1 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: It's that time. 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 2: Time, time, time, luck and load. 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: Michael Verie Show is on the air. 4 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: Hello, darkness, myle friend, I've come to talk with you again. Well, 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 2: and two them that call evil good and good evil, 6 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that 7 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: put bitter. 8 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 3: For sweet and sweet for bitter. 9 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: Years ago before a lot of stuff that was being 10 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: sent to China to make I had a friend at 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: the law firm where I was working. He was a 12 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: partner at the firm. I was an associate, and his 13 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: wife had a great design sense, and she came up 14 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: with a design for a purse. And I don't know purses, 15 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: my wife's not a fancy clothing person. But they came 16 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: over to the house one time we were having dinner 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: as couples, and they brought this purse and they'd just 18 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: gotten it back and it was a prototype that had 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: that had made in China. And I said, why is 20 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: it person made in China? And he said, everything is 21 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: made in China. Now, I said, well, how hard can 22 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: it be to make a perse in China? And he said, well, 23 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: it's not that, it's not how hard it is, it's 24 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: the cost. And so for a long time before recently 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: with what's going on with Trump, everybody I knew that 26 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: came up with a concept and began making something went 27 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: to China for it. People in construction would go to 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: China for different different elements. That's changing now, but for 29 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: a very long time that was the case. I know 30 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: a lot of people that are your average redneck bubba 31 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: who you would never guess has been to China, but 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: they've been to China multiple times on business meetings. So 33 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: this story is pretty scary stuff, but frankly, it's not 34 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: shocking once you think about what's going on in China. 35 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: Mark sweet Ann was arrested in November twenty twelve while 36 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: on a trip to Guangdong Province in China to purchase 37 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: building materials. And this story is so crazy it's hard 38 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: to believe, but it's true. And rather than me tell you, 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to have Mark sweet Ann tell you. 40 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 3: Mark. 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: First of all, was this your first visit to China? Yes, 42 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: sir Michael, it was, And tell me about you know, 43 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: China is historically probably as unlike the United States. Of course, 44 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: you could factor in some African nations as anything you 45 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: can imagine literally the other side of the world tell 46 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: me about the build up while why you were there, 47 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 1: and then let's go through the horrible things that happened 48 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: to you. 49 00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 3: Okay, Well, I've been an asiast for years back on 50 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 3: the World Import export. I started on a whim from 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 3: some money I received where my dad was I suddenly 52 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 3: killed him in a hospital mistake, and I went to 53 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 3: a wedding in Vietnam affirm the wedding, and I went 54 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:21,119 Speaker 3: to a dentist and my dental school friends that takes 55 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 3: am told me to ask around about the drill builds 56 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 3: and these little I guess just basically real sting of 57 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 3: steel and stuff disposable because they were bearing in LA 58 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: and so I did that and turned into a business 59 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 3: basically stiled out from there. The first time I went 60 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 3: to China though, that was for ABM he I'm of Houston, 61 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 3: and I started the contracts. Basically there was a helium 62 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: shortage in the USA and they were pretty much you know, 63 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: like pretty much right now and tacking on it. So 64 00:03:55,520 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 3: hearing not being a ading man, made you test you 65 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 3: sources from China. So I took these contracts. I contacted 66 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 3: a lot of different contacts and Bass go to turna. 67 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 3: I wasn't in Hong Kong and I was in Macau. 68 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 3: I took a ferry and it has a lot to 69 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 3: do it. And I went to China looking for hearing 70 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 3: them and I did have multiple properties and I did purchase. 