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The seizing of an Iowa assemblage student’s passport portion nether probe successful the Dominican Republic is simply a cautionary communicative for Americans traveling abroad, who an adept said should beryllium vigilant astir protecting their question documents.
Last month, 22-year-old Joshua Riibe's passport and cellphone were confiscated arsenic investigators tried to portion unneurotic missing outpouring breaker Sudiksha Konanki’s last moments. Hotel surveillance footage revealed Riibe was among the past radical to spot Konanki live earlier the University of Pittsburgh pupil disappeared connected a Punta Cana formation aft a nighttime of drinking with friends.
After Konanki’s disappearance, Riibe, who authorities said was ne'er a suspect, was holed up wrong the Riu Republica Hotel nether the ticker of section authorities.
Riibe, a pupil astatine St. Cloud State University successful Minnesota, remained successful the Dominican Republic, incapable to question backmost to America, for astir 2 weeks earlier helium was capable to caput home.
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Joshua Riibe arrives astatine a Dominican Republic courthouse connected March 18, 2025. (Fox News Digital)
The high-profile debacle came to a caput wrong a Dominican courtroom, arsenic Riibe sat alongside his begetter and a translator portion lawyers argued implicit the conditions of Riibe’s edifice country detainment. The contented surrounding the instrumentality of Riibe’s passport was scheduled for a aboriginal date, perchance forcing Riibe to stay successful the state for a 2nd tribunal appearance.
"Ever since my passport was taken, it's precise uncommon I'm alone," Riibe testified earlier a Dominican judge. He aboriginal added, "I can’t spell anywhere. I truly privation to beryllium home. Hug my household and friends."
While Riibe's lawyers had said his passport was confiscated, prosecutors argued that helium mislaid it.
Following the archetypal tribunal proceedings, Riibe was capable to get a provisional passport from the U.S. Consulate successful the Dominican Republic.
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Sudiksha Konanki went missing from a Punta Cana formation successful the aboriginal hours of March 6. (Fox News Digital/Loudoun County Sheriff's Office)
On March 19, Riibe boarded a JetBlue formation from Santo Domingo to San Juan, Puerto Rico, marking the extremity of his nightmare abroad. However, Riibe’s flight deed a little snag erstwhile helium was held successful Puerto Rico implicit the caller passport not being decently stamped, NotiCentro reported.
Last week, a Dominican justice ruled to officially adjacent Riibe’s case, granting the habeas corpus question filed connected behalf of the cardinal witness.
"On March 18th, pursuing the decision of the habeas corpus proceeding that ordered the merchandise of our client, Joshua Riibe, the Prosecutor's Office of La Altagracia informed him of their readiness to instrumentality his passport," Riibe's attorneys said. "While Joshua appreciated this decision, helium chose, for privateness reasons, to use for a caller passport astatine the U.S. Consulate, which was promptly issued."
Although Riibe was capable to get a replacement passport and subsequently instrumentality home, his acquisition serves arsenic a informing for Americans who whitethorn beryllium asked to manus implicit their passport for a multitude of reasons portion successful different country.
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Local authorities hunt for missing U.S. pupil Sudiksha Konanki successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, connected Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Konanki, 20, was past seen connected March 6 connected a formation extracurricular the five-star RIU Republica Resort successful the Dominican Republic. (Santiago Baez for Fox News Digital)
Travelers could beryllium asked to forfeit their passport oregon different identifying documents by overseas instrumentality enforcement oregon arsenic collateral portion enjoying an excursion, according to Kate Gladdin, an adept successful planetary question safety.
"The world is determination are immoderate atrocious fruits retired determination that spot tourists and tin precise rapidly get [them] successful a susceptible presumption due to the fact that they don't person their government," Gladdin told Fox News Digital.
"One happening I tin say, level out, is to ne'er manus your passport implicit arsenic a signifier of deposit, ever," Gladdin said. "There are stories wherever they're like, ‘Oh, you privation to prosecute this pitchy ski? OK, we tin instrumentality your passport conscionable arsenic a deposit that you'll travel back.’ Do not [do it]. Put it successful your harmless and permission it determination until [the extremity of your trip]."
The hazard of forfeiting identifying documents is an contented that hits adjacent to location for Gladdin.
In 2012, Gladdin’s sister, Nicole Fitzsimons, was killed successful a motorbike mishap portion vacationing successful Thailand with her boyfriend, Jamie Keith.
Fitzsimons, 24, was riding connected the backmost of the motorcycle erstwhile a operator riding connected the incorrect broadside of the roadworthy careened into the couple’s vehicle.
"She [was rushed] into surgery," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. "We had each our hearts and toes and fingers crossed that she was going to beryllium OK, but unluckily we did suffer her successful that surgery."
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Nicole Fitzsimons and Jamie Keith airs for a photograph portion visiting Thailand successful 2012. (Courtesy of Kate Gladdin)
But Fitzsimons' decease wasn’t the extremity of the nightmare for the grieving family.
Keith’s Australian passport was seized by Thai authorities, yet barring him from leaving arsenic the probe remained ongoing.
"Unfortunately, the constabulary tried to spot it otherwise and enactment america successful a truly uncomfortable, hard and challenging concern wherever they took Jamie's passport," Gladdin said. "There was nary justness successful Nicole's death."
Gladdin besides suggests vacationers transportation copies of their recognition documents, successful the lawsuit their belongings are mislaid oregon stolen.
"Every state is different," Gladdin said. "You person to instrumentality your information into your ain hands, due to the fact that the rules mightiness not ever beryllium there. But without those rules, we are without protection."
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Nicole Fitzsimons and Kate Gladdin airs for a photograph astatine their brother’s wedding successful 2011. (Courtesy of Kate Gladdin)
The family’s combat to bring Keith home, portion besides grappling with the decease of Fitzsimons, led Gladdin down a way of teaching parents however to instill question information habits successful their families.
"Travel is 1 of the astir eye-opening things we tin do," Gladdin said. "But assistance them marque educated choices. I’m not against travel, but I’m for educated travel."
Gladdin besides points parents toward national resources aimed astatine keeping Americans harmless portion traveling abroad. The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program provides vacationers with the accidental to registry their trips with the government, successful the lawsuit thing goes wrong.
"[Officials] tin rapidly update and get successful interaction with you regarding immoderate information oregon information accusation – whether it's similar an impending cyclone oregon a violent menace – that they request to get you retired of a state quickly, if they cognize you're there," Gladdin said.
Fox News Digital reached retired to the State Department for comment.
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Gladdin’s passionateness for question information and educating parents was calved from tragedy, but she insists it does not person to beryllium that mode for different families.
"Lying connected the level of my sister's closet, choosing retired her ceremonial formal alternatively than helping to take her wedding formal – determination are nary positives successful that," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. "I deliberation uncovering intent successful what you're going through, [by] leaning towards problems that are surrounding you and [finding] what you tin bash to assistance lick them. My family created a intent successful Nicole's decease by looking astatine the occupation of question information and doing immoderate we could to lick it."
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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