Loaded Carry-On

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Irreguler News for 03.08.07

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico -- A Kissimmee, Fla. man who flew from Orlando to Puerto Rico was arrested on his arrival in the U.S. Caribbean territory for allegedly bringing 14 weapons and drugs aboard the Delta Air Lines flight, authorities said Tuesday.

 

Thomas Anthony Munoz, 22, was arrested Monday after 13 handguns, one assault rifle and eight clear bags containing marijuana were found in his possession, said Carlos Baixauli, a Miami-based special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

Munoz had flown aboard a Delta flight from Orlando International Airport to Luis MuInoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Delta spokeswoman Chris Kelly said.

 

Munoz was arrested in San Juan on U.S. weapons violations, said Puerto Rico Police Superintendent Pedro Toledo. He was turned over to federal authorities, Toledo said.

 

It was not clear if Munoz had the items in a carry-on or checked them into luggage.

 

"We have information to the effect that this individual had apparently done this before," Toledo told the Orlando Sentinel for Wednesday's edition.

 

Kevin Farrington, an FBI spokesman based in Miami, said an anonymous tip to the Orlando Police Department generated interest in Munoz's flight. It is possible more arrests will be made, he said.

 

"I can tell you there were weapons and drugs but we're not getting into specifics right now," he said. "We're still following up. It is an ongoing matter."

 

Passengers were never in danger, said Christopher White, of the Transportation Security Administration Agency.

 

"While we cannot discuss details of an ongoing criminal matter, no weapons were brought through the passenger security checkpoint and at no time were passengers in any danger," said White, a TSA spokesman based in Washington.

 

Munoz, was a three-year employee of the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Comair -- a subsidiary of Delta, said company spokeswoman Kate Marx. He has been suspended pending an investigation.

 

Munoz, who was not on duty at the time, was a customer service agent. His duties would include loading and unloading luggage on the ramp outside the airplane, but "he would not have performed those duties for this particular flight," Marx said.

 

The TSA in Orlando coordinated with its counterpart in San Juan, which contacted the San Juan police, White said.

 

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