1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Interesting story that I was privy to, and I had 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: somebody send me a note on Saturday going, Hey, Ray, 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: do you know that Brad Schlinker that we went to 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: high school with is sitting in a Guinea jail and 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: he has been for quite some time. 6 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 2: And I'm like, what are you talking about? 7 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: And then some social media give and takes had people 8 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: thinking that maybe you know, some of his brother social 9 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: media accounts had been hacked because they started to talk 10 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: about this story and they're like. 11 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 2: What are you talking about? 12 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: So let me just set this up as best I can, 13 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: and then we're going to bring our guests in to 14 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: talk about this. Because our guest is John Schlinker. His 15 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: brother is the one in jail. So two American pilots, 16 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: not American Airlines pilots, two American pilots. Favio Nunez is 17 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: from New Jersey and Brad Schlinker is from West Chicago. 18 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: Now they're asking the Trump administration, and this is where 19 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: I need WLS listeners to help. 20 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: I want you to call your representatives today. 21 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: I want you to get involved and say there's a 22 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: pilot from West Chicago, Illinois sitting in jail and we 23 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: don't know why So they're flying on a family's IT 24 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: plane and they request a landing at a Guinea airport 25 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: to refuel. That's it, from what I'm told, just to refuel. Supposedly, 26 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: in these international flight plans, Nick, they have all these 27 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: things mapped outlined out. You can't just fly wherever you want, 28 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: you can't just land wherever you want. So there's a 29 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: little bit of an issue over some kind of a 30 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: registration number, and they're going back and forth with air 31 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: traffic control in Guinea, and then the Guinea air traffic 32 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: control says, okay, you can enter our air you're in 33 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: our airspace, and now you're clear to land. 34 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: They land. 35 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: Moment they land, they're apprehended by Guinea authorities. They are 36 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: in jail and have been since December twenty ninth. John 37 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,639 Speaker 1: Schlinker is the brother of one of the pilots, Brad. 38 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: A full disclosure. 39 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: I went to school with Brad and this is why 40 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: this story caught my eye. But it is also caught 41 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: the eye of New York Post. The New York Post 42 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: picked this up yesterday and wrote about it. 43 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: But they're the only ones. John, Welcome to WLS. 44 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 3: Good morning, Hey, good mornings, Gray. Thanks for actually pronouncing 45 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 3: the name Schlinker. 46 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: Hey, did I get most of that right? 47 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: Is there anything I'm missing in that soliloquy, because if 48 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: I am, I want you to tell me what it is. 49 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was a pretty good overview. They were flying 50 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 3: from Surinam and taking a private Gulf Stream to Saudi Arabia. Specifically, 51 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 3: they were trying to land halfway for refueling and to 52 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 3: have the pilot's rest, and like you said, they filled 53 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 3: out the international flight plan with a third party company. 54 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 3: They had all their what they thought their dots, teeth 55 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 3: cross and eyes, dots and everything, and they were within 56 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: landing distance and the airtraff control clutterms three times. The 57 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: land they were landed, landed there and conacrey. They were 58 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 3: greeted with much machine guns and eighty people in the 59 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 3: background that were armed with three police you know, stations 60 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: or vehicles. They were taken into police station and custody 61 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,799 Speaker 3: question for a couple two three days maybe four days 62 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 3: turned into five, and the police station. Then finally the 63 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 3: family that they were taking that had two younger children, 64 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 3: his wife. They're at a hotel. 65 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: So let me just stop you there, because I wanted 66 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: to ask about that So the family that they were flying, 67 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: they have not been released, but they're staying in a hotel. Correct, Okay, 68 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: because I would have to imagine that a family with 69 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: a Gulf Stream from Dubai has a lot of money. 70 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: Is there any kind of money that's playing into this? 71 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: Is there any kind of a ransom or a fine 72 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: that is supposed to be paid before they can be released? 73 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: Is there that component to any of this? 74 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 3: Well, the families from Brazil, they were flying to Dubai, Okay, 75 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 3: And yeah, the money issue is obviously, you know, we 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 3: all know that, you know, money in some way, shape 77 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: or form is going to be demanded in this. So 78 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: Red Hackett the details about the specifics of that. 79 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: But gotcha, gotcha, that's clearly. 80 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 3: That's clearly an incentive, let's say, for them when they 81 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 3: when they see a Gulf Stream land in Guinea. 82 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: Well, let me ask you this because with okay, so 83 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: this has been going on since since what December twenty ninth, 84 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: that's a long time for a couple of pilots to 85 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: be in jail. And then this family, obviously a well 86 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: to do family, sitting in a Brazilian hotel waiting for 87 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: whatever to have happened. What's the response been like from 88 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: the United States Embassy. How come nobody's talking about this? 89 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 3: That's a great question, and I think a lot of 90 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 3: it has to do with the embassy. The embassy controls 91 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 3: the communication that goes to the State Department. There happens 92 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: to be a vacant post in the embassy in Guinea, 93 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 3: which happens to be another problem. And the communication from 94 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 3: the embassy in Guinea, from what I'm told, is the 95 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 3: sole source of communication to the State Department in the 96 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 3: computer system. So all the representatives, maybe the congressmen, whoever, 97 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 3: they look at that information that's fed into the system, 98 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 3: and so they're all looking at this information that's being 99 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 3: inputed from the Guinea embassy. However, I think the Guinney 100 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 3: the embassy is just entering in data that's just fed 101 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 3: to them from the authorities from Guinea, and it's really 102 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 3: doesn't tell the whole story. The bottom line is that 103 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 3: Guinea can come up with the accusations that are not true. 104 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,239 Speaker 3: You know, national