71 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 3: I did actually purchase in Hong Kong. Here all kinds 72 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: of different stuff for building houses, stuff like that. I 73 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 3: was there, That's why I purchased it. Oh, I wasn't 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 3: just on the way front. That was actually on the 75 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 3: way just for the heureum. So leading after that, I 76 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 3: crossed them at China. I'm in a hotel room which 77 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 3: they want foreigners to put their passports down, and that's 78 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 3: the US government property out there around the world, and 79 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 3: I'm not going to do that, so I never did. 80 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 3: I just said I'll move to the hotel, or you 81 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 3: can take the fifty bucks and not worry about it. 82 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 3: So what they do is they send is is all 83 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 3: our big because let me do it like you said, 84 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 3: and he said, your your your passport information goes directly 85 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 3: to the police department and up the chain of the 86 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 3: communists like they have really on one block, you might 87 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 3: have one person for each ten twenty houses that relates 88 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 3: to another person to another person and up to the police. 89 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 3: Then as you state at a friend's house, you're supposed 90 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 3: to report two days later. That's maybe nine at tive 91 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 3: o'clock that night, I hear a bang, one bang on 92 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 3: the door. Then there's about twenty bangs on the door. 93 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 3: They were easing a battering lamb to break down this 94 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 3: hotel room door ran one of this is this is 95 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 3: one of the largest hotel complexes in China. We're talking, 96 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 3: you know, two three thousand rooms there, and they break 97 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 3: the door down. I got let's see about sixteen or 98 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 3: twenty police not being informed, not evenally speaking, no badges, 99 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 3: learning through room, blowing under me, screaming Chinese or screwing 100 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 3: back can poge each other, don't see chimes at that point. 101 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 3: And yeah, it kind of sparrowed control from there. And uh, 102 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 3: they'd arrested me or they didn't. They don't really call 103 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 3: it lest they called the king. And they finally admitted 104 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 3: they were police after the guy shot the gun in 105 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 3: my face a couple of times and I kind of 106 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 3: pushed out of my face because of their training was 107 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 3: just so awful. Just do you seem like they were 108 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 3: the police? Would I mean, I would have happily open 109 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 3: the door from without breaking it down kind of thing. 110 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 3: When they without me and resisting more, that's under their police. 111 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 3: They pushing around a bed, a couple of them. They're 112 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 3: little guys. I'm the guy, and they appreciated. Put the 113 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 3: men look back trying to you know, I'm basically a 114 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 3: smothered my pillow and making me up. Took me downstairs 115 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 3: and they're putting in a huge van that was camouflaged 116 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 3: and double aside of a Mercedes Sprow camouflage dam with 117 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 3: some strange up in satellite jail on the top. We 118 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 3: went to get down to the parking rush. In the 119 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 3: meantime they had gotten there were several other foreigners somewhere 120 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 3: in the complex and they were Chinese Canadians, and there 121 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: was a couple of histhetics from Mexico, but they were 122 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 3: not all together. What they did was they took us 123 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: to a basketball court two hours away or so, and 124 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 3: the eid everybody to a poll, each one to his 125 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 3: own pole out there sat on the ground. You wouldn't 126 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 3: tell anybody anything. But as they did get they would 127 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 3: bring in more and more guys. They brought a couple 128 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 3: of foreigners from this place they brought a couple of Chinese, 129 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 3: a couple of what turned out to be Canadian Chinese. 130 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 3: I didn't know at the time, wouldn't talk to anybody. 131 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 3: We sat maybe the ground I'd seen two or three hours. 132 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 3: Then tild everyone back into the van. They wouldn't anybody speak, 133 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 3: and proceeded to drive down another four or five hours 134 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 3: away to cook to do it on border, you know, 135 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 3: to a police. 136 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: Mark, I'm going to get you a whole right there, 137 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: it's a perfect stopping point. Mark Sweden is telling his story. 138 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: He'll be a guest of a member of Congress at 139 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: the State of the Union. Uh, this story is getting 140 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: a lot of attention and we're going to hear all 141 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: of it coming. 142 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 3: Michael beat on A great show, Miss Russa, Bob right now, 143 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 3: you right there was a placement you, Shan Hanley, Mark 144 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 3: be some of the best in the words. 145 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,559 Speaker 1: A lot of Americans end up in China doing business, 146 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: and sometimes they're reminded that that is a totalitarian regime. 