Homeland Security Agents Force Plane to Land in San Antonio

WOAI ^ | 1/24/2005 | ElephantinTexas

[ElephantinTexas]

This is my first post so I hope I got it right.

This is breaking here in San Anonio. A single engine plane has been forced down at Stenson Field south of San Antonio. Homeland Security, DPS and SAPD are on the scene. They are waiting for a Chinese tranlator but they have Chinese illegals in custody and said that the pilot was someone Homeland Security has been looking for.

I'll post more as it comes available.

[HitmanLV]

A little May-August action going on there, huh?

[texasflower]

Nicely done bayourod! I love watching you make the rabid anti immigration people on FR go nuts.

Thanks!

[Coop]

NORAD is mostly a surveillance and warning outfit.

Yes, and it's our air defense system. It's heavy on sensors and command/control, and the weapons are generally the aircraft.

Which brings me back to the original point - we have an air defense system.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks!

[jriemer]

Probably those who were on the plane were trying to take the cheap route -- angering their smugglers.

I don't think these people are "taking the cheap route"

Compare the price of smuggling the 4 in custody:
[snip] Other officials said that the yet unknown pilot was smuggling the Chinese illegals in for around $100,000 a pop and the plane left Eagle Pass, Tx. last night. [/snip]
Source: Post #176 by ElephantinTexas recaping local TV

Vs.

From your source:
[snip] "The organizations charge $8,000 for passage to Argentina and $20,000 to get to the United States," said Cmdr. Tapia from his office in Salta, near the porous, remote border with Bolivia. "We know these groups have operations in the United States." [/snip]
Source:Chinese use back door into America - Washington Times - 1/24/2005

$100K >> $28K per person smuggled. These Chinese Nationals in custody in San Antonio were going 1st Class and paying top dollar. The next question is, WHY?

[jriemer]

I'm sure Burt Rutan could come up with something that would fit the bill quite nicely. Still I'd arm it with at least air launched stingers, just so the pilot could stand off a bit. Guns too of course, at least .50 cals, maybe a 20mm gatling type cannon.

Burt's already build one:

ARES (Model 151) (Scaled) 1990 = Acronym for "Agile Responsive Effective Support." Canard configured ground attack aircraft with P&W-Canada JT15D-5; ff: 2/19/90 (p: Doug Shane). Engine inlet was on the left side and a 30mm cannon was mounted on the right side. Company working name was "LATS." POP: 1 [N1515C].

The ARES first flew on February 19, 1990, with Scaled test pilot Doug Shane at the controls. Since that first flight, the ARES has flown more than 250 hours, and demonstrated all of its design performance and handling qualities goals, including departure-free handling at full aft stick. During November of 1991, under a contract from the U.S. Air Force, initial ground and flight (air-air and air-ground) tests of the GAU-12/U gun system installed in ARES were performed, with outstanding results.

(various online sources) + http://www.scaled.com/projects/ares.html

[daybreakcoming]

*** These Chinese Nationals in custody in San Antonio were going 1st Class and paying top dollar. The next question is, WHY?***

A good question that we may never hear the true answer on. Hope we don't let this get cold case filed. Someday in my lifetime, I would like to hear "the rest of the story".

[bayourod]

I'm not a strong supporter of illegal aliens, I'm a strong supporter of President Bush and the Republican party.

There are many things that motivate the anti-immigrant crowd, including an hatred of President Bush and Republicans. Some of them are Buchanan supporters who have never gotten over President Bush "stealing" the nomination from Buchanan. They look for any reason to attack President Bush. Their leaders, Buchanan/Tancredo encourage the anti-immigrant hysteria because they use it to solicit contributions and build mailing lists.

I don't know what your motivation may be; it might be something as simple as racism, xenophobia, or inability to keep a job, but whenever malcontents and wackjobs post lies and distortions about immigration in attacking President Bush, I'm going to correct them.