threat landed in our airspace without permission, 105 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 3: et cetera. However, we have documentation to prove from the 106 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 3: lawyers that we have that they are innocent. Worst Brad 107 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 3: and Fabia. The pilot's the landing permit. Air it's an 108 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 3: administrative issue, and therefore Cousin's an administrative issue. It should 109 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 3: not be a lawful detainment so far, right now the 110 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 3: Embassy has it classified as a lawful detainment. If it's 111 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 3: classified as a lawful detainment, that doesn't spark red flags 112 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 3: in the State Department. So therefore it doesn't get the 113 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 3: urgency that needs. And so here we are, day forty, 114 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 3: sitting with two American citizens sitting in Guinea. Meanwhile, there's 115 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 3: people in the prison there. My brother's telling me that 116 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,119 Speaker 3: are surprised and shocked that they're still there, as Shoe 117 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 3: has citizens on their fortieth day. 118 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: And this is not a nice place to be. This 119 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:36,559 Speaker 1: prison is not a nice place to be. And correct 120 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: me if I'm wrong here. But didn't somebody from the 121 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: US embassy or a US official, somebody went there to 122 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: visit your brother and his co pilot and gave him 123 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: some medication or whatever to ward off malaria or something else. 124 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: And wasn't that about the give and take of the 125 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: context they've had with anybody there. 126 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's the Embassy. You know, They've given them some 127 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 3: malaria till and some snacks and some uh I think 128 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 3: earplugs and I I wear whatever things of that nature. 129 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: But you're talking about you're talking about, yeah, some vitamins, 130 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: some some things, the ward off malaria and a couple 131 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: you know, protein bars. Basically is what they were given, right, right, So. 132 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 3: We need we need representation at the administrative level. For example, Uh, 133 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 3: Nick Checkers is a high level official. 134 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: Uh, he's uh. 135 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: He visited Conatry, Guinea to attend the inauguration of the 136 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 3: president just back in January. And I don't think and 137 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 3: I'm pretty sure that he was never aware while he 138 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 3: was visiting Guinea that there was two US citizens in 139 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 3: prison in Conatry, because he was never informed. Furthermore, last 140 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: months in January, as we know, Marco Rubio met with 141 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: officials from any and shook hands over a mineral deal. Meanwhile, 142 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 3: two US citizens are in prison, and I guarantee Mark 143 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 3: Arrubia didn't know about this. Now, I don't think it's 144 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 3: to blame those guys directly. It says that they were 145 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 3: never informed and so there's a breakdown in communication because 146 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 3: it goes back to there's no urgency from the State 147 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 3: Department because it's not flagged in their system as unlawful detainment. 148 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 3: Well that's why this is starting to get traction now, 149 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 3: and that's how things work. It's just if it gets 150 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 3: to the executive branch, to the highest levels, that's all 151 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 3: we need. There's a case last year if you google it, 152 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 3: two British soldiers or two British men came down from 153 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 3: the UK to I think retrieve a weather balloon or 154 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 3: something like that and just pick up parts. They had 155 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 3: all the permits, everything they needed. They were detained for 156 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 3: one hundred days in the same prison because they were 157 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 3: accused of being spies. So they spent one hundred days 158 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 3: in prison, back and forth, back and forth, back and 159 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,559 Speaker 3: forth files this that promises broken and it took one 160 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: of their officials, might might have been the Prime Minister 161 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 3: or somebody at that level, to actually get them out 162 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 3: of prison. So that was the last and the first 163 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 3: letter I got from my brother before he went into prison. 164 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 3: He sent that to me from one of the guards. 165 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: Well, the thing is here is if your brother's clear 166 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: to land. If he's not clear to land, he's gonna 167 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: fly somewhere else. They allowed himTo land and then they 168 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: you know, so I'm not going to try to fill 169 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: in the lines with what's going on here. My job 170 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: today was to have you on to tell the story, 171 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: and now the job of the wls A eight ninety 172 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: listeners to call their representatives and everybody they can to say, Hey, 173 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: this is going on and we need something to be 174 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: done about this as two American pilots sit in jail 175 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: in Guinea. You're gonna be contact today by John Garcia 176 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: from ABC seven. We've reached out to a couple of 177 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 1: our friends, Rob Mark Alford, Congressman Mark Alford. We're going 178 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: to reach out to Ron Johnson and a few other 179 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: people to make sure this gets up there to the 180 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 1: highest level. We won't let this go and notice and 181 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: we'll call you back and make sure that this thing 182 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: gets up to the highest highest in the in the 183 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: food chain. 184 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I want to I want to shout out 185 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 3: thanks to say thanks to Gary Franchise, White House correspondent. 186 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 3: He actually reached out on Friday. We're awaiting official response 187 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 3: from the administration. Also, John McQuire, Congressman in Virginia. He's 188 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 3: been great, great guy. He's he's actually willing to go 189 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 3: out to Guinea if he needs to he and his 190 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 3: staff Chris and Ben, have been great. So my brother 191 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 3: Brad just moved to Virginia about three months ago, and 192 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 3: so I want to thank those guys for what they're doing, 193 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 3: because that's been the one congressman that's really been willing 194 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 3: to fight for us and try to get them released. 195 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 2: And so interesting story. 196 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: And I guarantee you this is it's exclusively on w 197 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: ls A E ninety this morning. 198 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 2: John. This will move quick. 199 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll pay attention to this and and I'm 200 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:49,839 Speaker 1: sure we'll have better news in the days ahead. 201 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:50,959 Speaker 2: Good to have you on, man. 202 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks for doing this, and we'll yeah, we'll hopefully 203 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 3: be on and within a week and hopefully they'll be 204 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 3: back home and we'll have 205 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 2: Brad on right on there you go, shit, you man, 206 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: We're thinking of your family.