Oops, We Did It Again!
TSA in San Diego, in a really weird story, lets through a fake marshal who "deports" a real woman to the Philippines. Jose Arballo writes for San Diego News Network:
A Hemet man who passed himself off as a U.S. Marshal was able to enter the international airport in San Diego with a "prisoner" after convincing airport security officers he was a federal agent, a TSA spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.Suzanne Trevino, spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said in a telephone interview that an investigation has revealed that someone who presented "falsified law enforcement documents" was able to get past security and eventually make it to a gate with a prisoner. The individual presented himself as a law enforcement officer and followed the proper procedures, including logging in, she said.
The agency learned about the incident after being contacted by "local law enforcement" about the potential breach in security.
Apparently, the woman's family called them in the wake of his coming to her home and making off with her, under the pretense that he was law enforcement. He drove her to a border patrol office and tried to get them to take her into custody, telling them she was in the country illegally. And they did confirm she was illegal, and then refused to take her into custody. Nice!
Hemet investigators were then told that the suspect ultimately drove the female victim to the International Airport, where he escorted the handcuffed victim through the airport and to the gate of a departing flight, Wisehart said. At this point he un-handcuffed the victim and she boarded the plane that was headed to the Philippines.Wisehart identified the woman as Cherriebelle Hibbard and anshe apparently has remained in the Philippines. Wisehart said the victim's family, believing the woman was being deported by federal officials, paid for the airline ticket.
Look at the bright side -- since the federal government has been unwilling to enforce its immigration laws for decades, this sounds like a new variant on a citizens arrest -- and doesn't everyone love it when people think globally and act locally?
JB at February 5, 2010 5:11 AM
Think harder about this.
It means that someone with false law enforcement ID can bring their gun on the plane.
Radwaste at February 5, 2010 6:35 AM
How weird. I don't know that I would necessarily blame the TSA on this one until I find out more. Isn't there some better way of confirming the validity of a police ID than just looking at it? Maybe not. If someone shows up at your house, in uniform, carrying what appears to be legit police ID, and they have a search warrant, how do you know they're a real cop? How do you know the warrant isn't forged?
Cousin Dave at February 5, 2010 6:44 AM
I just love that the guy dropped off an illegal immigrant at the office supposed to handle that sort of thing and they apparently told him to go blow.
And I do blame the TSA. They should be trained to spot fake law enforcement credentials. An Israeli would've spotted the two pellet guns right away, I'm guessing, because they all go in the army.
Amy Alkon at February 5, 2010 7:14 AM
Part of me wants to laugh at this.
Part of me wonders why we have the TSA in the first place.
Ann at February 5, 2010 7:33 AM
Well at least she didn't get away with a free flight. It was probably a pre-planned thing. She wanted to go to the Phillipines, he agreed to "help" her. That they actually pulled it off is kinda scary, though.
Flynne at February 5, 2010 7:48 AM
I am sooooo glad to be getting on a plane next weekend. So glad. I feel so safe and secure knowing that the TSA has got my back. Yep. You betcha.
Sabrina at February 5, 2010 8:16 AM
Why would she need his help to go? Her relatives bought the ticket!
NicoleK at February 5, 2010 10:39 AM
Beware all paragraphs that begin with the words "Hemet investigators..."
Also, remember that Hemet is where the scientologists pursue their voodoo.
Crid at February 5, 2010 11:34 AM
Why would she need his help to go? Her relatives bought the ticket!
They bought the ticket after the fact. Maybe she had asked them for the money first, and they said no, so then she and this guy cooked up this scheme to get her on the plane.
Flynne at February 5, 2010 11:57 AM
confirming the validity of a police ID than just looking at it? Maybe not. If someone shows up at your house, in uniform, carrying what appears to be legit police ID, and they have a search warrant, how do you know they're a real cop? How do you know the warrant isn't forged?
Anytime police have come to my door, I call 911 and confirm that they are actually police. It is too easy to go to a police supply store and buy a real badge/uniform and pass yourself off. Rapists have done that in Houston multiple times.
-Julie
JulieW at February 5, 2010 12:24 PM
"I don't know that I would necessarily blame the TSA"
I do. They have body scanners to look at your teen daughter's vag but they can't verify some guy with a tin badge?
Billions wasted, lives still in danger. Major league fail.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at February 5, 2010 2:06 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/02/05/oops_we_did_it.html#comment-1693614">comment from Gog_Magog_Carpet_ReclaimersGog has it exactly.
Amy Alkon
at February 5, 2010 2:12 PM
So, Julie.
Just how ofter *do* the police come to your door?
Steve Daniels at February 5, 2010 3:12 PM
I am wondering what proper procedure and logging in entails. If that is some sort of computer system that "confirms" that the person is a law enforcement officer. If that is the case, he has paper work that presumable looked official and a seperate component that he did not bring confirmed him to what he claims. Well, then I stopping blaming the TSA so much. How much is the proper process?
At my previous job the big bosses loved to ask this question, "What happens if someone manages to break through all our security measures?" They can do whatever they want because the question presumes an limitations based on security are broken through - hence we cannot do anything about it.
The Former Banker at February 5, 2010 8:59 PM
I would love the details on how he did this. Maybe he can do some further work in the future and start deporting more illegals. Apparently if the department of immigration refuses to do their job, then; citizens will do it for them.
Now that's hot! How can I get one of those jobs? ;)
Mike Hunter at February 5, 2010 10:22 PM
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