[ElephantinTexas]

NEW at NOON-
I think we've hit a 'lock down' on new details on this case but last night, our pilot, who was reported as Christian Delgado-Gomez (age: 22) yesterday now is only being referred to as Christian Delgado, was arraigned last night in front of a judge and was told that he will only get FIVE years for four counts of human smuggling. geez.

In a 'live' report minutes ago, on KSAT 12, from the court house, the four Chinese illegals have been arraigned where there will be NO CHARGES HELD AGAINST THEM!!! They are to be detained and held over as material witnesses in the case against, who KSAT is still referring to as Christian Delgado-Gomez (these folks have more names than the Devil himself!).

Now there have been more details on what was paid or charged the illegals. The first report I heard said they were being charged up to $100,000. A later report said between $40,000-$100,000 which makes me think that our little weasel, Hameed, is blowing hot hair out his arse when yesterday he said he has rented out this VERY SAME PLANE (which there still seems to be a million questions about) to this Delgado guy a couple of times a week for the last several months to a year and had NEVER had a problem with him. Kickbacks, hmmmm?

Well the bottom line today is that the four illegals paid $22,000 each to get them to New York City.
Sooooo, $88,000 for a quick trip from Eagle Pass to San Antonio or was it???

And this raises those BIGGER
questions again. Did they just walk across the border and hop on the plane in Eagle Pass or did they fly across? The plane has always been said to be illegally flying in US airspace. In an interview with Gov. Good Hair.... errrrr... Perry last night he simply said when asked about it, "They breached our airspace, and we caught 'em."

So my big questions still are.. Did they fly across the Mexico border and how and why were Homeland Security so into this thing from the very start??

More as I get it.
The Elephant in the Room With His Boots on the Ground.

[exhaustedmomma]

Korean Immigrants Arrested in Albuquerque / Jan. 24, 2005

google search

[dixiechick2000]

Thanks for the new info!

Only 5 years?
Not 5 years for each count?
Sheesh...

[FlatLandBeer]

Let's just use the Civil Air Patrol like we did in WWII.
Cost $100 and hour to put up a C172 with volunteers.

[ElephantinTexas]

******WELL IT'S OFFICIAL!!******

Thanks to billorites, this thread caught Michelle Malkin's attention yesterday and TODAY, this thread and FR gets itself on the HOMELAND SECURITY WEBSITE.

Here's the link. Scroll down to 1/25/2005 for the articles and the links.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/

Gee..... all of this on my first post to Free Republic.

[dixiechick2000]

"Gee..... all of this on my first post to Free Republic."


Some people are born overachievers. ;o)

Seriously...congratulations!
This is, definitely, a job well done.
Be proud...;o)

[ElephantinTexas]

5 O'CLOCK UPDATE.............(check the noon update also)

The only real tidbit of news at 5 is that the Stinson plane was forced down by a Homeland Security JET! Which again raises my question. How and why was Homeland Security so in the middle of this from the very beginning??

Some reports are saying the plane left from Eagle Pass while others are saying the plane crossed our borders. I'd be satisfied with that for now and I'd be really interested if anyone knows if you can check out flight plans from Eagle Pass, TX. for that night.

Well that's all for now.

[Miss Marple]

What??? We are on the Homeland Security web site??!!!???

OUTSTANDING!!!

Boy, I am going to be looking for YOUR posts! Way to go!

[Flyer]

this thread and FR gets itself on the HOMELAND SECURITY WEBSITE.

That's not a Government web site your linked to.

But ya still done good!

[Miss Marple]

Well, I have some information.

The boyfriend of the daughter of a friend of mine has been hired by Homeland Security. His college major was in Aeronautics, he is a trained pilot and a former member of the National Guard.

It sounded to me like he would be flying. I didn't know that Homeland Security had pilots. It appears that they do, given this article.

Do we have a Homeland Air Force that none of us knew about?

[ElephantinTexas]

I stand corrected.... Google sure did make it look like it. I was more impressed that Michelle Malkin was lurking around... lol.