Two American pilots have been held in a Republic of Guinea prison for over six weeks after landing for a routine fuel stop. An appeals court ordered the men released on bail, but the country’s military rulers have refused to comply. The case is now heading to Guinea’s Supreme Court.
The Detention
Fabio Espinal Nunez, 33, of New Jersey, and Brad Schlenker, 63, of Illinois, were flying a Gulfstream IV on a charter trip from Suriname to Dubai when they landed at Conakry’s Ahmed Sekou Toure International Airport (CKY) on Dec. 29, 2025, to refuel.
Upon touchdown, roughly 100 soldiers surrounded the aircraft with rifles while armoured vehicles moved into position. The pilots were pulled from the plane and detained. The Republic of Guinea’s military government charged them with entering the country’s airspace without permission and landing without approval. The aircraft was carrying a Brazilian family, including two children, whose fate remains unclear.
Schlenker has contested this, stating:
“We’ve got the transcripts of the radio transmissions, all clearly revealing the fact that we were innocent and ambushed.”
Legal Battle
Local law firm Jocamey Avocats is representing the pilots and is pursuing a decisive ruling from Guinea’s Supreme Court. The firm said it will seek the pilots’ consent to release more details about the case.
According to Lauren Stevenson, Nunez’s fiancée, an appeals court earlier ruled that the pilots should be released on bail, but Guinea’s military intervened to keep them jailed. She told the press that the charges are unfounded.
The pilots are being held in Conakry’s main prison under severely crowded conditions with no electricity, poor sanitation, and inmates taking turns sleeping due to lack of space. Both men are allowed occasional phone calls to family.
The U.S. State Department has not commented publicly on the case. Both families are now asking the Trump administration to step in directly.
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