Feds apprehend stowaway on flight from Guatemala to Miami

FILE – In this April 24, 2019, photo, American Airlines aircraft are shown parked at their gates at Miami International Airport in Miami. An American Airlines mechanic is accused of sabotaging a flight from Miami International Airport to Nassau in the Bahamas, over stalled union contract negotiations. Citing a criminal complaint affidavit filed in federal court, The Miami Herald reports Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani was arrested Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, on the sabotage charge and is accused of disabling the flight’s navigation system. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

by: The Associated Press, WFLA 8 On Your Side Staff

Posted: Nov 27, 2021 / 07:50 PM EST

Updated: Nov 27, 2021 / 08:04 PM EST

MIAMI (AP) — Federal authorities took a 26-year-old man into custody Saturday after he apparently stowed himself away in the landing gear compartment of an American Airlines flight that arrived at Miami International Airport.

An Instagram video posted by a Miami local social news site, Only in Dade, showed airport crewmembers allegedly discovering the passenger after the plane touched down just past 10 a.m.

Law enforcement authorities met the plane due to a security issue. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers took the man into custody.

According to American Airlines’ flight status indicator, the flight from Guatemala City, Guatemala to Miami took about four hours.

The agency says he was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The news release didn’t say whether he will face any charges. An investigation is ongoing.