147 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: Mark Sweden was there and all of a sudden they 148 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: scoop him up, won't tell him who they are, and 149 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: he's being hauled off. He doesn't know what the hell 150 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: is going on. He's going to be a guest of 151 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: a congressman. He'll tell us that story in the moment 152 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: at the State of the Union address, Congressman Michael Cloud 153 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,199 Speaker 1: because of this story and Americans need to hear it. 154 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: But we were at the point where they have grabbed 155 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 1: him and they're they're taking him in the van. And 156 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: as as I said to you earlier, I'm not going 157 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: to interrupt you. You tell the story. I would like 158 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: to know how you're feeling at each step of this, 159 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: because obviously nobody's excited about it. But are you confused? 160 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: Are you are you simply scared? Are you thinking this 161 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 1: is the end? Had you had eight drinks before that, 162 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: because people don't think about the fact that you might have. 163 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: You might have been hampered at that point, you might 164 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: have been exhausted, you might have been who you know, 165 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: sick to your stomach. But anyway, go ahead, no drinks 166 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: at all. 167 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:41,599 Speaker 3: I was actually I was actually watching TV in I 168 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 3: bought some bootleg bbes downstairs. I didn't watching them Walking 169 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,719 Speaker 3: Dead or something like that, and I was eating a 170 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 3: piece of cheesecake. That's that's what it was. There was 171 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 3: nothing in the room. There was you know there was 172 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 3: I had some business documents and they try to say 173 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,679 Speaker 3: trying to flee later on the case, which all my 174 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 3: bags weren't packed, my toy trees were out in the bathroom. 175 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 3: All this very just very unprofessional, even when I came 176 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: to the groom. No training. So back to where we're at. 177 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 3: We're in this van. Everyone's kind of silent, and the 178 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:23,199 Speaker 3: police a real people in Chinese. They don't really have 179 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 3: anybody who speaks English on this van or it's very 180 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 3: rudimentary basically shut up with are police kind of thing. 181 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 3: I'm thinking, Okay, this is BS. I know the US 182 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 3: will get me right out of this thing. I know 183 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 3: I haven't done anything wrong, so I wasn't thinking the 184 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 3: end of the world. I wasn't thinking of deaths because 185 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 3: I didn't have anything to do with this. I knew 186 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 3: I was there for. And so we drive. We end 187 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 3: up at a police station. There forming a police station 188 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 3: in a small town, which granted I am the first 189 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 3: American who was ever in that small town arrested wise 190 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 3: or decaying wise drove me to a place I've never been. 191 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 3: They start to question everyone one by one while somebody's 192 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 3: handcuffed this and they uncomfy, drag you to a desk, 193 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 3: comfy of the desk, trying to be trying to be 194 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 3: somewhat personal. They brought in a terrible translator and they 195 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 3: asked me, do you know anything about ice drugs? What 196 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 3: the hell is ice trucks? They kept trying to say 197 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 3: the name in Chinese. They kept trying to say they 198 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 3: didn't even know what they were talking about, because I 199 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 3: don't know what you're talking about. Then they brought a 200 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 3: confession out and it was written in all Chinese. Un 201 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 3: told an assignment that's not going to happen. I've been 202 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 3: all over the world, and you know, I know how 203 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 3: even even the ambassadors to the government, to you name it, 204 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 3: they've all said, my knowledge of international law and such 205 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 3: and such was impressive. That's from working on the globe. 206 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 3: Even in Vietnam, of the communist country. I had been 207 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 3: there several times. You never had a problem. So they 208 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 3: asked me to sign this confession. It's written in Chinese. 209 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,599 Speaker 3: I say, I want a lawyer present. I want this 210 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 3: translated properly by a certified translator, and had like my 211 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 3: consulate president. They said, this is China, you don't get 212 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 3: a lawyer. This is China. When I got to call 213 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 3: your consulate to be here, and this is China. It's 214 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 3: the law that you signed a confession of anybody ever 215 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 3: study any console agreements. That's not the law. But they're 216 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 3: just lying. I refuse over and over again. They put 217 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 3: me to the side, and they in a little room, 218 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 3: and they proceed to bring those other guys back and forth. 219 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 3: They didn't bring everybody to a room and then put 220 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 3: all our personal belongings on table and say, okay, everybody 221 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 3: get your personal blogs. Okay, no problem, I grab my phones. 