Well this is a wild story.
YouTube star Adisson Pierre Maalouf, who goes by the handle YourFellowArab, is known for filming in very dangerous situations, like spending 100 days with the Mexican cartel or traveling to the chaos of Haiti to set up an interview with the famed Viv Ansanm leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cerisier.
Within 24 hours of landing on the island to interview the cannibalistic gang leader, he was kidnapped by Viv Ansanm rivals, the 400 Mawozo gang.
[Warning: Language]
The kidnappers demanded $600,000 for the star's release.
The New York Times spells out more on how bad the guys who kidnapped him are:
In a video posted on social media on Saturday morning, shortly before Adisson Pierre Maalouf's release, he and [his Haitian guide] Mr. Roubens are seen sitting on a sofa and exchanging hugs with Joseph Wilson, a gang leader known in Haitian Creole as Lanmò Sanjou, or Death Can Come Any Day.
In the video, Mr. Wilson said that the two men had been well treated, despite being held against their will. He could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Wilson is wanted in the United States in connection with the kidnapping of 16 Christian missionaries and their children, who were held for ransom in 2021. He was indicted in 2022 on 16 counts of hostage taking, and the U.S. government has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
In the end, it sounds like they settled for something closer to $50,000.
He posted the following announcement on X.
Can't give any more detail till I'm home, but all I will say for now is - Glory be to God. Released between Good Friday & Easter, Christ is King.
When you're kidnapped in the middle of the Haitian Desert 60 minutes away from any civilization in a concrete shack surrounded by barbed wire, you don't pray to a rainbow flag, you pray to God.
He gives credit to God for protecting him and sparing his life.
He posted this for everyone saying this was an April Fools' prank:
Maalouf also says that the experience has led to him wanting to hang up his journalism for a time.
"I came into this country knowing what the dangers were, so I'm not going to blame anybody, but that's what I do I travel to dangerous places. I speak to people who are dangerous to understand their story, hear their voice.
But after this, I'm done. I'm done for a little bit because my parents don't deserve the trouble I put them through.
Shout out to Not the Bee user @gamerdadforjesus for the heads up about this story.
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