(May 19) — A man attempting to board a flight from Puerto Rico to Boston on Monday was detained after security officers found his carry-on bag contained four box cutters, pepper spray, a stun gun and a switchblade knife.
U.S. officials have charged 59-year-old Jose Pol, a Puerto Rican citizen who now lives in Rhode Island, with attempting to board an aircraft with concealed weapons. Pol had a ticket on Jet Blue Flight 860, which was to depart Luis Munoz Marin Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
Transportation Security Administration screeners also found that Pol was carrying a pair of scissors, matches, two lighters, a flight simulator program and a device that delivers an electric charge, according an FBI affidavit.
Pol was detained at a TSA security office until FBI agents arrived and took him into custody.
The FBI is trying to determine whether Pol is affiliated with any terrorist organizations, The Associated Press reported.
“We will continue to investigate this matter vigorously until we determine the defendant’s motives in attempting to board an airliner with the dangerous weapons he was carrying,” U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez said in a statement.
If convicted, Pol could face up to 10 years in prison.
