US YouTuber remains in custody in India after visiting restricted island with a Diet Coke can
Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov will next appear before a local court in Port Blair — the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands — on April 29, police said.
Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe.
'It may be claimed to be an adventure trip, but the fact is that there has been a violation of Indian laws. Outsiders meeting Sentinelese could endanger the tribe's survival,' said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity as he isn't authorized to speak about the case under investigation.
Polyakov is suspected of violating Indian laws that carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine.
Visitors are banned from traveling within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of North Sentinel Island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches.
In 2018, an American missionary who landed illegally on the beach was killed by North Sentinelese Islanders who apparently shot him with arrows and then buried his body on the beach. In 2006, the Sentinelese had killed two fishermen who had accidentally landed on the shore.
An official from the U.S. consulate visited Polyakov in jail earlier this week. The U.S embassy in Delhi didn't immediately respond to a request confirming the visit or any further updates on Polyakov.
Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing a whistle to attract the attention but got no response from the islanders.
The young American had twice attempted to visit the island in the past, and left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as offering for the tribe this time after he failed to contact the Sentinelese. He shot a video of the island on his camera and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat.
On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, an archipelago nearly 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) east of India's mainland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Brazil's Message To The American People Is Going Super Viral
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly attempting to overturn his 2022 election loss with a coup plot. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. After Bolsonaro lost the election, his supporters stormed Brazil's Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace. Sound familiar? It's kind of like Brazil's version of January 6. Sooo, Brazil's Supreme Court has raided Bolsinaro's home, put him on an ankle monitor, and banned him from social media and foreign contacts. Meeeeeanwhile, Trump has been defending Bolsonaro on TruthSocial, posting a letter saying, "I'll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely. The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It's called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!" Trump also posted a letter to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, threatening to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods and calling the trial of Bolsonaro a "Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!" "I want to say something to the American people: If Trump was Brazilian and if he did what happened at Capitol Hill, he'd also be on trial in Brazil. And possibly he would have violated the Constitution. According to justice, he would also be arrested if he had done that here in Brazil." People in the replies are saying some sort of version of this: "America is not a serious country anymore." This person commented, "We're a joke to the rest of the planet. We're like the parent in the grocery store who will never discipline their child who is screaming and throwing literal shit at other customers." Another person shared this picture: And this person asked, "Can we deport trump to Brazil and put him in trial there instead?"
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Alina Habba Faces Federal Judges Over Her Job
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Alina Habba is facing federal judges on Monday in a meeting that will decide if she will step down or continue in her current role as the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. President Donald Trump, for whom Habba previously served as personal legal counsel, announced her appointment to the role on March 24. Habba's 120-day interim appointment is set to expire at midnight on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, unless extended by federal judges or Senate confirmation. Newsweek contacted Habba for comment via email on Monday Alina Habba speaks after being sworn in as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 28, 2025. Alina Habba speaks after being sworn in as interim US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 28, 2025. Associated Press Why It Matters Alina Habba's temporary 120-day term as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey will end if there is no confirmed extension. Federal judges are weighing whether to reappoint her or name a successor—an unresolved decision that could affect leadership, ongoing investigations, and prosecutorial direction in the state's top federal office. What To Know Federal judges in New Jersey are meeting Monday to consider whether to reappoint Habba or select a new acting U.S. Attorney, with no final decision yet publicly confirmed. Habba was sued by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation after his arrest during a protest an immigration detention center in Newark on May 9. Habba dropped a trespassing charge against Barak that month. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has urged judges not to affirm her role. "The so-called U.S. Attorney in NJ maliciously indicted Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for doing her job. Alina Habba is a woefully unqualified political hack who has to go," he said on X on July 18. "She must be rejected by the Federal District Court judges who are considering whether to retain her." Nonprofit advocacy organization The Article III Project filed a House ethics complaint against Jeffries, following his social media post. What Are People Saying The Trump administrations top civil rights lawyer, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said on Monday: "Who's delivering results for the American people? Alina Habba is doing a great job indicting criminals and putting Americans first — which begs the question when someone is doing their job so well, why would a politician pressure judges to undermine her?" Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker, the Democrats from New Jersey, said of Habba in a joint statement on July 2: "In her short tenure as interim US Attorney, she has degraded the office and pursued frivolous and politically motivated prosecutions. It's clear that Alina Habba does not meet the standard to serve the people of New Jersey." Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee who previously worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office, said Habba is unqualified for the job, and had no prosecutorial experience when Trump appointed her in an interim capacity in March, adding: "Habba has explicitly stated her goal to politicize the office where I served as a prosecutor, and as acting U.S. Attorney, she has already weaponized it against her perceived political opponents." What Happens Next The judicial decision is expected to later on Monday.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawyers ask judge to delay release from jail over deportation fears
Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia have asked a federal judge in Tennessee to delay releasing him from jail in order to prevent the Trump administration from trying to swiftly deport the Maryland construction worker. U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. in Nashville is expected to rule soon on whether to free Abrego Garcia while he awaits trial on human smuggling charges. If the Salvadoran national is released, U.S. officials have said he would be immediately detained by immigration authorities and targeted for deportation. Abrego Garcia became a prominent face in the debate over President Trump's immigration policies when he was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador in March. That expulsion violated a U.S. immigration judge's order in 2019 that shields Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he likely faces threats of gang violence there. The administration claimed that Abrego Garcia was in the MS-13 gang, although he wasn't charged and has repeatedly denied the allegation. Facing mounting pressure and a U.S. Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. last month to face the smuggling charges, which his attorneys have called 'preposterous.' The smuggling case stems from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding, during Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with nine passengers. Police in Tennessee suspected human smuggling, but he was allowed to drive on. U.S. officials have said they'll try to deport Abrego Garcia to a country that isn't El Salvador, such as Mexico or South Sudan, before his trial starts in January because they allege he's a danger to the community. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville ruled a month ago that Abrego Garcia is eligible for release after she determined he's not a flight risk or a danger. Abrego Garcia's attorneys asked her to keep him in jail over deportation concerns. Holmes' ruling is being reviewed by Crenshaw after federal prosecutors filed a motion to revoke her release order. Abrego Garcia's attorneys initially argued for his release but changed their strategy because of the government's plans to deport him if he is set free. With Crenshaw's decision imminent, Abrego Garcia's attorneys filed a motion Sunday night for a 30-day stay of any release order. The request would allow Abrego Garcia to 'evaluate his options and determine whether additional relief is necessary.' Earlier this month, U.S. officials detailed their plans to try to expel Abrego Garcia in a federal court in Maryland. That's where Abrego Garcia's American wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, is suing the Trump administration over his wrongful deportation in March and is trying to prevent another expulsion. U.S. officials have argued that Abrego Garcia can be deported because he came to the U.S. illegally around 2011 and because a U.S. immigration judge deemed him eligible for expulsion in 2019, although not to his native El Salvador. Following the immigration judge's decision in 2019, Abrego Garcia was released under federal supervision, received a federal work permit and checked in with ICE each year, his attorneys have said. But U.S. officials recently stated in court documents that they revoked Abrego Garcia's supervised release. Abrego Garcia's attorneys in Maryland have asked U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to order the federal government to send Abrego Garcia to that state to await his trial, a bid that seeks to prevent deportation. His lawyers also asked Xinis to issue at least a 72-hour hold that would prevent immediate deportation if he's released from jail in Tennessee. Xinis has not ruled on either request. Finley writes for the Associated Press.