222 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 3: I know I've never spoken any people in my life. 223 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 3: Everyone's kind of looked at each other. I can see 224 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,440 Speaker 3: these guys know each other. Everyone's kind of looking at 225 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,599 Speaker 3: me as then why am I here? When they arrested me, 226 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 3: I dress, you know, pretty geese, and I'm not going 227 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 3: to say I'm a uh anyway. You know, I'm wearing 228 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 3: jeans and a dress shirt. And you know when they 229 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 3: took me down, I threw through my blazer on. That's 230 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 3: just kind of my usual style. And so what use 231 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,839 Speaker 3: these guys are in T shirts and whatever, and we 232 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 3: just kind of don't match each other, you know, you 233 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 3: get it like that. So they tell everybody grab their 234 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 3: personal on the belonging, I grab mine, and if it's 235 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 3: like an iPad, a BlackBerry and one little, one little 236 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 3: those you no Kia phones back in the days because 237 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 3: that's what you use in China because blackberries don't work 238 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 3: in China because they can't hack those things. So that 239 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 3: was the end of that. And it was then they 240 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 3: started bringing guys back into the rooms, back and forth, 241 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 3: back and forth again, asking me to find a confession. Refused, 242 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 3: push me back in another room and try to tell 243 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 3: me to kneel on literally a bamboo stick, and you 244 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 3: can believe this to put pressure on my knees. I'm 245 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 3: not doing that, period. I'm just like, no, that's just 246 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 3: not going to happen. So send me back in a chair. 247 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 3: You know this is you're getting the lowdown. Michael here 248 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 3: sitting me in here, and they're all in my face 249 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 3: and I'm six foot two, about two twenty five solid 250 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 3: if you see my old pictures. Back then, the guy 251 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 3: keeps asking me if I'm the US military, and I said, 252 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 3: assure as how our Chinese military, and he slaps in 253 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 3: them across the face as hard as he can, which 254 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 3: kind of disinfuriated me. Then these guys handcuffed you in 255 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 3: the farnt with about six inches a chain in front 256 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 3: of you. They're not like you have made handcuffs, So 257 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 3: I jumped on the guy right away. Immediately, I tell 258 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 3: I do so much of my hands cuffs and I'm 259 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 3: getting kicked and stopped by the rest of them. But 260 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 3: I didn't need a mark on this guy. I ended 261 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 3: up sinking my teeth into his cheek because I was 262 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 3: so infuriated. That was about all I could do to 263 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 3: cover my head down. So they pulled me off of them. 264 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: They handcuffed me to a water pipe, which the feeling 265 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 3: is not quite eight feet tall, so at me being 266 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 3: six foot two, the water pipes probably around seven foot tall. 267 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 3: So it wasn't like I was hanging like one of 268 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 3: the little guys that have been doing and I'm sitting 269 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 3: there for fourteen hours or so with thirteen fourteen hours 270 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 3: hanging like that while they're questioning everybody else. They then, 271 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 3: I guess they talked to one of the other guys 272 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 3: who could speak English, who was a codefendant. In the end, 273 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 3: they tell him to come in there and tell me 274 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 3: to sign a confession. You know, me and look to me. 275 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 3: He says, Hey, they want me to tell you to 276 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 3: sign a confession. And did you sign that confession? He said, yeah, 277 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 3: do you read Chinese? 278 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: No? 279 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 3: I said, I think you just killed yourself. And I said, 280 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 3: I'm not signing tell him that. So after so many 281 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 3: hours we got there. 282 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: Mark Swedan called right there. He was held in a 283 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: Chinese prison. You're going to find out he was sentenced 284 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: to death. It's an awful story. He'll be a guest 285 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: at the State of the Union in a few days 286 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: and you'll understand why. 287 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 3: Coming up. 288 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: Mark Swudan was arrested in November of twenty twelve while 289 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: on a trip to China to purchase building materials. The 290 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 1: Chinese authorities accused him of involvement in international drug trafficking, 291 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: despite evidence that he wasn't even in China at the 292 00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: time of that alleged offense. The Chinese udicial system, such 293 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: as it is, sentenced Marcus Sweden to death in twenty nineteen. 