New video reveals TSA agents allegedly stealing from passengers at Miami Airport.
Officials released shocking video footage on September 11th, revealing a disturbing incident involving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Miami International Airport. The footage appears to show these officers going through passengers’ bags and stealing various items and money.
The video footage, reportedly taken from video checkpoint E at the busy airport, was released to multiple media outlets by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
The video captures two male TSA agents examining a black bag placed inside a tray, which is moving down a conveyor belt during the security screening process. Passengers can be seen waiting on one side of the belt.
Both agents closely follow the tray, standing next to it. One of the men places his hand inside the corner of the tray, seemingly picking something up before walking away. Shortly after, he puts his hand in his pocket.
The second TSA agent also moves his hands around the tray, appearing to pick something up and placing a hand in his pocket.
Additional footage shows one of the officers reorganizing items on a tray as it moves down the conveyor belt.
Seconds later, the officer returns to the tray just before it is screened by an X-ray scanner. He once again puts his hands inside the tray, moving various items around. The officer then walks away and places his hand in his right pocket.
Agents Arrested, Charged
The two agents involved in this incident have been identified as Labarrius Williams, 33, and Josue Gonzalez, 20. They were arrested in July and are now facing grand theft charges. Both have pleaded not guilty, as reported by NBC 6 South Florida.
A third TSA agent, Elizabeth Fuster, 22, was also arrested in July and charged with an organized scheme to defraud. However, the charges against her were later dropped, according to court records. Her case is now considered closed.
Their arrests came after airport authorities contacted a police detective to investigate the thefts that had occurred at checkpoint E.
All three officers have been removed from screening duties as an investigation into their actions remains ongoing.
According to the arrest affidavits obtained by NBC News, Mr. Gonzalez admitted to distracting passengers in order to steal cash from bags during the screening process. In one specific instance, he took $600 from a passenger’s wallet.
Mr. Gonzalez’s attorney told CBS News that his client was accepted into a deferred prosecution program. If he completes the program, the charges against him will be dismissed. He has also been ordered to pay $700 to victims over the next six months, undergo 25 hours of community service, and surrender his airport security credentials, as reported by NBC Miami.
Meanwhile, Mr. Williams was denied entry into the program and is expected to stand trial on October 23rd, according to Business Insider.
In a statement to CBS News, TSA said: “TSA has removed the officers from screening duties pending completion of the investigation and administrative actions. The Transportation Security Administration holds its Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct.”
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