Homeland Security Agents Force Plane to Land in San Antonio

WOAI ^ | 1/24/2005 | ElephantinTexas

[ElephantinTexas]

This is my first post so I hope I got it right.

This is breaking here in San Anonio. A single engine plane has been forced down at Stenson Field south of San Antonio. Homeland Security, DPS and SAPD are on the scene. They are waiting for a Chinese tranlator but they have Chinese illegals in custody and said that the pilot was someone Homeland Security has been looking for.

I'll post more as it comes available.

[jriemer]

I stand corrected.... Google sure did make it look like it. I was more impressed that Michelle Malkin was lurking around... lol.

We better clean up this thread. Michelle Malkin may walk back in any minute. 8^)

[Flyer]

I was more impressed that Michelle Malkin was lurking around

She does that. Her husband is a registered FReeper.

[jriemer]

Do we have a Homeland Air Force that none of us knew about?

In a word, yes.

Feds launch border air patrols from New York - 10/9/2004
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Beefed-up air patrols designed to intercept terrorists, drug smugglers and illegal aliens along the nation's northeastern border are taking off from a base commissioned Friday. The new Air and Marine Operations facility at a former Air Force base in the northeast corner of New York is one of five that will be responsible for tightening surveillance along the U.S.-Canadian border. [/snip]

I cannot find the link of another HSD base that "opened for business" outside of Seattle.

[Turbopilot]

Some reports are saying the plane left from Eagle Pass while others are saying the plane crossed our borders. I'd be satisfied with that for now and I'd be really interested if anyone knows if you can check out flight plans from Eagle Pass, TX. for that night.

I don't know how to look up filed or flown flight plans for flights occurring in the past, but if the pilot were up to no good I doubt he'd file a flight plan. He's not required to, either, if he's VFR and not crossing the border.

If he did leave from a Texas airport rather than fly over the border, it begs the question why Homeland Security was interested in that flight out of probably dozens of flights in that area at that time. Nothing wrong with taking off from a Texas airport and flying VFR to another Texas airport without talking to anybody; five people in the airplane probably had it over max. gross but that's a regulatory violation that has no criminal penalties and that Homeland Security wouldn't care about.

[davidosborne]

Great first post, and a Breaking News Keeper !

[ElephantinTexas]

NEWS AT 10PM UPDATE-

There seems to be a pattern going on here in Texas and in the courts too.

The #2 plane that left Laredo and got forced down at Bergstrom Airport in Austin is tonight being reported as being Quote: "being owned by the same company that owns the plane at Stinson"

Now I don't know if they were implying that it's also owned by our weasel buddy Afzal Hameed and Alpha Tango Flying Services, Inc. here in San Antonio or if it's owned by all of those dummy company's up in Delaware but I'm checking on it.

For those that missed it, the #2 plane was forced down the same night the Stinson plane was and had three Mexican Nationals on board, including the pilot, and a later search turned up over 100lbs. of pot.

Well just like the Chinese illegals earlier today, the three Mexican Nationals went before the Judge in Austin and also will NOT be deported but are being held WITH NO CHARGES BEING HELD AGAINST THEM! They are being held as witnesses against the pilot.

I don't know if this is par for the course, but one station reported that they may be trying to build a case against the "ringleader" whoever that might be.

Well the Elephant still has His Boots on the Ground if anybody stills cares....lol

[bayourod]

"Do we have a Homeland Air Force that none of us knew about? "

ICE"The Tucson Air Branch maintains an inventory of 13 aircraft - five Citation interceptor jets, four Black Hawk helicopters, and four light observation planes.

"All of these high-speed aircraft can travel substantial distances without refueling, enabling them to cover hundreds of square miles in a single flight, an important advantage when the target area includes vast stretches of international border. In addition, the Black Hawk helicopters can land in rugged terrain and transport up to 10 passengers, making them invaluable for rescue and evacuation operations in remote and inaccessible areas.

To fly these aircraft, ICE relies on more than 60 pilots who are also trained as enforcement agents. ICE’s "

[daybreakcoming]

Thank you for keeping us up to date. None of the MSM seem to see fit to do so.

[Cindy]

Thanks for the update Elephant in Texas.

[conservative in nyc]

In addition to their role in directly combating terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security also took over the INS, Customs and other border agencies. So it wouldn't be unusual for the border patrol to track planes flying across the border, or from a border-area airport shortly after a known illegal border crossing. And if the plane were flying across the border without a flight plan, it would likely raise even more red flags.

