Michigan couple freed from Mexican jail over resort dispute
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A Michigan couple has finally returned home after enduring a month-long imprisonment in a Mexican prison, where they were held over a credit card dispute with a resort company.
Paul Akeo, a Navy veteran, and his wife Christy were apprehended on March 4 during their arrival in Cancun when authorities flagged their passports. The arrest stemmed from their challenge of $117,000 in charges from Palace Resorts, made to their American Express card during a 2021 stay.
“Make no mistake, what they’re doing is they are holding two Americans hostage because they want them to pay them money,” family lawyer John Manly told CBS last month.
The couple’s month-long ordeal included confinement in a maximum security facility without the possibility of bail. According to Rep. Tom Barrett, the prison conditions were deplorable, featuring deteriorating infrastructure, malfunctioning sewage systems, overcrowded spaces, and poor-quality food.
BREAKING: President Trump has freed Americans Christy and Paul Akeo from a maximum security prison in Mexico after they were jailed over a timeshare dispute.
Within a week of reading about their situation, Trump facilitated their release and got them home.
This is what having a… pic.twitter.com/RUE6UXfoIV
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 4, 2025
“This has left them scared, frustrated, and struggling to find hope,” the congressman said in an earlier post shared a day before the couple’s release.
The situation improved when Barrett traveled to Quintana Roo to facilitate negotiations for their freedom. Following their release on Thursday, the couple and Barrett boarded a flight back to Michigan, touching down in Lansing shortly after midnight on Friday.
“There’s so many people who have supported us,” Christy expressed upon their return. “I don’t even know how we’re going to repay or thank people.”
According to Christy’s daughter Lindsey Hull’s Facebook post, the couple faced numerous hardships during their detention, including denial of medical care and communication privileges. Hull reported that her mother lost 25 pounds after being served food that triggered her known allergies.
After landing in Cancun this morning, I traveled directly to the maximum security prison where Paul and Christy Akeo are being held. I met with them personally for an hour and learned of the horrific conditions they are facing — rubbled walls, overcrowded cells, toilets that… pic.twitter.com/zmMvbYGhJO
— Congressman Tom Barrett (@RepTomBarrett) April 2, 2025
The Palace Company defended their position, telling ABC News: “Paul and Christy Akeo fraudulently disputed legitimate credit card charges and publicly encouraged others to do the same.”
Mexican authorities had initially ordered a six-month preventive detention for the couple, alleging that Christy had used Facebook to teach others how to commit fraud against the hotel chain. However, according to CBS Detroit, all charges against the Akeos have now been dropped.
“Paul is a US Navy Chief Petty Officer and served our country for 21 years. The lack of action from our own government officials to help an innocent veteran who proudly served our country is UNACCEPTABLE,” Hull stated on the Facebook group she created to advocate for her parents’ release.
