Federal Air Marshals Make Arrest on International Flight
News & Happenings
June 26, 2008
On June 18, a federal air marshal broke cover and arrested a 25-year-old Slovenian passport holder on Delta Airlines’ international flight 40 from Atlanta to Vienna, Austria.
Before the arrest, the marshal and the rest of his team kept their cover and observed the passenger’s behavior which included what appeared to be public intoxication and slapping the wrist of a flight attendant.
However, when the suspect attempted to set fire to some curtains in a crew area of the cabin – putting lives at risk – one of the marshals immediately identified himself to the suspect and arrested him.
“These marshals protected the lives of hundreds of people, which is true for every federal air marshal mission,” said Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Arnold Cole. “Whether they break their cover or not, federal air marshals use their training and unique position on an aircraft to make and report observations. And sometimes, like on the flight to Vienna, they make arrests.”
The air marshal who intervened on flight 40 turned the individual over to Austrian authorities who agreed to prosecute him. This is another example of teamwork between the two countries – stemming from years of close collaboration that culminated last October in a written agreement that allows TSA’s federal air marshals to fly armed into Austria.
