with the families, NBC Chicago reported, noting consular officers have visited the pilots multiple times since their detention. Even so, family members have said things have moved much more slowly than they would hope.
“I think [Brad] knows he will get out, it’s just a matter of when, but after 44 days of being in prison, you probably go through periods of immense stress and desperation,” Jon Schlenker told CBS. “Like are you guys doing anything? What is going on?”
Family members have contacted federal officials and lawyers as they continue to seek assistance while legal proceedings continue in Guinea.
“We’re desperate at this point,” Espinal Nunez’s fiancée told PEOPLE, while Jon Schlenker told NBC Chicago his brother remains hopeful he will return home.
I would suggest an immediate boycott.
Oh dear. Definitely not a good spot to choose for fuel, especially as there are more stable countries around.
Coup d’état in 2021, kicked out the French, welcomed in the Russians, Colonel who led the coup now a general (not yet Field Marshal, but give them time…)
Hopefully a bit of diplomacy, and a lot of money, will get the passengers and crew out before too long. Conditions are not easy, and I expect there is not much air conditioning in the jail.
But I expect the jet will have to stay there. Might even be used by their immigration and customs enforcement.
And what about the Brazilian family members they were piloting for? Do they have been detained also?