I saw the show with Brendan. It was chilling, but I really appreciated his honesty about the whole situation. I guess I can't help but be curious about his friends take on it too. He said he really doesn't keep in touch and I got the impression he did not see them much in jail. That would have scared me even more to not be with friends.

I'd have liked an update with his friends, I don't think they had as easy a time of it as he did. Why wouldn't you keep friends close? Especially in a place like that. People he knows?

He mentioned that if a friend is threatened you have to cut them off. I think he did just that, he left them to the wolves. Apparently Brendan is a martial arts expert, so he had an edge. That edge would have given him some prestige.

That more than anything would have opened doors for him. More than his charisma, or personality. He deserves credit for making it through in good order. But, an update with his former friends would make an interesting episode I think.

Seeing the part where Brendan called his Dad brought back a memory and the feelings I hadn't had in 40 years!

Mine was a minor infraction; shoplifting while in another state at a wrestling camp. I was 14 and along with 3 of my friends ended up in jail, being held until one of my friend's father and a camp counselor got us out. We drove immediately home (8 hrs away) and when I walked in the house late that evening my parents hugged me and I bawled my eyes out. All they kept saying was they loved me and I kepy saying I was sorry I let them down.

In the show at that moment when Brendan hugged his father at the jail; the rush of emotional surrender rushed over me once more, 40 years later. Whew, I felt Brendan's pain and hurt for letting his father down. It showed the bond of a parent and child, no matter what is thrown at them. Happy that Brendan made it out with a positive impact on his life.

This episode was moving. Brendan's depiction of his story was more of a window into a moment of "transcendence" of the human spirit. He is genuine and real I could of put my TV on mute and wouldn't of missed the wisdom he earned through his experience communicated with his eyes. It's a beautiful thing when we realize what life is made of and how humans are frail yet are able to find the strength we need. I love how he admitted he didn't consider himself a criminal but a punk at that time in his life. We are not our actions and we have choices but when we make a wrong turn it does not define us unless you let it. Sometimes our wrong turns lead us to places we would never of reached. Didn't expect Locked Up Abroad tonight to be a simple yet powerful story of "enlightenment". Thanks Brendan.

This was another opportunity for Brenden to make easy $ just as he did by going to Brazil, instead he got time. He's arrogant, remorseful to an extent but mostly because he was caught. The way he was talking, it was if he was a juvenile, you were an adult, acting like a spoiled brat. I don't think prison life in Brazil was as easy as he made it sound, another brief case of $ on hand likely helped though.

His friends obviously are no longer "friends" who knows their fate? Indeed Brenden is a criminal and attempted to bribe a government official with a suitcase full of cash! He should have been sentenced more time for that stunt. Now his entire talk is Brazil is the best place on the planet. Please, it is what it is, he's a drug smuggler, had he been detained coming back into the US you can best believe he would still be doing time! Great, if he's rehabilitated and what not but bottom line is, he's a common criminal.

i think it's really interesting that they did not discuss his "friends" being released at all. I also got the impression that his Dad was only trying to help him and not concerned at all with his other partners in crime. I hope they truly did get released and are not rotting in Brazil.

I have no respect for this guy. He roped his friends into this mess as their trusted 'leader', he stood to make 10 x what they did from it, carried less dope and clearly hoped he'd get away with it while not seeming to care about what happened to them. Some 'leader'. Has access to the good things in life and protection through his Dad's profession (the law) but yet doesn't understand that he IS in fact a criminal. Clearly he's learned nothing and is still as immature as ever. I'm frankly far more interested and concerned about the fate of is friends. This guy is a total douche!

For the people who judge and condem, I hope your houses are not made of glass. I feel forgiveness can heal a world full of "right" vs "wrongs". Judgement many times seems fueled by these short sighted concepts which cause world violence and cycles of human destruction. When we judge we cheat ourselves from learning something about another's truth, about our own and any fruition uncovered possibilities may bring in my opinion.

Everyone in that situation had a choice and I didn't hear anything about anyone being "forced" to do anything. Brendan and his friends were very young adults making foolish decisions and getting into an extremly horrible situation. I think this situation could easily happen given the circumstances he explained. There is something to be said about being young and feeling "untouchable". I feel Brendan exhibits huge remorse and his expessions and emotions seemed aligned with a MAN who takes responsibility and has learned from his youthful experience. I don't believe we are defined by ONE experience and I can't say I know what he thinks or feels. I can only say how I felt watching the show. I was left with a warm heart realizing someone can take the dark and find the light. I run with the people of this tribe not the ones who blame, attack and condem. Its our mistakes which make us stronger. I'm glad I've made a lot of them.

I guess most people agree this guy is a real criminal and deserved to stay in prison. I agree. A good number of these guys were rich kids looking for some thrills. It's not about the money to a lot of them. Look at how he refused to escape with the Nigerians and stayed in prison. Who does that? He stayed out of PRINCIPLE! That's insane, everyone who escaped on this show back to their home countries NEVER was extradited back. Then his dad comes down with a suitcase of money...ridiculous.

