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I Was Watching Travel Videos and This Special Report About an American's Death Stopped Me Cold [1]
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Date: 2025-07-27
I watch a lot of travel content on YouTube, so when this report about an American traveler's tragic death in the Dominican Republic appeared in my feed, I had to click. What I learned about 24-year-old Ellen Frances Hulett absolutely horrified me.
I can't stop thinking about it.
x YouTube Video
What Actually Happened
Ellen (who went by Ezra with family and friends) arrived in the Dominican Republic in March with a valid U.S. passport. Somehow, she ended up detained by immigration for 94 days without any charges. She had severe asthma and begged for her inhaler. Authorities denied medical care. On June 23, Ellen died of respiratory failure.
Their mother is now crowdfunding $35,000 just to bring her child's body home.
How is this not front page news?
It Gets Worse
The video explains this isn't isolated. There are multiple cases:
A Canadian man detained 71 days on what his family calls "bogus" drug charges—cost them $85,000 to get him out
Three brothers from Florida detained for a year after someone planted drugs in their rental car
after someone planted drugs in their rental car A Long Island businessman who lost 100+ pounds in 18 months of what he describes as "horrific" conditions
Five Canadian airline crew members detained for 220 days after they reported suspected drugs on their own plane
Congress Knew This Was Happening
Here's what really got me: the video shows that members of Congress from both parties have been writing letters about Americans being detained without due process in the Dominican Republic. Some of these letters were written before Ellen even traveled there with at least one written while she was detained.
We're sending millions of dollars in aid to the Dominican Republic while they're apparently throwing Americans in prison without charges.
Look, protecting Americans abroad should be the most basic thing our government does, regardless of your politics. We send millions in aid—shouldn't the bare minimum be ensuring Americans aren't dying in their detention centers?
Where the hell is our State Department?
People Are Fighting for Answers
Ellen's family friend Claire has posted on Instagram, trying to keep her memory alive and push for justice. A human rights lawyer fought for Ellen in Dominican courts, often the only person speaking up for detained foreigners.
But where's the systemic support? Where's the media coverage?
Why Isn't Anyone Talking About This?
I've been following news pretty closely, and I had never heard Ellen's name before watching this video. A 24-year-old American citizen dies in foreign detention and it's barely a blip?
The video creator seems to be one of the few people actually covering this story in English. That's insane.
Ellen's Family Needs Help Right Now
While I'm sitting here outraged about government failures, Ellen's mother Diane is trying to raise money to bring her daughter home and to seek justice. The GoFundMe is called "Help Bring Ezra Home and Seek the Truth."
They've raised about $16,200 of their $35,000 goal, but still need help. That's a mother crowdfunding to get her child's body back from a foreign country.
This is America in 2025.
What I'm Going to Do
Watch and share this video - seriously, more people need to see this Donate to Ellen's family if I can spare anything Contact my representatives - why are we sending aid to countries that abuse Americans? Keep talking about this - the media silence is unacceptable
We Need Answers
How many Americans are sitting in Dominican detention right now? How long has our government known about this? Why does a YouTube creator have better information than major news outlets?
Ellen Frances Hulett deserved better. Her family deserves answers. And Americans deserve to know this is happening.
Watch the video. Share Ellen's story. Help her family if you can.
This can't keep happening in the shadows.
Ellen's mother described her as 'a kind, gentle, and brilliant soul.' No American should die in foreign detention after 94 days without charges.
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