A YouTuber who goes by “Your Fellow Arab” has allegedly been kidnapped in Haiti.


Your Fellow Arab, whose real name is Addison Pierre Maalouf, is known for making off-the-beaten-path travel content that often skews into illegal territory. Some of the most viewed videos on his YouTube channel include “I Spent a Day with Rio Brazil’s Most Dangerous Gang” and “Day 1 of Living with the Mexican Cartel.”

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Recently, several people close to the YouTuber are claiming that he was kidnapped during a trip to Haiti.



For context, Haiti is currently undergoing what some are calling a “low-scale civil war” following a dispute between several gangs and the current government. According to CBS News, “more than 1,190 people [have] been killed since the start of 2024 alone,” and gangs currently control about 80 percent of the country’s capital.


One of the most prominent figures in this gang movement is Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier. Several fellow YouTubers are reporting that Maalouf was trying to meet with Cherizier before he went missing.



“On March 14, Maalouf was taken by a gang known as the 400 Mawozo, led by kingpin Lanmo 100 jou, who is on the FBI most wanted list. Maalouf is being held for a ransom of $600,000,” reads a piece in the Daily Mail. “Around $40,000 has been paid so far to the hostage takers, reports Haiti24. A Haitian colleague was also taken.”


Another YouTuber, Lord Miles, who was himself previously detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan, says he’s been in contact with people close to the issue.



While Lord Miles isn’t exactly the strongest source, given his recent history with something similar, it’s valuable to at least consider what he has to say. According to him, the original ransom was $600k, but it has since been argued down. Miles also stated that they attempted to pay the ransom but it “went wrong”; that said, Maalouf is still “in excellent spirits.”


“Arab has stated that despite the harships, he's going to come out with a great video after this and he should be out in no time,” wrote Miles. Miles further cautioned against donating to any fundraisers in support of Maalouf and encouraged those reading to offer their prayers for the YouTuber.



If what Miles is saying is true, I hope Maalouf gets out soon — and it better be a banger of a video.