"Bomb threat shuts down Texas airport"

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Bomb threat shuts down McAllen airport
By ANDRES R. MARTINEZ
The Brownsville (TX) Herald


McALLEN - The FBI has narrowed the source of the bomb threat that shut down
the city's airport Wednesday morning, but declined to say more. 

"We have a good idea where the origin of the (message) is," said Jorge
Cisneros, the FBI's spokesman in McAllen. "But it is still under
investigation." 

The multiple threats - possibly sent via a phone text message or e-mail -
shut down McAllen Miller International Airport from about 11:30 a.m. until
12:49 p.m. 

There were three commercial jets at the airport when it was shut down,
including a Continental Embraer-style jet that had just landed. The
passengers were kept in the plane, away from the terminal. 

"We take threats of this nature very seriously," McAllen Police Chief Victor
Rodriguez said at an afternoon press conference. "History has taught us that
we should." 

Aldo Chang, 19, was waiting to board Continental flight 3403 to Houston when
he heard an announcement to evacuate. 

"It didn't seem like a big deal," he said. 

The McAllen bomb squad searched the building but didn't find a threat,
Rodriguez said. 

Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force then escorted managers of
different companies and airport departments to perform a quick search of
areas the bomb squad may have missed. 

Once the about 300 passengers and employees at the airport were allowed back
in, they were kept waiting another six minutes before the Transportation
Security Administration's inspection line reopened.

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