A Russian national and legal resident of the United States was taken into FBI custody at JFK International airport today after stowing away on a Delta Airline flight to Paris last month, according to the FBI.
Svetlana Dali, 57, made national news when she, without having valid travel documents to enter France, managed to evade TSA check points while boarding Delta Flight 264 to Paris without a boarding pass on November 26.
“TSA can confirm that an individual without a boarding pass completed security screening (including on-person and bags) without any prohibited items. The individual bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations and boarded the aircraft,” a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
ALLEGED DELTA STOWAWAY DISRUPTS RETURN FLIGHT TO NEW YORK, VIDEO SHOWS
Dali was discovered when a flight attendant realized she was occupying the plane’s bathroom for an unusually long time.
The incident is under investigation by federal authorities.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for additional information.
“Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security,” Delta told Fox News Digital. “That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end.”
Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
