A Delta Air Lines co-pilot was arrested by federal agents at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday night over allegations related to child sexual abuse materials, according to a senior official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and multiple media sources.
The arrest occurred shortly after Delta Flight 2809 from Minneapolis touched down at around 9:35 p.m., as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Witnesses on board said a group of federal agents, believed to be from Homeland Security Investigations, boarded the plane and proceeded straight to the cockpit before any passengers were allowed to disembark.
“They barged through and stormed the cockpit,” said a passenger identified only as Sarah in an interview with ABC’s San Francisco affiliate, KGO. “They removed the co-pilot, cuffed him, presumably arrested him, and brought him back down the aisle to deplane.”
Sarah, a frequent traveler on this route, described the sudden arrival of at least 10 law enforcement officers, some displaying DHS badges.
She recounted the confusion among passengers and crew.
“We were all shocked and stunned. What was happening?” she said. “I don’t know if this person was disappearing before our eyes, if there had been a crime committed, or what exactly was happening.”
The arrest warrant was reportedly issued by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
Jail records indicated that the co-pilot is being held on a $5 million bond.
Sarah added that although the flight landed safely, the experience left a lasting impact. “It was scary. It was traumatic to watch,” she said.
Delta Air Lines and DHS both referred inquiries to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which has not yet issued a public statement as of Monday morning.
This incident adds to a recent string of unsettling airline events, including a thwarted attempt to enter a Delta cockpit, a near miss involving a Southwest flight, and an aborted takeoff that forced passengers off an American Airlines plane in Denver.
