New surveillance footage appears to show TSA agents stealing money from passengers as they pass through airport security
Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office
- Newly released surveillance footage appears to show TSA agents taking items out of passengers' luggage.
- One video released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office shows an agent likely taking a wallet.
- Two TSA agents were arrested in July, while charges against a third agent were dropped, records show.
Footage newly released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office appears to show two TSA agents at Miami International Airport stealing money from passengers as they pass through an airport security checkpoint.
Authorities arrested 33-year-old Labarrius Williams and 20-year-old Josue Gonzalez in July, according to arrest affidavits viewed by WFOR-TV. A third TSA agent was also charged at the time, though charges against her have since been dropped, according to court records.
The arrests were made after airport authorities contacted a police detective to try to get to the bottom of a number of thefts at Checkpoint E at Miami International Airport, Insider reported in July.
The investigation found surveillance footage of two of the TSA agents appearing to conspire to steal money from passengers' luggage. However, the footage, which consists of several videos, was only made public recently as part of the case's discovery process.
In the footage, from June 29, a TSA agent can be seen seemingly taking something out of a luggage tray and placing it in his pocket.
In another video, the same agent can be seen removing what appears to be a wallet from a zipped bag before setting it aside and later grabbing it out of the same tray before it passes through the security screening. Again, he appears to put his hands in his pocket afterward.
According to the arrest affidavits viewed by WFOR-TV, the TSA agents allegedly removed $600 from one passenger's wallet. This was in addition to a number of other alleged thefts at the checkpoint.
Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts records appear to show that both Williams and Gonzalez have been charged with grand theft in the third degree.
Gonzalez has agreed to a deferred prosecution program, which means that the case against him will be dismissed if it meets specific requirements, records show. Williams, however, has a trial date set for October 23.
The officers have been removed from screening duties pending the completion of the investigation and administrative actions, according to the TSA.
A spokesperson for the TSA said in a statement: "We actively and aggressively investigated these allegations of misconduct and presented our findings to the Miami Dade Police Department, and are working closely with them. Any employee who fails to meet our fundamental ethical standards is held accountable."
Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office declined to comment.