294 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: In November of twenty twenty four, he was released from 295 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: his detention along with two other American citizens as part 296 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: of a prisoner swap with China. Sounds to me like 297 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: they grab these guys, accuse them of horrible things, threaten 298 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: them with death, and then say, well, we're going to 299 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: kill him unless you give back some people who spied 300 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: on you America for US, which is how they run 301 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: this little game. So Mark Sweden, let's go through how 302 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: they sentence you to death and how you're dealing. You 303 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: still don't have an attorney? You still, I guess have 304 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 1: you had any representation? Is anybody from the US able 305 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: to help you at this point? 306 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 3: At this point though the waiter system works, is they 307 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,560 Speaker 3: arrest you first? The three in this dictation lamp I'm 308 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 3: the first American. It's in the horrible, horrible place. You 309 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 3: don't have running water, you don't have light. You have 310 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,640 Speaker 3: twenty four lights. It's Houston type weather, hot and cold, 311 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: human and everything we do the map, they're pretty much 312 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 3: lined up. It's a course of measure. Is where it is. 313 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 3: You have window to two tiny windows that are like 314 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 3: twenty five feet up. There's no airflow, and then you 315 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 3: have the feelings that are kind of open where it's 316 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 3: running through. We don't have running water, we don't have 317 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 3: hot water, we don't have a senior heat. There's no beds. 318 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 3: You sleep only concrete. It's they call it a bed, 319 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 3: but it's just a raised concrete product. Fault viewers. If 320 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 3: you're on a concrete you don't have a toilet, you 321 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 3: have a hole in flour. You have thirty two guys 322 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 3: in basically about i'd say about thirty feet or less 323 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 3: by about ten feet. You've got communists propaganda playing all day, 324 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,920 Speaker 3: and you've got forced slave labor for American companies. Even 325 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,360 Speaker 3: you be putting on the American price tags big business. 326 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 3: I can name the products. Actually got some of the 327 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 3: products out to my mom and an attorney tried to 328 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 3: contact them. Of course it was no comment, but I 329 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 3: can prove it. I said, I'd take a light at 330 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 3: that drum. The National community they do it. So you 331 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 3: got this big four slave neighborhood there. What they do 332 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 3: is they question you every day for thirty seven days 333 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 3: and decide to arrest you or not. You got like 334 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 3: a ninety nine per arrest grade there, ninety nine point 335 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,879 Speaker 3: nine conviction rates. So they questioned you, they pull you 336 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 3: out at eight in the morning, they keep you there 337 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 3: till five six pm, and they just want basically what 338 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 3: they wanted. They want a confession. In the US conflict, 339 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 3: came about two days. After two or three days names 340 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 3: maybe four, I don't every time kind of just borred 341 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 3: at that point. The first gentleman who came, I don't 342 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 3: know if they want name names or not. Sureton told 343 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 3: me his name was Chris Romans, and I'm working I 344 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 3: get my freedmother information acts and I'd love to share 345 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 3: it with Michael and the world. He told me, oh, 346 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 3: this is a serious crime you've been accused of of. 347 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:15,680 Speaker 3: They said, you are carrying sixty two kilos of methamphetamine. 348 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 3: There was nothing. There was nothing on me, There was 349 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 3: nothing in my room. In fact, in the end we 350 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 3: found there was nothing on any of those guys. There 351 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 3: was only on two Chinese guys that were eight hours away, 352 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 3: which I had no contact with anybody, never had anybody's 353 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 3: phone numbers, never I'm there, was my passport. What comes 354 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 3: down to is this guy tells me, oh, this is 355 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 3: punishable by death. Said they don't kill Americans here. He said, oh, 356 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 3: yes they do, and this that. He was very unhelpful. 357 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 3: I tried to give him my mom my email logins 358 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 3: and this and that so she get help. He wouldn't 359 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 3: do it, and soon he started to write something down 360 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 3: about you know, ten Chinese fleet from the guy just 361 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 3: didn't have the ball to stand up to him. A 362 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 3: few days later, the consulate chief, Steve f Bault, horrible person, 363 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 3: comes in and tells me, why don't you just confess, 364 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 3: you know you did it. I asked him if he 365 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 3: was a communist, if he was red or red, white 366 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 3: and blue, and he was getting real pissy. I said, 367 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 3: why don't you do your damn job. Go get my 368 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 3: passport from them it's US government property, and prove to 369 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 3: them all of this is impossible. I was never in 370 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,200 Speaker 3: this country. He says, I'm not going to do that. 371 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 3: I'm not going to do that. That was the end 372 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 3: of our conversation there. So if you're asking about there's 373 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 3: no legal help. He could have solved this problem because 374 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 3: it's before the arrest, which takes place thirty seven days later. 