A Delta Airlines pilot was arrested by federal agents upon landing in San Francisco, leaving passengers and crew members in shock. The pilot, whose identity remains undisclosed, was detained after the plane arrived from Minneapolis and passengers were preparing to disembark around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Passengers on the plane expressed their astonishment at the sight of at least 10 federal agents, including officers from Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), boarding the plane without any prior warning.
The crew was equally surprised, with the co-pilot expressing his bewilderment over the situation, according to passenger Sarah Christianson, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle. The arrest was reportedly linked to an ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse material, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox Business.
Christenson described the scene as the agents “stormed the cockpit” and escorted the pilot down the jet bridge. Shortly after the pilot was taken away, another group of officers arrived to collect his luggage, passengers reported.
HSI is a division of the Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which has been instrumental in numerous immigration raids and arrests since the initiation of a mass crackdown on illegal immigrants under President Trump. It remains unclear whether the pilot’s arrest was related to his immigration status.
An HSI spokesperson stated that the federal agency was assisting the local sheriff’s office in executing an arrest warrant. “This is an ongoing local investigation with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office,” the spokesperson said. Attempts to reach the sheriff’s office for comment were unsuccessful. Delta Air Lines declined to comment on the incident, directing all inquiries to law enforcement.