Pilot linked to $3.6M hashish seizure in Paraguay denies involvement

ASUNCION, Paraguay,, June 4 (UPI) -- Estonian pilot Keith Siilats, who is being sought by Paraguayan authorities following the discovery of some $3.6 million worth of hashish and marijuana aboard the private jet he was flying, denied any involvement in the smuggling and questioned airport security procedures in Paraguay.

Speaking from the United States, Siilats, who is the subject of an arrest warrant, told Paraguayan media outlets La Tribu 650 AM and Radio Ñanduti that the jet does not belong to him, that he was unaware of the existence of the cargo and that his return trip already had been scheduled before the investigation began.

"I had another flight I needed to take on Sunday, so I had a flight back to the U.S. that morning after landing in Paraguay. I provided that information to the authorities. I found out about the drugs when I was already back in Miami," he said.

Paraguayan authorities are investigating a suspected international drug-trafficking operation after agents discovered 577 pounds of hashish and premium marijuana hidden inside a Bombardier Challenger 604 that landed Friday night at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport from Panama.

The drugs' value made the case one of the largest recent air-related drug seizures in the country.

Siilats, who is listed in online sources at the co-founder of Bolt Mobility and Bytelogics, said he was hired solely to operate the flight when the regular pilot could not do it. He said the passengers, identified as David Thomas Wise and two companions, boarded the aircraft carrying only one suitcase.

The pilot said he later learned that Wise had hired an interior design company to perform overnight work on the aircraft while it was parked in Florida.

According to Siilats' account, the drugs may have been hidden inside panels and internal compartments of the aircraft during that work.

"My theory is that the drugs were put on board the night before we took off from Miami," he said.

Siilats also questioned inspections carried out in Paraguay and said no authority physically inspected the interior of the aircraft after landing.

"In most countries where I fly, especially in Latin America, police officers and drug-sniffing dogs routinely inspect private aircraft after landing. There was nobody to check the airplane here," he said.

Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat Minister Jalil Rachid rejected criticism of airport security procedures, arguing that the seizure itself demonstrated that existing controls were effective.

In a post shared by Radio Ñandutí, Rachid said authorities were able to detect the hashish being transported aboard the private jet precisely because inspection measures were working.

He also noted that Paraguay has increasingly become a destination country for illicit drugs, rather than merely a transit point for regional trafficking networks.

Siilats said one of the circumstances that later appeared suspicious to him was that the passengers remained at the airport after landing.

"People who travel on private jets are usually very conscious of time because every minute costs money. They normally leave right away, but these passengers stayed at the airport," he said.

Siilats also said he tried to contact Paraguayan anti-drug prosecutor Ingrid Cubilla to offer cooperation with the investigation, but received no response.

"I got the WhatsApp contact from the prosecutor and I've been sending her text messages saying, 'Please call me,' and she has not called me," he said.

Siilats has hired an attorney in the United States, who advised him to try to arrange a meeting with U.S. federal authorities.

"I have no legal representation in Paraguay, but I hired a lawyer here, and he recommended that I go into the FBI office in the U.S. So I've been trying to set up that meeting," he said.

Meanwhile, Paraguayan prosecutors are seeking to preserve the testimony from U.S. citizen Jabari Stephan Brown, who was part of the flight crew and was released after giving a statement.

Judge Rosarito Montanía authorized a pretrial evidentiary hearing Cubilla requested so Brown can testify as a witness because he may soon return to the United States.

According to prosecutors, Brown may provide relevant information about the hiring of the crew, flight planning, stopovers made during the trip and interactions among the aircraft's occupants.

Siilats said the case represents one of the scenarios private pilots often discuss among themselves and argued that Brown was the person most affected by the investigation because he spent one night in detention before being released.

"These are things that can happen. We talk about it all the time as pilots. I've flown many times with the co-pilot, and I think he got the worst part of it because he spent a night in jail," he said.

The investigation began Saturday morning when one of the passengers returned to the airport to retrieve luggage that had been left inside the aircraft. His behavior raised suspicions among airport agents, who carried out an inspection that led to discovering the drugs.

Besides Wise, the two other detained U.S. passengers were identified as Troy Anthony Vasquez and Marisol Rivas.

Cubilla charged them with international drug trafficking and unauthorized possession of narcotic substances. They are now being held in pretrial detention at Paraguayan correctional facilities.

Jalil Rachid, minister of Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat, previously said authorities were working with international agencies to reconstruct the route of the shipment and determine possible regional connections.

According to investigators' working hypothesis, Paraguay was only a transit point and the drugs' final destination was Brazil.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 12:43 PM.