375 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 3: He doesn't do anything. They come once a month after that. 376 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 3: During this time, the Chinese police are trying to pull 377 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 3: me out for confessions nearly every day for eighty ninety days, 378 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 3: and they tell me, oh, you're not going to confess. 379 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 3: We'll see after seven days of okay, no food for you, which, 380 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 3: by the way, you'd be happy with no food deer 381 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 3: for seven days. I said okay. I said, okay, let's again, 382 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 3: you want to play? And they told, they shouted at me, 383 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 3: we don't serve hamburgers. I said that food's unheedible to 384 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 3: you know, and said I went and said, how would 385 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 3: you give that to my job? And they said, we 386 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 3: don't serve McDonald and KFC like American prisons. View I'm like, okay, 387 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 3: like you, I said, well, I didn't. 388 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: Know an American prison. Now, yeah, I prayed, I understand this, Mark. 389 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to run out of time. Let me 390 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: ask you. You get you get a death sentence and 391 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: then they say they're going to suspend that pending review, 392 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: which I understand, and this is kind of common. 393 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 3: The death sentence took six and a half years to 394 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 3: give me, right. 395 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: And how did they deliver the news that you had 396 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:08,879 Speaker 1: a death sentence? 397 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,719 Speaker 3: Oh, they march you all in the court. This all 398 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 3: sends down to Canada arresting that CEO for the USA. Yeah, 399 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 3: and holden, because I do have a dual nationality from 400 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 3: I was just born in the Blizzards, literally across the 401 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 3: border from Detroit, so I kept the Canadian a long 402 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 3: time ago. I mean no big deality duel, and so 403 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 3: they march everybody in the court. We're talking six and 404 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 3: a half years later. What they did is to be 405 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 3: a three month extension. Every three months they say you're 406 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 3: supposed to have your sentence. They extended it twenty one times, 407 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 3: so it ends up being an extra six years and 408 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:51,120 Speaker 3: a half years. 409 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: Mark is our guest. Mark, I have one more segment, 410 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: but I have a note, and I completely forgot. You 411 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: have a GoFundMe or some of a community way that 412 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: people can support you through all of this. Can you 413 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: tell us where that is? 414 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,640 Speaker 3: It is help dot marksweedend dot. 415 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: Org and that is s W I D A N 416 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:21,719 Speaker 1: help dot Mark Sweetend dot org. We will continue our 417 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: conversation with Mark Sweeten about this horrible situation that he 418 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: was caught up in. I hope people will hear this 419 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: and think twice about whether or not they want to 420 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: be long term engaged in business with a country where 421 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: this can happen to you. I really think it's in 422 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: America's national interest to bring as much business back to 423 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 1: the United States and avoid doing an avoid empowering the 424 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: Chinese government with our dollars and our trade. Mark Sweetend 425 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 1: is our guest company Kurt Cameron of the famous Growing Man. 426 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 3: If it worked for growing pains, I wouldn't be on 427 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 3: the Michael Bay Show. 428 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: You have a rolling show our roles. We are talking 429 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: to Mark sweet Ann, who's been on a national conversation 430 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: with a number of sources. He'll be a guest of 431 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: Congressman Cleoud at the State of the Union address. He 432 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: was arrested in November of twenty twelve on a trip 433 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: to China to buy building materials. They gave him the 434 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: death penalty, they suspended that and kept him in prison, 435 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: where he was until November of twenty twenty four when 436 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: he was released. Talk me through that timeline of how 437 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: you find out that you're finally going to be released. 438 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 3: Oh well, there's so much in the Queen. I don't 439 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 3: know if you want to know about how the pupet 440 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 3: court works. 