Two American citizens are rotting in a West African prison right now — not because they broke any law, but because they stopped for fuel in the wrong country. And while bullets flew and bodies dropped around them during a deadly prison riot, the United States government has done virtually nothing to bring them home.
Fabio Espinel Nunez of New Jersey and Brad Schlenker of Chicago are private charter pilots who made a routine refueling stop in Conakry, Guinea, 45 days ago. They filed proper international flight plans. They received clearance to land — three separate times. They did everything by the book.
Their reward? Over 100 Guinean soldiers surrounded their aircraft with AK-47s the moment the cabin door opened. Armored vehicles. Screaming orders in French. And a one-way ticket to one of the most dangerous detention facilities in West Africa.
Surviving a Massacre
The situation just escalated from outrageous to life-threatening. Brad Schlenker managed to call his brother John during an active prison riot. What he described sounds like a war zone — because that's exactly what it was.
At 6:30 in the morning, prisoners revolted. Gates were smashed. Inmates flooded the common areas. Then military police arrived and did what military juntas do: they opened fire with live ammunition for fifteen to twenty minutes straight.
Bullets struck the building where our American pilots were being held. Tear gas poured into their cell block. They pressed wet cloth over their faces just to breathe. When the shooting finally stopped, approximately 35 inmates lay dead. Survivors from destroyed cell blocks were then crammed into the Americans' already overcrowded rooms.
Let that sink in, patriots. American citizens — guilty of nothing — dodging bullets in a foreign prison while bureaucrats in Washington shuffle papers.
Three Judges Said Release Them. The Military Laughed.
Here's where it gets even more infuriating. A civil court judge in Guinea ordered the pilots released. The military junta that seized power in a coup simply ignored it. Three separate judges have cleared these men, and they remain behind bars.
Why? Because Guinea has no functioning democratic government. It's run by military strongmen who see American prisoners as leverage — or perhaps just a source of endless bribes. Brad's family has already spent thousands on "fines" and "bail payments" that vanish into the pockets of corrupt officials who simply demand more.
And our embassy in Conakry? No ambassador. Just junior staffers with zero authority to negotiate anything.
Where Is the Trump Administration?
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman says her office is "looking into it." Congressman John McGuire has contacted the State Department. The White House press office acknowledged an inquiry but provided no official response.
Looking into it? These men are under fire in a foreign war zone!
President Trump built his first-term reputation on bringing Americans home. He secured the release of hostages from North Korea, Turkey, and elsewhere when the so-called experts said it couldn't be done. Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks tough on protecting American interests abroad.
Well, here's your chance to prove it means something.
Brad Schlenker recorded a direct message to President Trump and Secretary Rubio from inside that prison, begging for intervention. One phone call from the President of the United States could end this tonight.
The mainstream media ignored this story for weeks until independent journalism forced it into the spotlight. CBS and the New York Post only picked it up after the story broke elsewhere. That tells you everything about their priorities.
America First Means Protecting Americans
What does it mean to be an American citizen if your government won't lift a finger when you're held hostage by a military junta? What's the point of the most powerful nation on earth if two innocent pilots can be abandoned in a hellhole prison while diplomats worry about proper channels?
These men didn't sneak across a border. They didn't violate international law. They landed a plane to get gas and became political prisoners in a country run by coup leaders with guns.
President Trump, Secretary Rubio — the world is watching. Two Americans are counting the hours until the next riot, the next round of gunfire, the next demand for bribes they can't pay. Bring them home.