A Michigan couple who spent nearly a month in a Mexican maximum-security prison have finally been released and are on their way home, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Navy veteran Paul Akeo and his wife Christy were taken into custody on 4 March shortly after arriving in Cancun for what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Their passports were flagged, leading to their arrest over allegations of defrauding Palace Resorts, a hospitality company they had previously booked with.
US representative Tom Barrett (R-Michigan) travelled to Mexico to help secure their release, holding talks with local authorities and visiting the Akeos in prison, New York Post reported.
“Paul and Christy Akeo are coming home. Mission accomplished,” Barrett wrote on X, sharing footage of the trio boarding a flight back to Michigan.
The pair had been disputing $117,000 in charges made by the resort group to their credit card during a 2021 stay. The family’s legal team believes the arrests were a form of retaliation for the ongoing financial dispute.
“Make no mistake, what they’re doing is they are holding two Americans hostage because they want them to pay them money,” said the couple’s lawyer, John Manly, speaking to CBS last month.
Held without bond in a high-security facility in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, the couple’s detention drew growing concern from officials and family members back home.
The incident has sparked renewed questions about the safety of American tourists involved in legal or financial disputes abroad, particularly in popular destinations like Cancun.
Navy veteran Paul Akeo and his wife Christy were taken into custody on 4 March shortly after arriving in Cancun for what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Their passports were flagged, leading to their arrest over allegations of defrauding Palace Resorts, a hospitality company they had previously booked with.
US representative Tom Barrett (R-Michigan) travelled to Mexico to help secure their release, holding talks with local authorities and visiting the Akeos in prison, New York Post reported.
“Paul and Christy Akeo are coming home. Mission accomplished,” Barrett wrote on X, sharing footage of the trio boarding a flight back to Michigan.
Paul and Christy Akeo are coming home. Mission accomplished. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lZFJCsD0FO
— Congressman Tom Barrett (@RepTomBarrett) April 4, 2025
The pair had been disputing $117,000 in charges made by the resort group to their credit card during a 2021 stay. The family’s legal team believes the arrests were a form of retaliation for the ongoing financial dispute.
“Make no mistake, what they’re doing is they are holding two Americans hostage because they want them to pay them money,” said the couple’s lawyer, John Manly, speaking to CBS last month.
Held without bond in a high-security facility in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, the couple’s detention drew growing concern from officials and family members back home.
The incident has sparked renewed questions about the safety of American tourists involved in legal or financial disputes abroad, particularly in popular destinations like Cancun.
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