Even if we give Hameed the benefit of the doubt -- he very well may be just a flight school owner and instructor duped by someone who rented his plane --- this story raises legitimate concerns about the security of our borders. Thankfully, this smuggler was caught. But the maximum sentence is 5 years? And the people being smuggled aren't being charged with anything (or quickly deported back to China?) What type of deterrent is that to other air pirates? I'm sure the Department of Homeland Security can't be everywhere and catch every smuggler, even if they devoted all of their resources to combat illegal immigration by air. A harsher penalty would be appropriate.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I care!!! Thanks for the info....I'm going to have to go back in the thread a bit to read some of the older stuff.

PLEASE continue to ping me.

[conservative in nyc]

Thanks for the additional info.

Most of the companies registered at the same address as Hameed's plane are undoubtedly legitimate. A lot of businesses are incorporated in Delaware, since its corporate law is well developed, predictable, and business friendly. It is not unusual for a company based elsewhere to have a mail drop agent in Delaware. Professional services corporations are set up down there to facilitate this. And there's nothing illegitimate about it.

I think the media is implying that either Alpha Tango Flying Services or someone who has rented their planes has been involved in a huge illegal alien smuggling operation. I can imagine that the FBI is crawling all over Hameed Afzal and Alpha Tango to determine just that. As they should be. Busting a smuggling ring would make our borders a lot safer than just jailing one or two of the pilots. And it might lead us to clues about who else the ring has transported across our porous borders. Some of them might be on the terrorist watch list.

Upon further reflection, it probably makes it easier not to charge the illegal aliens with a crime, just hold them as witnesses. If charged with a crime, they'd actually get to stay in the country for years until the case is heard and appealed and appealed again and they are deported. If held as a material witness, there would be no need to go through a lengthy trial process before beginning deportation hearings.

[ElephantinTexas]

Well here we go! This sheds SOME light on a few things but didn't confirm that Hameed owns that second plane as reported on KENS 5 TV tonight.

This is from KENS and the San Antonio Express News (mysa.com) and here's the full text if you don't want to register to their site.

Airport busts not tied to terror
Web Posted: 01/26/2005 12:00 AM CST
Mariano Castillo
San Antonio Express-News
Eight people were in custody Tuesday, a day after federal agents swooped down on two planes carrying human cargo and drugs in San Antonio and Austin, officials said.

Christian Delgado Gomez, 22, is taken to the U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday.
Despite early concerns, none of the detainees is suspected of having terrorist links, federal authorities said. Both cases are the result of an ongoing investigation into immigrant smuggling.
The detainees include four undocumented immigrants from China and a pilot from Mexico. They were taken into custody Monday night after a small passenger plane arrived at Stinson Municipal Airport. The flight originated in Eagle Pass.
Three Mexican nationals were apprehended later that night after another plane touched down in Austin. That flight originated in Laredo but stopped at Stinson before flying on to Austin. Officials reported seizing 108 pounds of marijuana on board the plane.
The suspicion of a link to terrorism emerged after a tipster reported last week that a man suspected of smuggling Chinese immigrants into the United States was planning a terrorist attack in Boston.
The tip turned out to be bogus, but the incident pointed out that an increasing number of undocumented immigrants are coming from China.
Crammed into a Cessna 172P, built to seat a maximum of four people, the pilot of the San Antonio-bound plane and his passengers were met by San Antonio police and federal agents when they landed at about 10 p.m. Monday.
Christian Delgado Gomez, 22, was charged with illegally transporting undocumented immigrants, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A bond hearing was set for Feb. 3.
It was at least the fourth attempt to smuggle people in by airplane to be foiled in South Texas since August, Department of Homeland Security officials said.
Agents interviewed the four Chinese citizens — two men and two women — and said their journey began in December with an arrival somewhere in Central America.
Using several modes of transportation, including walking, the four traversed Mexico and last weekend crossed the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass, agents said.
The four, who have valid passports, may have each paid their smugglers from $40,000 to $100,000 or more for the journey, which was to end in New York, according to the agents.
The immigrants are awaiting deportation proceedings.
The second plane landed at 11:30 p.m. at Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, where waiting agents arrested three Mexican nationals. They face drug smuggling charges.
Contrary to earlier reports, neither of the planes was forced down. U.S. Border and Customs Protection aircraft were used to monitor the flights in case either of the planes strayed from their filed flight plans, officials said.
Both planes were electronically monitored from the Air and Marine Command Center in Riverside, Calif., in coordination with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Eagle Pass. Local agents were ready to intercept the planes as soon as they landed at their scheduled destinations.
Although the Laredo flight led to information about the Eagle Pass flight, officials declined to say whether the two were linked.
Federal Aviation Administration records show the San Antonio-bound plane is co-owned by Hameed Afzal of Dover, Del. The other listed owner is Alyce S. Taylor, but her address was not available.
Roland Herwig, an FAA spokesman in Oklahoma City, said the plane is properly registered.
On Tuesday, Afzal was running his office at San Antonio International Airport as usual.
"We rent airplanes to qualified pilots, just like you rent cars to qualified drivers," he said. "What they do afterward, you can't say."