441 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 1: You know what, I've got eight minutes you tell me. However, 442 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: you I want to get as much out of you 443 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: before the show's over. 444 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, we might have to hear a couple more that 445 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 3: twelve years. But but you know, in the first court, 446 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 3: when we go to court, they basically asked you, do 447 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 3: you want to confess if not. Your sins are going 448 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 3: to basically ten times worse. No, I'm not confessing. You 449 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 3: don't have an evidence. They said, okay, we read evidence, 450 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 3: you have more. You're screwed basically, so I told them, 451 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 3: g ahead and read it. I'm not gonna say anything. 452 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 3: They didn't. They had no evidence on me. I basically 453 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 3: made a jackass adam in the court. So the next 454 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 3: a five day court trial. They kicked my conflict out 455 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 3: of the court, which is illegal even by their law. 456 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 3: They won't win them back in so we can't take notes. 457 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 3: We went to court again to bring more evidence. There's 458 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 3: no evidence against me. They kicked my consulate out again. 459 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 3: Will I get sentenced to death? They march you into 460 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 3: the court, they sence you to death. They bring it 461 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 3: back to yourself. You immediately will sell an appeal. They 462 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 3: never gave my appeal into the court. The appeal comes back. 463 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 3: This is when the arrest of the mung One Joe 464 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,400 Speaker 3: or whatever her name was the CFO happened and they 465 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 3: arrested a lot of Katie Is around the country because 466 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,520 Speaker 3: of it and gave them all kind of crazy sentences. 467 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 3: Secretary of State Blinken actually had a phone call me 468 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,400 Speaker 3: with in a consulate meeting and asked if I needed 469 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 3: to be traded with those two Canadians. Yes, I'm going 470 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 3: to be here another five years on really dead. I'll 471 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 3: tell you one thing. Never once did I actually think 472 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 3: i'd be dead. I mean, I've got broken bones, I've 473 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 3: got this that. It's a long story. Numerous crazy things 474 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 3: happened there. And let me know to say, they don't 475 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 3: trade me to trade two Canadians and I'm a dual citizen. 476 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 3: They get home, they get paid millions of dollars. They've 477 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 3: stayed six months to a ye in six months in 478 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 3: those places, maybe a year and house arrest. I'm in 479 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 3: the worst deployable conditions ever. I'm the first American ever 480 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 3: since the death in China. I was actually sence the 481 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 3: death twice Michael, and then sence a life sentence after this, 482 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,720 Speaker 3: even the UN ruled it Unlasso detained in the US 483 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 3: five good in twenty nineteen. I ended up staying till 484 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 3: twenty twenty four. I was not transferred to a prison 485 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 3: until twenty twenty three. I'm the longest guy in a 486 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 3: The attention camp decided to bin Laden's bodyguard. This is 487 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 3: because over a thousand times of trying to get confessions 488 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 3: and every timing they never got anything. That American fly shirt. 489 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 3: You seen me wearing those pictures that went to court 490 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 3: every court. Oh wow, that that was the one I 491 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 3: walked up the plane on. That was me wearing that, 492 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 3: and I still got it here. They've tried and tried 493 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 3: to get me a change out of it, to drag 494 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 3: me out of it. That I would not do it. 495 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,959 Speaker 3: That was I was defiant the whole time, and they 496 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 3: paid off. There's three men who have come out of 497 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 3: China in the last fifty years that are on a record. 498 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 3: Anything else is not on a record, even past that. 499 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 3: I'm one of them. We've got about two hundred other 500 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 3: guys over there, slave labor, all that is big business. 501 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 3: Anybody's thinking to do business over there, think again, we 502 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 3: created this monster in China and it's turned against us. 503 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 3: Without the big business going there for concept, this wouldn't happen. 504 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 3: They'd probably still be in the stone age. Leader. 505 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: Oh, it's amazing, and they were until very recently. In fact, 506 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: if they weren't allowed into the World Trade Organization, that's 507 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: the moment it all changes for the rest of the world. 508 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: That's when they become empowered and financed to in many 509 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: cases take over and in many cases so discord do 510 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: evil things increase their totalitarian regime at that time, which 511 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 1: was beginning. It's awful to see, although the story of 512 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: China for the twentieth century is not a pretty picture 513 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 1: for any of it. Mark, are there people in America 514 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: who deserve credit for helping spring you and get you 515 00:29:58,040 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: back home that you have not mentioned? 516 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 3: You know, Mel Gibson was a very strong advocate of him. 517 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: That does not surprise me. 518 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I've never got a chance to thank him. 519 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 3: So if you listen, thank you, Mel. That was surprised. 