Earlier this week, violent criminal offender Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke escaped from Immigration and Customs Enforcement at JFK International Airport just before being deported back to Africa. He made it all the way to the taxi stand, hopped in a cab and took off. It took ICE over an hour to tell local police of his escape. Mbacke is still on the run and has not been rearrested by local or federal authorities. Because of his 10-time arrest history for weapons offenses, he is considered dangerous.
So, how exactly did he escape federal custody at one of the nation's busiest and largest airports? Reportedly, TSA required his handcuffs be taken off at a security check point. Mbacke was not carrying any personal items at the time and had already been patted down by ICE before his transport from prison. From NBC 4, New York:
Three ICE agents were escorting him through a security checkpoint in Terminal 4 and took off his handcuffs to comply with TSA regulations, the sources said. That's when he gave them the slip, Port Authority police said.
Looks like a pretty big screw up on a number of levels. But taking off the guy's handcuffs for TSA security after being in ICE custody and transported from a detention center? C'mon.
In the meantime, if you're on the East Coast here's Mbacke's description:
Three ICE agents were escorting him through a security checkpoint in Terminal 4 and took off his handcuffs to comply with TSA regulations, the sources said. That's when he gave them the slip, Port Authority police said.