MrBeast jet winner Jabari Brown detained after Paraguay seizure

Jabari Brown, the Jamaican-American pilot who won a Hawker 400XP in a 2025 MrBeast challenge, was detained in Asunción after authorities recovered roughly 261.6 kilograms of marijuana from a Bombardier Challenger 604 he was co-piloting. Prosecutors ordered Brown released on June 1 after investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence linking him to the shipment; he provided flight logs and cooperated with the inquiry.

Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) recovered the cargo from suitcases being unloaded at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport after the Challenger 604 landed on May 30 following stops that reportedly included California, Miami and Panama City. SENAD described the load as a high-tetrahydrocannabinol variety and estimated its wholesale value in Brazil at about $3.6 million.

Three U.S. citizens aboard the flight-identified as Marisol Rivas, Troy Anthony Vásquez and David Thomas Wise-were arrested on charges of international drug trafficking and unauthorized possession. They remain in pretrial detention while prosecutors continue their investigation.

Paraguayan authorities reported the aircraft was operated by Estonian entrepreneur Keith Siilats, who left the country on a commercial flight before the seizure. Officials are examining the plane’s chain of custody, the rental agreement and whether the flight was part of a wider trafficking network. Paraguay has been used as a transit point for narcotics bound for Brazil and Europe.

Brown’s prize jet, the Hawker 400XP he won in the contest and valued at about $2.4 million, was not involved in the Paraguay case. There is no public indication that the contest host or its production company are connected to the seized shipment. Paraguayan prosecutors continue to investigate the origin and intended destination of the drugs and the roles of the passengers and aircraft operators. All four detainees are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.