An American Airlines mechanic who arrived in the United States from Iraq was denied bail this week due to his potential ties to the Islamic State (ISIS) after he was arrested for allegedly sabotaging a July flight.
On Thursday, Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani was denied bail by U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris McAliley over fears that the naturalized American citizen could have connections to and sympathies for ISIS.
Evidence provided by prosecutors details how Alani’s brother remains in Iraq and could be involved with ISIS. Other evidence alleges that Alani, himself, has sympathies for ISIS after graphic murder videos produced by the terrorist organization were found on his cellphone.
As Breitbart News exclusively reported, Alani first arrived in the U.S. from Iraq sometime in the mid-1980s as the spouse of an American citizen. In 1992, he was able to secure U.S. citizenship.
According to federal prosecutors, Alani tampered with a navigation system on a plane filled with 150 passengers set to take off from Miami, Florida and bound for Nassau, the Bahamas on July 17.
Federal prosecutors say Alani put foam glue inside parts of the plane’s navigation system. The alleged tampering was captured on surveillance footage that co-workers said showed Alani driving up to the plane before takeoff and working on the compartment for seven minutes.
Alani later said he had no intention of harming the passengers on the flight and that he wanted the flight to be canceled so he could receive overtime work in the midst of contract negotiations between his mechanics’ union and American Airlines.
Federal officials have charged Alani with interfering with an aircraft’s navigation system and he faces up to 20 years in prison.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.