Latest news with #DetroitMetroAirport
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Spirit Airlines plane passenger calls in fake bomb threat after missing flight: Officials
A Michigan man has been arrested after missing his flight to Los Angeles and calling in a fake bomb threat after being made to book another flight, officials said. The incident took place last Thursday at approximately 6:25 a.m. at Detroit Metropolitan Airport when an individual, later identified as 23-year-old John Charles Robinson of Monore, Michigan, 'used a cell phone to call into Spirit Airlines and conveyed false information about a bomb threat to Flight 2145 departing from Detroit Metro bound for Los Angeles,' according to a statement from United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. from the Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney's Office. MORE: US Marshals arrest Dominican man wanted in quadruple homicide, including victims aged 2 and 4 'During the call, Robinson stated in part, 'I was calling about 2145… because I have information about that flight,' and 'there's gonna be someone who's gonna try to blow up the airport,' and 'there's gonna be someone that's gonna try to blow up that flight, 2145,'' according to the affidavit. 'After giving a description of an individual, he then stated: 'they're going to be carrying a bomb through the TSA,' and 'they're still threatening to do it, they're still attempted to do it, they said it's not going to be able to be detected. Please don't let that flight board.'' The flight was immediately canceled, officials said and the flight's passengers and crew were deplaned for safety precautions. MORE: Climber falls over 3,000 feet to his death off tallest mountain in North America 'Bomb sniffing dogs and FBI agents were deployed to sweep the airplane, officials said. 'No bomb or explosives were found.' Federal agents investigating the bomb threat soon learned that Robinson was booked on Flight 2145 but missed the flight and was told at the gate that he needed to rebook. 'FBI agents subsequently arrested Robinson when he returned to the airport to depart on another flight bound for Los Angeles,' officials said. After taking Robinson into custody, authorities played back the phone call that was made for him. MORE: 3 plane crash survivors plucked from Atlantic Ocean at night after plane goes down off Florida coast MORE: 61-year-old man survives being pinned down by 700-pound boulder for 3 hours in Alaska creek "Robinson listened to the above-mentioned recording and confirmed he was the one that made the recorded phone call to Spirit Airlines," officials said. "Robinson also stated that the phone number that called the bomb threat in to Spirit Airlines was his phone number (and had been for approximately 6 years), that the target cellular device was his device, and he gave written consent for a search of his device." Robinson was subsequently charged with two charges. The first being use of a cellphone to threaten/maliciously convey false information concerning an attempt or alleged attempt to damage/destroy an airplane by means of an explosive and the second being false information and hoaxes. MORE: Tourists at beach house find human remains dating back 200 years 'No American wants to hear the words 'bomb' and 'airplane' in the same sentence. Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources,' said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. 'Anyone who threatens to bomb an aircraft and endanger public safety will be swiftly investigated and brought to justice,' said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. 'The alleged bomb threat prompted a coordinated response by our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, in partnership with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, leading to the arrest of John Robinson as he attempted to board another flight at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We remain committed to protecting the public and confronting those who seek to spread fear in our communities.' MORE: Black bear found sitting on stove inside home after crashing through ceiling Robinson appeared in federal court in Detroit on Friday afternoon and was released on a $10,00 bond, according to court documents. His next court appearance will be June 27 for a preliminary examination. The case against Robinson is being investigated by special agents from the FBI and is currently ongoing. Spirit Airlines plane passenger calls in fake bomb threat after missing flight: Officials originally appeared on
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Michigan man reported fake bomb threat on Spirit Airlines after missing flight to Los Angeles, feds say
A Monroe, Michigan, man accused of calling in a fake bomb threat that halted a Spirit Airlines flight Thursday at the Detroit Metro Airport was taken into custody, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. John Charles Robinson, 23, is charged after federal authorities say he reported the threat when he missed his flight to Los Angeles and was told to rebook. Officials say Robinson, who was supposed to board Spirit flight 2145, called the airlines and said that "there's gonna be someone who's gonna try to blow up the airport," according to a news release. The call forced the plane to evacuate. Passengers were then transported to Evans Terminal. Investigators did not recover any explosive device. Federal prosecutors say Robinson returned to the airport to board another flight to Los Angeles and was subsequently arrested. He appeared in court on Friday and was released on bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for June 27. "Anyone who threatens to bomb an aircraft and endanger public safety will be swiftly investigated and brought to justice," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "The alleged bomb threat prompted a coordinated response by our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force, in partnership with the Wayne County Airport Authority Police Department and the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service, leading to the arrest of John Robinson as he attempted to board another flight at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We remain committed to protecting the public and confronting those who seek to spread fear in our communities."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump's travel ban is more 'sad news' for immigrants in Michigan
President Donald Trump's travel ban that restricts people from 19 nations is being criticized by immigrant advocates and two Congresswomen from Michigan. The ban, which goes into effect Monday, June 9, is aimed at several countries, most of them in the Arab world and Africa. "It's very unfortunate, sad news," Abdulhakem Alsadah, president of the Dearborn-based National Association of Yemeni Americans, Behavioral Health & Community Social Services, told the Free Press Thursday, June 5, the day after Trump signed the executive order banning entry. Alsadah said he wasn't surprised, that he "knew it was coming" based on Trump's earlier statements he would issue another travel ban like he did during his first term. But "it's still a headache" for many in Michigan, he said. Trump's ban, announced late Wednesday, June 4, prohibits people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also partially restricts and limits the entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Yemeni Americans — who are the largest Middle Eastern group in Detroit, Melvindale, Coldwater and Hamtramck, census data shows — already face challenges because of the war