Drugs were bad enough. But when FBI agents learned that an airline company employee offered to smuggle explosives on a commercial flight, they moved in to bust up the operation.
Nine airline employees who worked out of DFW International Airport were arrested Monday and charged in connection with a conspiracy to smuggle what they thought was methamphetamine onto commercial airlines, the U.S. attorney said Tuesday in Dallas.
When one of the defendants, Nelson Pabon, 47, allegedly told undercover officers that he could smuggle C-4 explosives on board a plane for $5,500, agents decided to end their two-year sting operation and make the arrests.
Pabon had assured someone that the C-4 wouldn't explode, according to the indictment, which was unsealed Tuesday.
Seven of the defendants worked for Envoy Air, a regional carrier owned by American Airlines. Two others worked for Spirit Airlines, authorities said. A 10th suspect had not been arrested as of Tuesday morning.
"Nelson Pabon told undercover officers that his organization could smuggle anything onto a commercial airplane, including guns," the indictment said.
Pabon worked for Envoy, according to Charles Cinquemani, chief of DFW Airport police.
Pabon's attorney could not be reached for comment. Envoy issued the following statement on Tuesday:
"At American and Envoy Air, we have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members. We take this matter very seriously and are cooperating with law enforcement during their investigation."
Authorities did not share information about the defendants' job duties for the airlines.
A Spirit spokesman said the airline "has been advised of this matter and will cooperate fully with law enforcement."
The airlines would not confirm whether the defendants were still working for the airlines.
Greed and abuse
U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox said the defendants were not affiliated with any drug gangs and that the investigation is ongoing.
"This is about greed and people who abuse their positions of trust," she said.
No actual drugs, firearms or explosives were smuggled onto airlines during the operation, Nealy Cox said.
The others charged include: Jean Loui Vargas-Malave, 28; Juan Camacho Melendez, 22, aka Kendo Kaponi; Ruben Benitez-Matienzo, 45; Jose Luis Gaston-Rolon, 24; Joshua Israel Pagan Zapata, 21; Domingo Villafane Martinez III, 30; Luis "Luisito" Javier Collazo Rosado, 21; and Cristian David Cruz-Rodriguez, 23.
They are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance.
Attorney information for the defendants was not available Tuesday.
The workers used their jobs to bypass security at the airport or conspired with other workers to who had "positions of trust" at the airport to get around security, Nealy Cox said.
They also acted as "lookouts" and engaged in countersurveillance to undermine police at the airport, she said.
The investigation began in 2016, she said.
Agents used undercover officers who told the suspects they had methamphetamine that needed to be shipped to other parts of the country, Nealy Cox said. The defendants negotiated shipping prices of between $1,500 and $2,000 per kilogram, she said.
More than 66 kilograms of fake methamphetamine were shipped to Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix and Newark, NJ, from August 2016 to February 2018, she said.
Nealy Cox said the case shows that the defendants, who were trusted with "insider knowledge of our commercial airport system," were willing to take money to "exploit security vulnerabilities."
Top priority
Eric Jackson, special agent-in-charge of the Dallas FBI office, said "securing our nation's airports and commercial travel" are among the agency's top priorities.
"These individuals used their access to benefit themselves while showing little regard for the airlines or their customers," he said. "We must ensure that our travel is safe."
DFW Airport requires that airline employees undergo additional background screening in order to obtain badges. And airport officials are notified if employees are arrested.
It's not the first time DFW Airport was used in a drug conspiracy.
In 2014, four people were indicted who worked at the airport or knew someone who could "bypass security" to make cocaine deliveries from here to "throughout the United States," authorities said.
Molitoni Katoa and Janelle Isaacs, both former American Airlines employees, were sentenced to federal prison in 2016 after pleading guilty, court records show. They were among more than 40 defendants charged in the conspiracy.
In December 2014, Katoa told undercover officers he would be willing to fly plastic explosives on a plane from DFW Airport, and he negotiated a $4,000 fee for the job, according to court records. The defendants said they had relatives who worked in baggage handling, security and other DFW Airport jobs who could help.
Airport officials declined to comment on the latest arrests. But Cinquemani, the airport police chief, said the successful operation illustrates the strong partnership between the airport and law enforcement.
"There will always be people who attempt to access the airport for illegal activities, but we will remain vigilant by investing in security and collaboratively sharing information and resources," he said.
