In the News

Two of Louisiana's members of Congress met with the Guatemalan ambassador over the case of a Shreveport man detained in the country while trying to return from a church mission trip in March.

Zack Wilson, of Shreveport, was arrested at a Guatemalan airport at the end of the mission trip when authorities discovered hunting ammunition in his bag, according to information about the case provided by the offices of U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson.

The Shreveport man had been traveling with the Word of God Church.

Wilson suffers from a medical condition, ulcerative colitis, that affects the intestines and requires medication. Wilson's family told Cassidy and Johnson that those drugs aren't available in Guatemala and shipping the drugs to Guatemala, where Wilson remains in custody, is expensive.

Wilson unsuccessfully petitioned the Guatemalan government to allow him to return to the United States for treatment while awaiting trial.

"Since Zack Wilson was first detained this spring, I have been working on his behalf to secure swift and appropriate action by the Guatemalan government so he can return home to his family," Johnson, R-Bossier City, said in a statement Tuesday morning.

Johnson said he was encouraged by the meeting with the ambassador, Manuel Espina.

"As a doctor, I went over his medical condition with the ambassador and explained his urgent medical needs," said Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who's also a trained gastroenterologist.

"We are doing everything within our power to ensure the well-being of Mr. Wilson and to bring him home while respecting the rule of law in Guatemala," Cassidy added.