150 on Flight From Mexico Skip Customs, Leave JFK
Airline and security officials at Kennedy Airport let 150 passengers arriving from an international flight leave the airport without going through customs, the Daily News has learned . . .
When the plane landed, passengers walked out of the airport without having their passports or bags checked by Customs and Border Protection, sources told The News.
A source familiar with the matter said passengers disembarking the plane “just followed” a gate agent. The security snafu came just two days after ISIS released a video threatening New York City with a terrorist attack . . .
American Airlines contacted the passengers and directed them to return to JFK for customs processing. An official told The News on Sunday that 144 passengers had returned to the airport and gone through customs. The six that remain are all U.S. citizens, the official said.
The TSA, which screens passengers before they fly, declined comment, while the Port Authority said that the clearing of arriving international travelers is a federal responsibility. The airlines, it said, direct travelers to security areas. (Read more from “150 on Flight From Mexico Skip Customs, Leave JFK” HERE)
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