A group of suspected illegal immigrants was being questioned early today after federal officials forced their single-engine plane to land here. The Cessna carried at least four suspected illegal immigrants who were detained along with the craft's pilot by homeland security officials in connection with a possible smuggling operation, according to newspaper and broadcast reports. A police dispatcher said federal authorities forced the craft to land at Stinson Municipal Airport just before 10 p.m. Monday. "They brought a plane down. They are holding it," a San Antonio Police Department dispatcher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press. "They asked us to assist them. The FBI is handling it now."| Be afraid, be very afraid |
Representatives of the Homeland Security Department, FBI and Federal Aviation Administration did not return telephone calls early today from the AP. Online records of the Federal Aviation Administration show that the 20-year-old plane is co-owned by Afzal Hameed of Dover, Del. The other co-owner is listed as Alyce S. Taylor, but no address is given for her. | Afzal Hameed, according to San Antonio TV news report this morning, is of Syrian desent and runs a flight school. |
The FAA records state that the plane's last three-year registration was filed in 1999, and that the agency received no response in 2002 after mailing new registration forms to Hameed. | Let's see, 2002-2003-2004-2005, that's a little overdue, ain't it? Don't suppose you checked up to see why he didn't register that plane, did you? |
Early today, the small white Cessna 172P with maroon and gray trim sat unattended next to the airport's darkened terminal, located a few miles south of downtown San Antonio. Capt. Jeff Humphrey, San Antonio police special operations commander, told the San Antonio Express-News in today's editions that the five suspects were under investigation in connection with a smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals. The newspaper said the five had been flying south of San Antonio when they were intercepted and ordered to land. Federal agents and San Antonio police surrounded the plane after it landed. Federal authorities said the plane was flying in American airspace illegally and that those aboard the craft appeared to be Chinese, according to San Antonio television and radio station WOAI. The Express-News said federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials asked for backup from San Antonio police, who provided a Chinese linguist to translate for the two male and two female passengers. Last week the FBI, citing a tip, notified law enforcement officials to watch out for four Chinese nationals -- two men and two women -- described as possible terror suspects who may be headed to the Boston area. | Gee, we seem to have a match. |
A man suspected of telling authorities about the Boston terror suspects was detained Monday by Mexican authorities in Mexicali, on the California border. Jose Ernesto Beltran Quinones was on an FBI list of 16 people sought for questioning about the alleged terror plot. FBI special agent Kiffa Shirley told the AP that Quinones was being questioned on behalf of the FBI. | If he's not "connected" with the Mexican cops, he's not having a good day. |
FBI officials have said they haven't been able to corroborate the terror claim. A leading theory in the case is that a smuggler of illegal immigrants made up the plot to get revenge on the group, perhaps because members failed to pay. | Better safe that sorry, especially since we now have a Syrian flight school instructor with a unregistered light plane full of illegals. |
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