Haiti Gang Kidnaps US YouTuber While On A Trip To Interview Major Gang Leader (image@YourFellowArab)
Addison Pierre Maalouf, American YouTuber who is popularly known as YourFellowArab on “Arab”, has reportedly been kidnapped in Haiti. Maalouf has been kidnapped by one of the gang members that has allegedly become the nation’s de facto rulers.
According to New York Post, Maalouf has travelled to Haiti to interview the country’s notorious gang leader, Jimmy ‘Barbeque’ Cherizier. 24 hours after his arrival in Haiti, Maalouf and his Haitian colleague were taken by members of 400 Mawozo gang. The incident is reported to be happened on March 14.
Th Post reported that the Georgian based YouTuber is being held for a $600,000 ransom. Though $400,000 has already been paid, the kidnappers are demanding larger sums of money.
Addison Pierre Maalouf is known for exploring dangerous places. He has over 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube. The news of Maalouf’s kidnap was confirmed by his fellow streamer, Lalem. Taking to his X (formerly twitter), Lalem wrote they “tried keeping it private for two weeks, but it”s getting out everywhere now,”. He said ‘Arab’ has been kidnapped and works are being done to bring him home.
Tried keeping it private for 2 weeks, but it’s getting out everywhere now, Yes Arab has been kidnapped in Haiti and we’re working on getting him out. Love yall he’ll be out soon ❤️
— Lalem (@Lalem) March 29, 2024
In a separate post, Lalem shared Maalouf’s last post. The video clip showed the YouTuber in a hotel in Haiti. He was heard as saying that he and his crew were intending to travel to the capital Port-au-Prince, but they had to wait until early morning hours so that they could arrive in the sunlight.
This is the last video he recorded before he got kidnapped, if you have his number pls don’t text him while he’s in there for safety reasons. 🙏 https://t.co/JJ7y1uVjGA
— Lalem (@Lalem) March 29, 2024
In the video, Maalouf said the capital is “completely run by gangs” and though they had taken secured safe passage, “all it takes is one stupid gang member holding an AK-47 for one thing to go wrong”.
Reportedly, on March 10, Maalouf posted that he was “going on another one of those trips…if I die, thanks for watching what I have put out. If I live, all glory to God”.
Another YouTuber Miles Routledge claimed that he talked to Maalouf after being kidnapped. In a series of tweets, Routledge wrote that Maalouf was travelling with a fixer called Sean Rouben Jean Sacra, who was also kidnapped. “Arab has been kept in a cage in a place on the eastern outskirts of the Capital, Port-au-Prince”, said Routledge, said the report.
I”m in contact with Arab in Haiti through the kidnappers, if you can offer help in any way, please freely dm me. I can dm Arabs family too pic.twitter.com/OJI0OxCxw0
— Lord Miles (@real_lord_miles) March 29, 2024
He also added that Maalouf said about getting out with great video and Sacra has been offered to let go but decided to stay with Maalouf. Routledge also criticised US State Department for its failure in securing Maalouf’s return. He said the State Department were very “hands-off on helping him, even though Arab is a US citizen”.
At the same time, in a statement given to New York Post, the US State Department confirmed about being “aware of report of the kidnapping of a US citizen in Haiti”, but would not provide further details.