As a Brazilian I am extremely upset at this guy's attitude towards my country. As a world citizen, I am reminded by this guy's attitude why US citizens are so often despised elsewhere.
His whole "alpha male" attitude and ego-centered mentality poured through his verbal diarrhea throughout the entire show.

He was a self-proclaimed "player", was offered $50K to smuggle drugs, strapped them on his friends and himself, got caught, tried to bribe his way out of paying for his crime and ended up serving only 4 years?!
Not to mention that if his father went into Brazil with more than U$3000 (the case full of money) without declaring it, HE also broke the law. So I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree, huh?

"Did your friends ever blame you for the situation?
As far as I know or am concerned NO they do not blame me. They were offered and accepted."
---- Are you really trying to tell us that you did not push and push, convincing them that this would be "easy money" after describing yourself as the "leader of the pack"?! You also messed up their lives. Your capacity for self-denial is quite amazing!

" I do hope that when people see this episode they would realize that this type of thing can happen to anyone from any walk of life. You do not have to be poor, you do not have to be a gangster and you do not have to be of any specific race."
---- Of course not! All you have to be is a criminal, a scumbag and to have an enormous amount of a sense of self-entitlement. This did not "happen to you". You are a criminal and you committed a crime and you got caught.

But I think the part that irks me the most is not the stupid excuses and rationalizations you do. After all you are a criminal and a scumbag.
You keep saying that you love Brazil, yet, in the show, you are upset because your sentence was reduced to from 25 years to 4 years after a "suitcase of money" was exchanged? You get upset that you are doing any time at all because "this is Brazil, why am I going to jail?! You got the money".

Please, stop going to Brazil. We have enough crime and scumbags. We do not need arrogant, stupid imports.

wow. such anger. sad. learning "responsibility" is a hard concept for many. i don't care if Brendan promised them the moon with a million Brazillion women on it in exchange to smuggle with him. "his friends" excepted whatever the offer was and have their own personal responsibility in getting themselves caught up. using the kind of logic you are, then why not blame the "king pin" himself and consider Brendan a "victim" too? i didn't see anyone else's father coming over with any ideas or money and trying to sling deals. possibly his father was voted best suited to do so and he sure came through for ALL OF THEM. and i'm glad he was smart enough to do what he had to do. i think i'd still be sitting there rotting if i was there. i think his father is a hero. if bribing them with money is so "corupt" than all i can say is they "took the deal". seems like an "even" playing field to me. seems like his friends should of been pretty happy someone was on the outside working on getting them free and his father accomplished that. i wish i could give his father a BIG HUG as a gesture to aknowledge what a great deed he did for 5 young people. if i had kids i'd like to think i'd do anything for them too. ANYTHING to save them.

labeling someone because they did ONE stupid thing is short sighted. Some of the most sucessful people have made mistakes and done illegal things. Oprah smoked crack:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n12_v87/ai_16404541/

Obama experimented: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/24/world/americas/24iht-dems.3272493.html

and maybe this is not a great comparison to drug smuggling but it's a great comparison to the concept that people are not defined by ONE thing they have done. many people mess up and turn their lives around to do great things EVIDENTLY. i don't know Brendan but i noticed nothing NOTHING about that show where he exhibited arrogance, immaturity, denial or some ego centric point of view. i think he was very clear about the fact he really screwed up and learned a lot from this. immaturity and arrogance are people who think they are "right" and who call people names and belittle others. i bet NONE of you would say that to him directly either. he seems to be a guy of stength no weakness. i think he's on his way to do GREAT THINGS.

I'd also like to add...

if any one of us on this board were to make a mistake, i hope those who condemn arn't our judge. and if i do get in trouble, i want my direct life line to go to Brendan's father, but pretty sure if I was hanging with his son he would probably be discouraging me from getting into trouble after his experience.

The problem with this show in general is that these people committ serious crimes that they would do a lot of time for if they had been caught here in the United States. They seem to think that because they got caught in a foreign country they should be excused from being punished. If you don't want to be put in a foreign prison then don't smuggle drugs in a foreign country. If you are going to break a foreign country's laws then be prepared to be punished by that country's criminal justice system.

I'm an American living in Brasil, and regularly have visited the prisons and jails. These places are some of the most inhumane places on earth. I would never justify Brendan's crime, but at the same time, most people in the US have no concept of a Brazilian prison. 14 guys in a room designed for 70, in sweltering heat. I saw it again today with a prison visit in Rio.

If Brazil wants to become a first world country, President Lula needs to address the significant human rights abuses that occur all over Brazil. When faced with the depravity of their country, most Brazilians choose to just look the other way.

My guess is that there are many more stories that are so horrific that Brendan does not even want to share.