Jabari Brown, the young pilot who gained internet fame after winning a private jet in a MrBeast aviation challenge, has been arrested in Paraguay in connection with a drug trafficking investigation after authorities allegedly discovered more than 261.6 kilograms of cannabis aboard a private aircraft linked to the case, multiple media reports said.
According to Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, Brown was arrested at a hotel in Asunción, becoming the fourth person detained in the investigation. The agency said the aircraft had arrived from Miami and landed at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, Paraguay’s main international gateway located outside the capital.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to Brown’s online profile, his association with a viral MrBeast challenge, and the scale of the alleged drug shipment that authorities believe may have been destined for the Brazilian market.
Paraguayan authorities said three other US nationals, identified by local media as Marisol Rivas, Anthony Vásquez and David Thomas Wise, were also arrested after agents allegedly found cannabis concealed in luggage being unloaded from the aircraft. Local newspaper ABC Color reported that prosecutors have filed international drug trafficking charges against the detainees.
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Brown rose to prominence after appearing in MrBeast’s 2025 video, 100 Pilots Fight For A Private Jet, where contestants competed for a Hawker 400XP private aircraft valued at approximately $2.4 million.
The then-20-year-old pilot emerged victorious after a series of aviation-themed physical and mental challenges. Known online as “Treezy”, Brown had reportedly planned to use the aircraft to launch a charter aviation business.
Months later, his name has resurfaced under markedly different circumstances.
SENAD described the seized marijuana as a “premium” variety with high THC content. Authorities said the shipment was uncovered while multiple suitcases were being transferred from the aircraft to a vehicle believed to be heading into Asunción.
The agency estimated the cannabis could command prices of roughly $14,000 per kilogram in Brazil. Based on the seized quantity of 261.6 kilograms, the shipment’s estimated market value could exceed $3.6 million.
Investigators have not identified Brown as the owner of the aircraft involved in the case.
According to SENAD, the plane was allegedly owned and piloted by Keith Siilats, an Estonian national whom the agency identified as a co-founder of Bolt Mobility in the United States. Paraguayan newspaper Última Hora reported that Siilats is believed to have piloted the aircraft and departed the country before the operation that resulted in the seizure and arrests.
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