Posted on 09/09/2002 6:26:32 PM PDT by Tancredo Fan
Dozens Arrested In Airport Worker Sweep
Feds: Workers Provide False Information
Posted: 11:41 a.m. CDT September 9, 2002 Updated: 5:52 p.m. CDT September 9, 2002
HOUSTON -- Dozens of Houston-area airport workers with access to secure areas were arrested as part of a nationwide sweep called "Operation Tarmac."
News2Houston reported Monday that the Justice Department's crackdown resulted in the arrests of 28 workers at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport.
Operation Tarmac is the Justice Department's initiative to crack down on people who have access to secure areas of airports after having lied about criminal backgrounds or their citizenship status.
Several federal sources told News2Houston that the numbers of arrests in Houston are likely to top any other city that has seen a Tarmac sweep thus far.
Some of the workers were arrested on the job and others were arrested at their homes, authorities said.
All of the employees arrested in Houston lied about their citizenship status, according to officials.
"One hundred, forty-three of those individuals were found to have made numerous and repeated intentional misstatements of fact in their identification in order to obtain a badge that gave them some measure of access to that aircraft," said Michael Shelby, U.S. attorney.
In other cities, employees were arrested for allegedly lying about a criminal past.
The workers were charged with lying about their name, Social Security number or citizenship status.
"Our goal is to make the airports secure for every man, woman and child in the southern district of Texas so when they look up into the sky and see that airplane overhead, they can have some assurance that it is not being used as a manned missile," Shelby said.
Even though the Houston-area employees were charged with what seemed to be a lesser crime, officials said it was still a dangerous situation.
"The terrorist could come up to one of these individuals and say, 'You have a choice. Either hide this small package under seat 22A or don't do it and I'll call the Immigration and Naturalization Service and let them know that you're illegally here and that you lied to get your job,'" Shelby said.
Arrest warrants are out for 115 people who are under indictment, but have not yet been found by federal agents.
At one point, organizers of the local raid were afraid the number of arrests would actually shut down Bush Intercontinental Airport, but those fears were allayed after many of the offenders quit their jobs or were fired.
Undocumented Workers Targeted?
A defense attorney for two of the arrested workers claimed that the government is targeting illegal immigrants who are trying to support their families.
Federal officials said that they are not targeting any one group, but are just trying to make sure the airports are secure.
The Mexican Consulate warned undocumented workers at the airport in April about a possible crackdown.
Approximately 150 employees quit their jobs after the warning, and before the raid, officials said.
The Mexican Consulate said those arrested were not potential terrorists, but simply working for economic reasons.
"They are people that need to work and they found the work here. They found a job here," said Eduardo Ibarrola, Mexican consul. "They are, of course, trying to get an economic way to live in this country."
Ibarrola admitted that the workers should not have lied or falsified information on their applications.
"For those that have no documents, and are still working in the airport system, they better go look for another job," Ibarrola said.
Federal officials said that the crackdowns would continue.
Three weeks ago, News2Houston requested any copies of termination letters from the Houston Airport System, but the city withheld those records.
On Friday, 29 people were arrested during a similar operation in South Florida.
... "They are people that need to work and they found the work here. They found a job here," said Eduardo Ibarrola, Mexican consul. "They are, of course, trying to get an economic way to live in this country."
Ibarrola admitted that the workers should not have lied or falsified information on their applications.
"For those that have no documents, and are still working in the airport system, they better go look for another job," Ibarrola said.
You got it, you idiot. They can look for jobs in their beloved homeland after they are done making license plates here for about 40 years. The Mexican government is a global cancer.
I recommend an intensive treatment regimen of radiation therapy.
No way anybody will mess with those guys.
(I said she claimed to be well traveled, not smart.)
ROFL, yeah, economic reasons. It would be awfully fun to know how much these arrests end up curtailing the amount of cocaine being smuggled into the country.
Food handlers and others with a badge have access to the planes without going through security.
Eagles, or Strike Eagles?
Gee how strange...target illegal activity. What a defense.
It should have read:
Airport janitors caught working on the job
But she is smart enough to think only American citizens, not illegal aliens, should be working at American airports,
Sorry if my post was obtuse.
Because Mexico's wealth all goes to a handful of old families and their gangster pals, levaing nothing for anyone else. Mexicans should be given a nice pamphlet on the history of the American Revolution and turned around. That government of theirs needs to be overthrown.
BTW, this "operation tarmac" is a good idea. It should have been done the week following the attacks, but we have politicians and bureaucrats instead of statesmen in DC. You can bet that there are enough traitors involved in the execution of this to ensure the escape of plenty of saboteurs. Call me cynical.
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