Iowa student’s passport seizure in Dominican Republic raises red flags for Americans traveling: What to know

The seizing of an Iowa college student’s passport while under investigation in the Dominican Republic is a cautionary tale for Americans traveling abroad, who an expert said should be vigilant about protecting their travel documents. 

Last month, 22-year-old Joshua Riibe's passport and cellphone were confiscated as investigators tried to piece together missing spring breaker Sudiksha Konanki’s final moments. Hotel surveillance footage revealed Riibe was among the last people to see Konanki alive before the University of Pittsburgh student disappeared on a Punta Cana beach after a night of drinking with friends. 

After Konanki’s disappearance, Riibe, who authorities said was never a suspect, was holed up inside the Riu Republica Hotel under the watch of local authorities.

Riibe, a student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, remained in the Dominican Republic, unable to travel back to America, for approximately two weeks before he was able to head home.

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The high-profile debacle came to a head inside a Dominican courtroom, as Riibe sat alongside his father and a translator while lawyers argued over the conditions of Riibe’s hotel room detainment. The issue surrounding the return of Riibe’s passport was scheduled for a later date, potentially forcing Riibe to remain in the country for a second court appearance. 

"Ever since my passport was taken, it's very rare I'm alone," Riibe testified before a Dominican judge. He later added, "I can’t go anywhere. I really want to be home. Hug my family and friends."

While Riibe's lawyers had said his passport was confiscated, prosecutors argued that he lost it.

Following the initial court proceedings, Riibe was able to obtain a provisional passport from the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic.

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On March 19, Riibe boarded a JetBlue flight from Santo Domingo to San Juan, Puerto Rico, marking the end of his nightmare abroad. However, Riibe’s escape hit a brief snag when he was held in Puerto Rico over the new passport not being properly stamped, NotiCentro reported.  

Last week, a Dominican judge ruled to officially close Riibe’s case, granting the habeas corpus motion filed on behalf of the key witness. 

"On March 18th, following the conclusion of the habeas corpus hearing that ordered the release of our client, Joshua Riibe, the Prosecutor's Office of La Altagracia informed him of their readiness to return his passport," Riibe's attorneys said. "While Joshua appreciated this decision, he chose, for privacy reasons, to apply for a new passport at the U.S. Consulate, which was promptly issued." 

Although Riibe was able to obtain a replacement passport and subsequently return home, his experience serves as a warning for Americans who may be asked to hand over their passport for a multitude of reasons while in another country. 

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Travelers could be asked to forfeit their passport or other identifying documents by foreign law enforcement or as collateral while enjoying an excursion, according to Kate Gladdin, an expert in international travel safety. 

"The reality is there are some bad fruits out there that see tourists and can very quickly get [them] in a vulnerable position because they don't have their government," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. 

"One thing I can say, flat out, is to never hand your passport over as a form of deposit, ever," Gladdin said. "There are stories where they're like, ‘Oh, you want to hire this jet ski? OK, we can take your passport just as a deposit that you'll come back.’ Do not [do it]. Put it in your safe and leave it there until [the end of your trip]."

The risk of forfeiting identifying documents is an issue that hits close to home for Gladdin. 

In 2012, Gladdin’s sister, Nicole Fitzsimons, was killed in a motorbike accident while vacationing in Thailand with her boyfriend, Jamie Keith. 

Fitzsimons, 24, was riding on the back of the bike when a driver riding on the wrong side of the road careened into the couple’s vehicle.

"She [was rushed] into surgery," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. "We had all our hearts and toes and fingers crossed that she was going to be OK, but unfortunately we did lose her in that surgery." 

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But Fitzsimons' death wasn’t the end of the nightmare for the grieving family. 

Keith’s Australian passport was seized by Thai authorities, ultimately barring him from leaving as the investigation remained ongoing. 

"Unfortunately, the police tried to see it differently and put us in a really uncomfortable, hard and challenging situation where they took Jamie's passport," Gladdin said. "There was no justice in Nicole's death."

Gladdin also suggests vacationers carry copies of their identification documents, in the event their belongings are lost or stolen. 

"Every country is different," Gladdin said. "You have to take your safety into your own hands, because the rules might not always be there. But without those rules, we are without protection." 

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The family’s fight to bring Keith home, while also grappling with the death of Fitzsimons, led Gladdin down a path of teaching parents how to instill travel safety habits in their families. 

"Travel is one of the most eye-opening things we can do," Gladdin said. "But help them make educated choices. I’m not against travel, but I’m for educated travel." 

Gladdin also points parents toward federal resources aimed at keeping Americans safe while traveling abroad. The State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program provides vacationers with the opportunity to register their trips with the government, in the event something goes wrong. 

"[Officials] can quickly update and get in contact with you regarding any safety or security information – whether it's like an impending cyclone or a terrorist threat – that they need to get you out of a country quickly, if they know you're there," Gladdin said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment. 

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Gladdin’s passion for travel safety and educating parents was born from tragedy, but she insists it does not have to be that way for other families. 

"Lying on the floor of my sister's closet, choosing out her funeral dress rather than helping to choose her wedding dress – there are no positives in that," Gladdin told Fox News Digital. "I think finding purpose in what you're going through, [by] leaning towards problems that are surrounding you and [finding] what you can do to help solve them. My family created a purpose in Nicole's death by looking at the problem of travel safety and doing whatever we could to solve it."

Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.