MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean Antarctica: 19-year-old American pilot committed no crime, his defense argues

Guo has reportedly lost 11 kilos since his detention

Ethan Guo, a 19-year-old American pilot who was detained in Antarctica for over a month, is seeking to have his case dismissed. His lawyer, Jaime Barrientos, argues that Guo did not violate any rules and that his arrest was based on “partial information” from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC).

Barrientos claims the DGAC omitted crucial details, including conversations showing that a senior DGAC official and the air traffic controller at the Teniente Marsh aerodrome explicitly authorized Guo to land there.

“According to our legal system, this is equivalent to a dismissal. Our client did not violate any rules. The arrest, in our opinion, was seriously flawed,” Barrientos claimed. “The prosecution made decisions based on partial information provided by the DGAC, an entity that omitted fundamental information, such as the express authorization to land at Teniente Marsh by Mr. Jan Oneto, a senior DGAC official, and by the radio controller at the Teniente Marsh aerodrome himself,” he added.

The lawyer has submitted this evidence, including WhatsApp messages, to the Prosecutor's Office.

Guo was detained on June 28, 2025, after landing in Antarctica without what authorities claim was an approved flight plan. The defense's documents suggest that Guo's flight plan was altered with the knowledge of DGAC officials and that the pilot was given permission to land at the Teniente Marsh airfield for safety reasons.

The solo pilot, who was on a trip around the world, has been living at an air base and has reportedly lost over 11 kilograms since his detention.

Barrientos also said he hoped to prove that his client did not commit any offense and that once the proceedings are closed, the young pilot will be able to fly his aircraft back to Punta Arenas in Chile or Ushuaia in Argentina.

Guo landed at Teniente Rodolfo Marsh (SCRM) airfield on King George Island on June 28, 2025, at which point his “trip around the world” was put on hold when he was arrested. He was formally charged on Sunday, July 9, and a precautionary measure of national confinement was imposed. The Cessna 182 Q aircraft took off from Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Airport in Punta Arenas with a plan to fly over the city but went on to Antarctica without authorization, allegedly in breach of Chilean aviation regulations.

However, Barrientos submitted a series of documents to the Public Prosecutor's Office, consisting of a series of communications, documents, and images that would prove that Guo did not commit any offenses.

”The DGAC was aware of the modification of my client's flight plan to Antarctica, particularly to Marambio, Argentina base (SAWB), which is consistent with the communications that my client would have minutes later with the Teniente Marsh controller, who asked him to confirm his intention to modify the flight plan again from SAWB to SCRM, to which Mr. Guo responded affirmatively, requesting authorization to land at that aerodrome for safety reasons,” the lawyer explained.