[conservative in nyc]

According to the FAA's database, no other plane is registered to Hameed Afzal in the United States. As you would expect, Alpha Tango owns 6 other planes under its corporate name. It is, after all, a flight school. New pilots usually don't bring their planes with them. Here's what they are and their registration numbers:

Name Entered : ALPHA TANGO FLYING
Sorted by Name
Number of Records: 6 (Page 1 of 1)

N-Number	Serial Number	Manufacturer Name Model	Name
49108	15283421	CESSNA 152	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SERVICE INC
49250	15283443	CESSNA 152	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SERVICE INC
3281B	15284269	CESSNA 152	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SERVICES INC
42611	18259104	CESSNA 182	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SERVICES INC
4918G	17273465	CESSNA 172N	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SERVICES INC
6575J	17273893	CESSNA 172N	ALPHA TANGO FLYING SVCS INC

Federal Aviation Administration records show the San Antonio-bound plane is co-owned by Hameed Afzal of Dover, Del. The other listed owner is Alyce S. Taylor, but her address was not available.

I still can't believe your local media keeps on saying Hameed Afzal lives in Dover, and has no clue Alyce Taylor is his spouse. They seem to have found him just fine in his San Antonio office. Do they think he commutes from Dover every day? Maybe the next time he's there, Mariano Castillo should ask to speak with Alyce - she works there too.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping and update.

This morning at about 2:45 am, a few people in the wine counties north of Gay Frisco got awaken by an apparent fighter jet from Travis AFB (probably) in hot pursuit of something West to NW of Travis. We haven't had any fun and excitement like that since the months immediately after 9/11.

[ElephantinTexas]

Maybe you missed the update. Go back to post #225. They had a mike crammed in her face at her home here in San Antonio Tues. afternoon.

Some have questioned the motive of their marriage with the hugh age difference and all but I can tell ya' he didn't marry her for her looks. You could use her face to make Gorrilla cookies! But they sure don't live in a dump.

[ElephantinTexas]

Here's an older article from KXAN TV in Austin but in it the Feds. say that the ABIA #2 plane was a Cessna Skyhawk 173M.

Here's the link-

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=2857729&nav=0s3cVbmn

[ElephantinTexas]

Sorry....... I can't even read my own handwriting. It's a Cessna Skyhawk 172M and there are two on that list.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Hands waving here! shouting "I Care - I care".

Thank you, for this post, it does answer a lot of questions.

I simply could never quite get back to the thread and won't be able to see it for the real reading it deserves, but do keep it going and I will catch up.

I do thank you for keeping me up to date, and I sit here and
laugh at all the reports that say there was nothing in the Mexican Border Chinese threat.

[nw_arizona_granny]

This is a repeat of E.T.'s post.....

NEWS AT 10PM UPDATE-

There seems to be a pattern going on here in Texas and in the courts
too.

The #2 plane that left Laredo and got forced down at Bergstrom
Airport in Austin is tonight being reported as being Quote: "being
owned by the same company that owns the plane at Stinson"

Now I don't know if they were implying that it's also owned by our
weasel buddy Afzal Hameed and Alpha Tango Flying Services, Inc.
here in San Antonio or if it's owned by all of those dummy company's
up in Delaware but I'm checking on it.

For those that missed it, the #2 plane was forced down the same night
the Stinson plane was and had three Mexican Nationals on board,
including the pilot, and a later search turned up over 100lbs. of pot.

Well just like the Chinese illegals earlier today, the three Mexican
Nationals went before the Judge in Austin and also will NOT be
deported but are being held WITH NO CHARGES BEING HELD AGAINST
THEM! They are being held as witnesses against the pilot.

I don't know if this is par for the course, but one station reported that
they may be trying to build a case against the "ringleader" whoever
that might be.