Two US pilots of a Gulfstream business jet have been detained in Guinea for nearly six weeks after what they describe as a routine fuel stop that turned into an armed confrontation on the ramp in Conakry.
Fabio Espinal Nunez, 33, of New Jersey, and Brad Schlenker, 63, of Illinois, were operating a Gulfstream IV on a charter flight carrying a Brazilian family from Suriname to Dubai when they landed at Conakry’s Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport to refuel.
Both pilots were met at the aircraft by a large contingent of armed military personnel. Espinal Nunez said roughly 100 soldiers surrounded the airplane, pointing rifles while shouting in French, and that multiple armored vehicles were positioned nearby. Schlenker described the encounter as an “ambush,” and said radio transcripts and flight documentation show the crew had clearance to land.
Guinean authorities have accused the pilots of violating “national sovereignty” and making an unauthorized landing, allegations their families dispute. Espinal Nunez’s fiancée, Lauren Stevenson, told US outlets that Guinea’s civil courts have taken steps that should allow the men to be released while the case proceeds, but that the military has blocked their release.
A family source familiar with the trip told AeroTime the crew believed required permits for the fuel stop had been arranged by a local handler, raising questions about whether the detention stems from a paperwork failure or something more deliberate. The same source alleged that, after initially being held at a police station for roughly 10 days, the pilots were moved into Conakry’s prison system and threatened with a potential sentence of up to 20 years.
Conditions inside the prison have become a central point of concern for relatives. Stevenson told People.com that the facility is severely overcrowded and detainees rely on outside support for food. She described dirt floors, limited sanitation, and prisoners taking turns sleeping. A US State Department spokesperson said the department is aware of the detention and that consular officers have visited the pilots multiple times since late December 2025.
The pilots’ families are now publicly urging the Trump administration to intervene. In an interview with CBS News, Schlenker directly appealed to President Trump for help.
The case is unfolding against a tense security backdrop in Guinea’s capital. On February 10, sustained gunfire was reported near Conakry’s central prison, prompting deployments of armed security forces in the administrative district, according to Reuters. Authorities did not immediately explain what triggered the shooting. Al Jazeera reported the gunfire coincided with the transfer of a notorious inmate linked to Guinea’s 2009 stadium massacre, though the outlet said it remained unclear what set off the shooting and did not report a confirmed death toll.
Family sources, meanwhile, claim violence linked to a failed prison break attempt escalated overnight. Those details, including any casualty count, could not be independently confirmed.
For now, the pilots remain in custody as their relatives press US officials to elevate the case from consular assistance to direct diplomatic engagement, arguing the men were operating a lawful flight, remained in contact with air traffic control, and should never have been detained for a planned fuel stop.