Puño Airlines
Encyclopedia
In 1985, the Fugitive Investigative Strike Team VIII
, part of the United States Marshals Service
, set up Puño Airlines, a front organization
to lure wanted criminals into the open where they could be arrested – by sending a letter suggesting the fugitive had won a free flight, a weekend in the Bahamas
, and $350 in spending money. In total, 200 fugitives were sent the offer, and 14 were arrested after showing up to claim their winnings.
The FIST VIII had set up a Puño Airlines (puño is Spanish
for "fist") booth beside Air Haiti
in Miami International Airport
, and did not tell any of the airport employees about the sting operation
. They then offered to send a limo
to pick up the "winners" and bring them to the airport, to which 13 fugitives agreed. Police later said that offering a drive to the airport helped ensure that suspects would not carry weapons, knowing there was a metal detector
before boarding their flights.
Two of the arrested fugitives did not realise the nature of the operation, one phoned from prison to ask if he could reschedule his flight, while another begged cops to "take care of this next week", noting she had won a trip and wanted to enjoy her vacation first.
Marshall Wolfman turned up at the airport himself, but stood approximately 100 yards away from Puño Airlines, eyeing it suspiciously. After FIST VIII arranged to page a fictitious name to the counter over the loudspeakers, Wolfman presented himself at the replica ticket booth. Wolfman was wanted for theft of a rental car.
Konrāds Kalējs
, a Latvian accused of collaboration with the Nazis, was also arrested in the operation.
Fugitive Investigative Strike Team
The Fugitive Investigative Strike Team, or FIST operations were a series of operations conducted by the United States Marshals to capture violent fugitives wanted by State and Federal law enforcement agencies in the United States...
, part of the United States Marshals Service
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
, set up Puño Airlines, a front organization
Front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations...
to lure wanted criminals into the open where they could be arrested – by sending a letter suggesting the fugitive had won a free flight, a weekend in the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, and $350 in spending money. In total, 200 fugitives were sent the offer, and 14 were arrested after showing up to claim their winnings.
The FIST VIII had set up a Puño Airlines (puño is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "fist") booth beside Air Haiti
Air Haïti
Air Haïti was an airline based in Haiti.For a few years, Air Haïti's C-46 Commandos were a common site at airport such as San Juan, Puerto Rico and Miami International. The airline operated from 1969 until 1982, when it ceased operations....
in Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, and did not tell any of the airport employees about the sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
. They then offered to send a limo
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
to pick up the "winners" and bring them to the airport, to which 13 fugitives agreed. Police later said that offering a drive to the airport helped ensure that suspects would not carry weapons, knowing there was a metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
before boarding their flights.
Two of the arrested fugitives did not realise the nature of the operation, one phoned from prison to ask if he could reschedule his flight, while another begged cops to "take care of this next week", noting she had won a trip and wanted to enjoy her vacation first.
Marshall Wolfman turned up at the airport himself, but stood approximately 100 yards away from Puño Airlines, eyeing it suspiciously. After FIST VIII arranged to page a fictitious name to the counter over the loudspeakers, Wolfman presented himself at the replica ticket booth. Wolfman was wanted for theft of a rental car.
Konrāds Kalējs
Konrads Kalejs
Konrāds Kalējs was a Latvian soldier who was Nazi collaborator and an alleged war criminal during World War II. He gained notoriety for evading calls for his prosecution across four countries, more than once under the threat of deportation...
, a Latvian accused of collaboration with the Nazis, was also arrested in the operation.