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John McAfee 'released from confinement'

The antivirus software pioneer was arrested by the Dominican Republic and had firearms and ammunition seized, a new report says.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.
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Corinne Reichert
2 min read
Belize Fugitive John McAfee

John McAfee is being released from confinement, his Twitter account says.

Larry Marano/WireImage

John McAfee has been released Wednesday after apparently going missing earlier this week, according to a tweet. Operating his Twitter account Tuesday, his campaign manager Rob Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Loggia-Ramirez said McAfee had been detained by authorities.

The antivirus software pioneer has been on the run since 2012 after his alleged involvement in a murder in Belize, which he denies. Data hidden across the world by the 2020 presidential candidate and maker of an "unhackable" cryptocurrency wallet would have been revealed if he remained detained, the series of tweets this week said.

McAfee was arrested by the Dominican Republic Armed Forces while docking his yacht in Puerto Plata, AP reported Wednesday afternoon. Multiple high-caliber weapons as well as ammunition were seized during the arrest, AP said. On July 19, McAfee had tweeted a picture of himself and his wife holding guns on his yacht.

"John, Janice and his crew are alive and in the process of being released from confinement," Loggia-Ramirez tweeted from McAfee's account Wednesday, adding that McAfee himself would tweet more details Thursday.

McAfee then tweeted a series of pictures of himself leaving detention after "four days of confinement."

"I was well treated. My superiors were friendly and helpful. In spite of the helpful circumstances, we've decided to move on. More later," he tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

McAfee last week tweeted his only "crime is not filing tax returns," and claimed the rest of the charges against him is "propaganda by the US government to silence me." On July 19 he'd said he would be going "dark for the next few days," claiming the CIA "attempted to collect us."

"I have good reason to suspect that John McAfee, @theemrsmcafee and other companions have been detained by authorities at their latest port of call," Loggia-Ramirez tweeted on McAfee's account Tuesday.

"If John misses his next check-in, events will be set into motion that I cannot prevent once they have begun. John has secreted data with individuals across the world. I know neither their identities or locations. They will release their payloads if John goes missing."

Loggia-Ramirez told CNET he has no more information about the detainment, but that he and others are "employing every possible resource to locate him and secure his release."

The Twitter thread didn't say when McAfee's next check-in was scheduled, but he told CNET in a private Twitter message that the "response has been pre-coordinated in the event something like this happened, and it that has many moving pieces involving people unaware of each other."

 Loggia-Ramirez later told CNET in a private Twitter message that to his knowledge, McAfee was detained but not arrested.

Originally published July 24, 12:07 p.m. PT.   

Updates, 4:54 p.m.: Adds AP information; 5:02 p.m.: Adds pictures of release from McAfee; 5:25 p.m.: Adds comment from Loggia-Ramirez.