American pilot released after Paraguay drug jet seizure

A young American pilot who gained fame after winning a private jet in a YouTube competition was briefly detained in Paraguay over the weekend in connection with a major drug seizure at an airport near the capital. Jabari Brown, 21, was released after prosecutors determined he had no knowledge of the contraband.

The incident occurred on May 30 at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport outside Asunción. Authorities from Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, known as SENAD, intercepted a Bombardier Challenger 604 private jet that had arrived from Miami, with a stop in Panama City. During an inspection, agents discovered 261.6 kilograms, approximately 577 pounds, of high-THC marijuana concealed in luggage. The agency estimated the wholesale value of the seizure at about $3.6 million, based on prices in the neighboring Brazilian market, which was reportedly the intended destination.

Three U.S. citizens traveling as passengers on the flight were arrested and charged with international drug trafficking. They were identified as Marisol Rivas, 39, of New York; Troy Anthony Vásquez, 42, of Florida; and David Thomas Wise, 58, of California. They remain in pretrial detention.