in Yemen that led to the shut down of all U.S. embassies and consulates. Trump's travel ban "will only add to this misery," Alsadah said. Metro Detroit, which has the highest percentage of Arab Americans among regions in the U.S., became an epicenter for challenges to Trump's first travel ban, often referred to as the Muslim travel ban since most of the nations were Muslim-majority nations. Nabih Ayad, a Detroit attorney, filed a federal lawsuit in Detroit in January 2017, shortly after Trump's first ban, on behalf of Muslims unable to travel to the U.S. to be with family members. There were several rallies held by Muslims and progressive groups in Michigan, including one at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus. A federal court ruled in their favor the following month and they got a federal injunction blocking the ban, which was later rescinded by then President Joe Biden in January 2021 shortly after he took office. "I think its sends the wrong message, that America is not open to democracy and freedom," Ayad, the founder and board chairman of the Dearborn-based Arab American Civil Rights League, said of Trump's latest travel ban. It also violates the constitution and will impact families in metro Detroit, he said. More: Border Patrol arrested a Detroit student on a field trip. He now faces deportation. In making his announcement of the travel ban, Trump started his remarks by talking about the firebomb attack in Boulder on June 1 that injured fifteen people taking part in a rally for Israeli hostages. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an immigrant from Egypt who overstayed his visa; he was charged June 5 with 118 criminal counts. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas," Trump said from the White House. "We don't want them. In the 21st century, we've seen one terror attack after another carried out by foreign visa overstayers from dangerous places all over the world. ... In my first term, my powerful travel restrictions were one of our most successful policies, and they were a key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil. We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America." But critics said Trump's reasoning has more to do with which countries the U.S. favors in its foreign policy rather than protecting Americans. Ayad noted that the man who carried out the June 1 attack in Boulder was from Egypt, which is not included in the travel ban. "It has nothing to do with national security," Ayad said. U.S. Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Detroit, said the travel ban is rooted in racism. 'It should come as no surprise that Trump's racist travel ban overwhelmingly targets Black and brown people from countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean," Tlaib said in a statement. "These policies are rooted in white nationalism and will only increase hate, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in our country." More: Taylor Police Department is first agency in metro Detroit to sign agreement with ICE Tlaib described Trump as 'the white-supremacist-in-chief" who "has once again issued an unconstitutional travel ban" around the time that Muslims are celebrating a major holiday on Friday, June 6. "This comes as Muslims in our communities and around the world prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha," the Detroit Congresswoman said. "It is a shameful expansion of his hateful Muslim and African ban from his first term." U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, who used to live in Dearborn, also released a statement, saying "Trump's renewed travel ban will not make us safer, it will create more division. It's based on bigotry and xenophobia, just like the last one. U.S. policy should not be guided by hatred. This travel ban should not stand, and we must fight against it." Under Trump's latest travel ban, there are exceptions to the restrictions. People who are still allowed from the 19 nations include: permanent residents of the U.S. known as green card holders, some immediate family members of U.S. citizens, "ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran," Afghans who helped the U.S. during the war with the Taliban, and athletes participating in the "World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State," the order reads. The latest order is more detailed in its rules, which is helpful, but the problem in many cases is implementation, advocates said. Individual officials may not understand the details of the ban and apply a broad brush. Some officials "are not well trained, especially overseas at embassies in specific countries," Alsadah said. "So it's going to be hard for everybody." Christine Sauvé, the head of community engagement and communication for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, agreed with Tlaib that the ban is discriminatory. "The ban again targets Black, brown, and Muslim people who have recently fled places experiencing insecurity and strife," she said. "Many Michiganders have ties to the affected countries and it will sadly affect thousands of innocent people who are trying to reunite with loved ones, travel for college studies, or visit family for the holidays." Sauvé said the ban is the latest move by the Trump administration that cracks down on immigrants in Michigan and other states that is hurting communities and affecting local economies. USA TODAY contributed to this report. Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@ X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Trump's travel ban to impact immigrants in Michigan
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Spirit Airlines plane evacuated at Detroit Metro Airport because of bomb threat
A Spirit Airlines plane was evacuated Thursday morning at Detroit Metro Airport because of a bomb threat. Wayne County Airport Authority officials said all passengers were safely deplaned and transported to the Evans Terminal. "On Thursday morning, the Wayne County Airport Authority's Emergency & Support Services and Airfield Operations teams along with the TSA responded to a bomb threat involving a Spirit Airlines aircraft at Detroit Metropolitan Airport," said an airport authority spokesperson. "As a precaution, all passengers were safely deplaned and transported by bus to the Evans Terminal. The incident remains under investigation." Airport officials did not specify the flight number. An investigation is ongoing. This is a developing story. Stay with CBS News Detroit for the latest.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Sick dog on flight diverts California-bound jetliner to Minnesota, airline says
A passenger's dog who fell ill in the cabin of an airliner diverted the California-bound flight to a Minnesota airport, Delta Air Lines reported. Flight 694 took off from Detroit Metro Airport bound for Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, May 26, the airline told McClatchy News in an email. After a dog became ill in the cabin, the flight landed at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to allow the passenger and animal to disembark, the airline said. A veterinarian on the flight also provided care to the dog and medical personnel met the flight when it landed, Delta said. 'The safety of our customers and people comes before everything else at Delta,' the airline said. The diversion caused a 2 ½-hour delay for the 181 passengers aboard, Delta said. The flight continued to Los Angeles and landed safely. The airline did not provide information on the dog's condition, but the pilot told passengers the pet would be all right, KTLA reported.
