Update: American YouTuber Kidnapped by Haitian Gang Has Been Released

American YouTube star Adisson Pierre Maalouf, known as "Arab," who was kidnapped and held for ransom in Haiti, has been freed over the weekend and is en route to his Atlanta home, his father told New York Times.

Maalouf's kidnapping, along with the abduction of his Haitian fixer and guide, Jean Sacra Sean Roubens, occurred within 24 hours of his arrival in Haiti on March 14th. The pair were abducted by the 400 Mawozo gang led by Joseph Wilson, known as "Lanmò San Jou," which means "Death Can Come Any Day" in Creole.

Maalouf had traveled to Haiti to interview the leader of the G9 and Family gang, Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, who is in de facto control of the island nation. There is no evidence that Chérizier had any involvement in the abductions.

In a post to social media on Saturday, Maalouf announced he had been freed, writing,

Cameraman never dies.

I’ve been released. Glory be to God. Christ is King.

In a seperate post he revealed that he had been held in a "concrete shack surrounded by barbed wire," and praised God for his Easter Weekend release from captivity saying "you don't pray to a rainbow flag, you pray to God."

He wrote,

I was kidnapped purely for the color of my skin. I was kidnapped for being a “Blanc”.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.

In a YouTube video shared on Saturday morning, just before Maalouf and Roubens were released, the pair can be seen seated on a sofa, exchanging hugs with Wilson. I

n the video, Wilson mentioned that the two men were treated well despite being held against their will. In an interview, Roubens revealed that he and Maalouf were held at gunpoint and coerced into recording videos with Wilson, pretending to be friendly with him. Roubens said, "That was the only way to get out of that situation."

Wilson is wanted in the United States for the kidnapping of sixteen Christian missionaries, including five children in 2021. He was indicted on 16 counts of hostage taking in 2022, with the U.S. government offering a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

Roubens, a seasoned fixer for YouTube personalities and foreign journalists covering Haiti’s criminal organizations, expressed being traumatized and pledged to steer clear of gangs in the future, adding that he regretted the pain his family experienced during the time that he was held captive.

Roubens said,

I will not go to the red zone any longer, I am done with it.

In a post to X on Monday, Maalouf said that he experienced more extortion and detention as he attempted to leave the country and return home, writing,

After everything, I was peacefully leaving and someone tried to extort me AGAIN and now I am detained for no reason and no explanation and my family was expecting me to show up tonight and see them after 17 days.

Maalouf wrote that he would like to return to Haiti someday in hopes that he can "show the beautiful parts and people of this country for the world to see."

The State Department issued a "Do not travel" advisory for Haiti in July of last year.