A man from Texas caused a disturbance at Miami International Airport that led to the temporary evacuation of an American Airlines flight bound for Houston, officials have reported. Eulalio Felipe Orama, 49, is facing a second-degree felony charge for allegedly making a false bomb threat yesterday. The comment, suggesting he had a bomb in his bag, was reportedly made in response to him needing to check his luggage due to lack of overhead space on the plane.
Making the statement while being questioned for security, Orama upset over having to part with his belongings, told a gate agent, I have a bomb in my bag, according to the NBC Miami report. This led to an immediate pause in boarding and the existing passengers to deplane as a precaution while an investigation commenced. Outraged having to check his bag, another agent recalled Orama questioning the plausibility of a bomb fitting into his luggage.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office took Orama into custody at the gate after the incident and then transported him to the police station for further questioning. The arrest report filed by the sheriff's office indicated that the passengers were removed from the flight and the sheriffs had to deploy K-9 units to sweep the aircraft and surrounding areas, an operation that ultimately yielded no threatening devices, as reported by WSVN.
Following the sweeps and security checks that confirmed the threat was not credible, Orama was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The incident caused a delay for passengers scheduled to travel on Flight 3963, but after authorities secured the area, they were allowed to reboard. American Airlines has yet to comment on the event and the impact it had on their schedule. Despite the inconvenience this false alarm caused, it highlights the responsiveness of airport security protocol in a time when patience is tested, often resulting in misguided outbursts, such as this one that happened at Gate D60-E.
