US Pilots Detained in Guinea Amid Tensions Over Fuel Stop Incident

Two US pilots, Fabio Espinal Nunez and Brad Schlenker, were detained in Guinea after a routine fuel stop turned into an armed confrontation on the ramp at Conakry’s Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport. The crew claimed they had clearance to land, but Guinean authorities accuse them of violating national sovereignty. The pilots’ families dispute these allegations, and relatives are now publicly urging the Trump administration to intervene. A US State Department spokesperson said consular officers have visited the pilots multiple times since late December 2025.