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.

[Flyer]

Ping. . .

Great first post, ElephantinTexas!

[TheCrusader]

"If we had a 40,000 foot high fence across the border they couldn't have gotten over it."

Yeah, national borders don't make any sense to me either. They should just be lines on a map so you'll know what country you're in. Oops, I forgot, without borders that are enforced you don't have a country. Oh what the hell, since you don't believe in the enforcing of borders, let's all bring our camping gear and a three month supply of beer and squat in your back yard for a few months, we don't need a proper invitation, right?

[FreedomCalls]

For Immediate Release January 22, 2005	Washington D.C. FBI National Press Office
UPDATE ON PERSONS SOUGHT FOR QUESTIONING ON CITY OF BOSTON THREAT Washington , D.C. - The FBI announces that Mei Xia Dong, Chinese/female (originally thought to be male), was located upon being identified as one of 14 subjects allegedly involved in a suspected Boston terror plot. Mei Xia Dong was located in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention facility in the San Diego , CA , area. She was arrested for an immigration violation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents on November 11, 2004 , and had remained in custody since that time. Investigation has determined that Mei Xia Dong paid an undisclosed sum to human smugglers to be brought into the United States through Mexico .  It appears at this time that Mei Xia Dong's motives for entering the U.S. may have been for economic reasons.  The investigation thus far does not tie her to any terrorist group. The FBI continues to work with the Department of Homeland Security as well as our state and local law enforcement partners to resolve this matter. It should be noted that, to date, none of the original and anonymous information linking Mei Xia Dong and the 13 others to terrorism has been corroborated. The FBI remains interested in information on the remaining 13 persons identified in press releases issued on January 19 and 20, as follows: 1)      Zengrong Lin 2)      Wen Quin Zheng 3)      Xiujin Chen 4)      Guozhi Lin 5)      Yu Xian Weng , female, possible date of birth (DOB) 4/5/64 and Chinese passport #P5997636 or DOB 10/4/63 and Chinese passport #G07457027 6)      Qinquan Lin , or Qiquan Lin, male, possible DOB 3/6/83 and Chinese passport #G04152197 7)      Liqiang Liang, male, possible DOB 9/1/76 and Chinese passport #G07074257 8)      Min Xiu Xie, male, possible DOB 11/21/77 and Chinese passport #G08386268 9)      Xiang Wei Liu, or Xing Wei Liu, male, possible DOB 5/30/82 and Chinese passport #G053490L8 10)     Xiuming Chen, male 11)     Cheng Yin Liu, male 12)     Zao Yun Wang, male 13)     Jose Ernesto Beltran Quinones, male We ask that anyone with information about these individuals bring it to the attention of the FBI at (617) 742-5533; to their closest FBI office (contact information for field offices is located at http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm ); or to the FBI tipline at http://tips.fbi.gov. Again we want to stress to everyone that at this time the threat information is uncorroborated and of unknown reliability. All law enforcement agencies are working together to address the issue.

[Daaave]

"Anyone know about the technologies that go into detecting low flying airplanes?"

Yes, a little. I had a bro-in-law in AWACS, Gulf War 1.

I haven't heard or read about any planes with look-down capability, patroling (Except right after 911). Just talk about it. Of course that means nothing these days! I mean my not hearing about it.

But they may be patroling the borders and we are not aware of it. But, isn't it more probable that this plane was tracked on FAA radar at normal altitude because it had no flight plan, or was acting in a suspicious manner? Like it suddenly popped up on RADAR after low leval flying.

Many stories here in Florida about tracking the drug smugglers, as you can imagine. I like the infrared videos of planes/boats dumping out the bales.

I'm guessing this plane was treated the same as any unidentified plane would be treated, when Homeland Security is looking for Chinese illegals that may have radiological material in their posession.

I went to a Chinese buffet for dinner tonight. I love Chinese food.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

If we had a 40,000 foot high fence across the border they couldn't have gotten over it.

FINALLY you're starting to see the light...

[daybreakcoming]

Hope you will update us. Too often IMO, we hear these things and then we never hear "the rest of the story". Kinda like being a mushroom.
And welcome to Free Republic. A most excellent but disturbing first post.

[bayourod]

"Mei Xia Dong was located in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention facility "

Well no wonder she couldn't pay the coyote the rest of the money she owed him. I bet he's kicking himself in the arse right now for turning her in and subjecting himself to exposure.

[bayourod]

"I love Chinese food. "

Chinese is easy to assimilate.

[Miss Marple]

Hmmm. I see that the 14 Chinese people has been confirmed.

I will check back on this tomorrow.

[Indie]

A hellfire would have worked quite nicely..and should be used frequently on planes sneaking across the border, if in fact this one was...LOL. KABOOM! [Ah but then no judge would be able to send them back to try again]

[Mockingbird For Short]

Thanks for the info, Elephant. I'm "here", too.

[Daaave]

"If we had a 40,000 foot high fence across the border they couldn't have gotten over it."

Altitude, above 29,000 feet.

The E-3 Sentry is a modified Boeing 707/320 commercial airframe with a rotating radar dome. The dome is 30 feet (9.1 meters) in diameter, six feet (1.8 meters) thick, and is held 11 feet (3.33 meters) above the fuselage by two struts. It contains a radar subsystem that permits surveillance from the Earth's surface up into the stratosphere, over land or water. The radar has a range of more than 250 miles (375.5 kilometers) for low-flying targets and farther for aerospace vehicles flying at medium to high altitudes. The radar combined with an identification friend or foe subsystem can look down to detect, identify and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft by eliminating ground clutter returns that confuse other radar systems.

U.S.Air Force

[CyberAnt]

Ooooh! That's right - I'd forgotten about the group of Chinese still wandering around.

[CyberAnt]

Boston!

[CyberAnt]

I would have liked to have seen that - I wish they had put it on the networks instead of HBO.

[babygene]

What ever happened to Wing Tip Shoe?

[ElephantinTexas]

Here's some more info from KENS 5 TV and The San Antonio Express-News. You have to register to their site for the page and I'll post the link if you want me to. It's at www.mysa.com but here's the entire text.

Five on small plane detained at Stinson
Web Posted: 01/25/2005 12:00 AM CST
Vincent T. Davis
San Antonio Express-News
Four immigrants and a pilot were detained after a Homeland Security Department division helped surround their plane at Stinson Municipal Airport on Monday night.
The five are being investigated in connection with a smuggling operation involving Chinese nationals, said Capt. Jeff Humphrey, San Antonio police special operations commander.
The five had been flying in a single-engine Cessna 172P south of San Antonio.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested help from the San Antonio Police Department, which provided a Chinese linguist to translate for the two male and two female passengers.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane is co-owned by Afzal Hameed of Dover, Del., and Alyce S. Taylor.

[ElephantinTexas]

Here's the link to the text in #57. I only have a stoopid webtv and I can only do .3 things at a time. lol.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/crime/stories/MYSA012505.2B.plane.403f29ae.html

[Liberty Valance]

Excellent first post EinTX. Welcome to FR.
Lot's of great Texas Freepers on this board.
I'm near Kerrville...

[AnimalLover]

BIG BUMP