520 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:19,959 Speaker 3: Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Cloud, they were on it. There 521 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 3: is Roger Carson, and Master Roger Carson. They called him 522 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,000 Speaker 3: Captain America for a reason. He was the head of 523 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 3: the Special Presidential Envoy for hostage Affairs. And we have 524 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 3: my mom who is my hero on this. She's the 525 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 3: one who never gave up. Everybody told her to give up, 526 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 3: when everybody told her to shut up, she wouldn't shut up. 527 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 3: And you know, being a milliona in there is the 528 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 3: way to go. And even the Special Forces and the 529 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 3: Presidential Envoy, they pulled. When I was on the plane, 530 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 3: They said, how did you know to do what you did? 531 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 3: To just resist everything, to starve yourself, to cause trouble, 532 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 3: to do whatever you had to do, because that's what 533 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 3: we're trained for. It just came in statful. 534 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: Well, let me ask you have two minutes left, Let's 535 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: talk about your return into the free world. I get 536 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: the sense that has not been easy. This is very disruptive, 537 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: this is very traumatic. Talk to me about how that 538 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: has been. 539 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 3: It's been really rough. 540 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: You know. 541 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 3: My goal is I mean, I want to get back 542 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 3: on my seat. I don't feel as traumatized as people 543 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 3: would think. But people think the government cuts your check. 544 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 3: I have KEOW status just like a military POW, but 545 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 3: I don't have COOW benefits. I went from living in 546 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 3: Memorial Houston and having properties and saving all my money 547 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 3: all my life to coming home to zero, everything liquidated, 548 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 3: to no credit, to no driver's license and no identity 549 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 3: at all, and trying to start over at fifty one 550 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 3: when you were doing really good at thirty seven. Is 551 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,880 Speaker 3: it's not possible on your own. I need help and 552 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 3: it's not provided. There's some you know, little assistance here 553 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 3: and there from some hostage organizations that are good, but 554 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 3: you know, there's a lot of money that goes to 555 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 3: a lot of places, but it doesn't go to us. 556 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 3: Where far to between the guys who actually return, and 557 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 3: it doesn't get to us. If it were me and 558 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 3: I wanted to do my own organization, which I've thought 559 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 3: of it, and I've talked to many people. I know 560 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 3: I could do better. I know I could. There's there's 561 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 3: too many people. Everybody needs a tax right off. They 562 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 3: could donate the right way if they're doing it to 563 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 3: a lot of these places. You come back, you especially 564 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 3: gone as long as I have and since the death 565 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 3: twice and life once the only person in history around 566 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 3: the world this has happened to after twelve years, everything 567 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 3: is gone. My mom is still here. She believed in 568 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,719 Speaker 3: me all the time. My ex girlfriend who is now 569 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 3: still back with me, stayed and stuck with it the 570 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,479 Speaker 3: whole time. It always believed in me. But even her 571 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 3: and I we have problems around because it's very hard 572 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 3: for me get on my seat. I want to be 573 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 3: married to her. I want to have a house again. 574 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,400 Speaker 3: I want to build a business again, and maybe I 575 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 3: want to do a foundation. I definitely need to take 576 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 3: care my mom who is handicapped now. So I came home, 577 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 3: see shit on twenty dollars a month food camps. It's 578 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 3: the whole time I've been gone. There's no disability, no SSI, 579 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 3: no anything like that. So, I mean, we're really struggling. 580 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 3: And when we come back to this economy, I'm sticker 581 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 3: shot on a brisket alone in the grocery store. 582 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 1: Well, just you know, I can tell you, Mark, that's 583 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: been relatively recent. I am up against a break. I 584 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: appreciate you sharing your story. People need to understand there 585 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 1: is a cost to trade with China on their terms 586 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: for so long that a lot of people see up 587 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: close and it ain't pretty. 588 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 3: It is not pretty. 589 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: There will be a long term cost to pay for 590 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: cheaper consumer goods, and I don't think very many Americans 591 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:57,280 Speaker 1: quite realize that question. 592 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 3: Look you name, thank you, and good night.