A man was arrested Monday after “joking” that he had a bomb in his bag while boarding a flight to Cuba at Miami International Airport, authorities said.
The incident happened as the suspect, 33-year-old Yoel Guevara-Crespo, was boarding American Airlines flight AA1319 to Camaguey, Cuba, at 11:45 a.m., according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO).
The arrest report details that when the ticket counter agent asked Guevara-Crespo “the standard security questions” about whether he possessed lithium batteries or incendiary devices, he allegedly responded, “No, but I have a bomb.”
The agent told Guevara-Crespo that he could not fly and that she would have to contact her supervisor, according to the arrest report. The suspect said he was “joking.”
Deputies were dispatched to the gate and took Guevara-Crespo into custody without incident, MDSO said. A K9 checked his luggage and returned “negative results.”
The airline was allowed to resume normal operations.
Guevara-Crespo was taken to the airport station for an interview and gave a full confession, authorities said. He was arrested and taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.