Eight Idahoans arrested in Haiti
MERIDIAN - A rescue mission abruptly ended Saturday morning at the Haiti-Dominican Republic border as eight Idahoans were detained for illegal trafficking of children.
They were part of the New Life Children's Refuge, which was founded more than a year ago by members of the Central Valley Baptist Church with a mission to help orphans in Haiti. After the earthquake they sent ten volunteers to help transport homeless children to a new orphanage in the Dominican Republic.
Chuch leader and pastor Clint Henry told 2News the group had thought all their required paperwork had been submitted and approved.
"I have confidence in our people that went, that they would not do anything knowingly illegal," Henry said.
However when the group tried to cross the border they were detained and the children were stranded once again.
"It probably comes down to paper work and we believed that we had done everything we needed to do but they're saying that something else needed to happen," Henry said. "I know there has been illegal activity down there and it's unfortunate that we would be associated with that. Our hope would be that this situation could be settled tomorrow but we've been trying to bring those children out for days and days and days so I don't know what to say other than God is in control and he's got it figured out and we're just trusting him right now."
He says the organization has been working for months to build an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. That's where they hoped the children would eventually end up.
Co-founder of the New Life Children's Refuge 24-year-old Charisa Coulter first told her dad they group had been arrested via text message around 1 p.m. Saturday. Mel Coulter has called Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and the U.S. State Department asking for help in ensuring the safety of his daughter and the team in Haiti. Charisa has diabetes and her father feared without help from the U.S. government, she would die.
Late Saturday however Mel received a call from the State Department telling him the group was safe, had food and water and that his daughter had the medicine she needed.
"When God calls you to a certain mission and a specific action he's not going to let it fail," he said. "I'm convinced that nothing will stand in the way of Him accomplishing his purpose through this whole team. I know even as we speak and the 10 people sitting in the Haitian jail are convinced of the same thing."
Another family member of a detained Idaho is Sean Lankford. He's also a member of the Central Valley Baptist and said he can't believe the rescue team is being grouped in with criminal child slave-traffickers.
"It really is shocking because it really is a rescue mission for these children," he said. "They're really hoping to save the lives of children."
The latest from the U.S. State Department is that a Haitian judge has been assigned to the case but that judge will not hear the charges until sometime Monday.
Mel Coulter relaid the information to 2News that the officials with the State Department are working on obtaining legal defense for the 10 Idahoans.
Family members back in the states are also working with the U.S. Embassy to clear the teams' name. Pastor Henry says they may be a little discouraged, but he's confident the group will be set free.
They were part of the New Life Children's Refuge, which was founded more than a year ago by members of the Central Valley Baptist Church with a mission to help orphans in Haiti. After the earthquake they sent ten volunteers to help transport homeless children to a new orphanage in the Dominican Republic.
Chuch leader and pastor Clint Henry told 2News the group had thought all their required paperwork had been submitted and approved.
"I have confidence in our people that went, that they would not do anything knowingly illegal," Henry said.
However when the group tried to cross the border they were detained and the children were stranded once again.
"It probably comes down to paper work and we believed that we had done everything we needed to do but they're saying that something else needed to happen," Henry said. "I know there has been illegal activity down there and it's unfortunate that we would be associated with that. Our hope would be that this situation could be settled tomorrow but we've been trying to bring those children out for days and days and days so I don't know what to say other than God is in control and he's got it figured out and we're just trusting him right now."
He says the organization has been working for months to build an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. That's where they hoped the children would eventually end up.
Co-founder of the New Life Children's Refuge 24-year-old Charisa Coulter first told her dad they group had been arrested via text message around 1 p.m. Saturday. Mel Coulter has called Idaho Senator Mike Crapo and the U.S. State Department asking for help in ensuring the safety of his daughter and the team in Haiti. Charisa has diabetes and her father feared without help from the U.S. government, she would die.
Late Saturday however Mel received a call from the State Department telling him the group was safe, had food and water and that his daughter had the medicine she needed.
"When God calls you to a certain mission and a specific action he's not going to let it fail," he said. "I'm convinced that nothing will stand in the way of Him accomplishing his purpose through this whole team. I know even as we speak and the 10 people sitting in the Haitian jail are convinced of the same thing."
Another family member of a detained Idaho is Sean Lankford. He's also a member of the Central Valley Baptist and said he can't believe the rescue team is being grouped in with criminal child slave-traffickers.
"It really is shocking because it really is a rescue mission for these children," he said. "They're really hoping to save the lives of children."
The latest from the U.S. State Department is that a Haitian judge has been assigned to the case but that judge will not hear the charges until sometime Monday.
Mel Coulter relaid the information to 2News that the officials with the State Department are working on obtaining legal defense for the 10 Idahoans.
Family members back in the states are also working with the U.S. Embassy to clear the teams' name. Pastor Henry says they may be a little discouraged, but he's confident the group will be set free.
More to Explore
Learn about changes coming to commenting