A Cuban national in the U.S. illegally pled guilty on Tuesday to trying to get past TSA with another passenger’s boarding pass, refusing to show ID, and assaulting a screener and police officers.
Jhon Raul Vizcaino Ramirez was found near Yuma, Arizona after entering the U.S. illegally on October 27, 2022. He was released, as common policy at the time, due to lack of detention. He began living in Las Vegas.
Back on November 3 at the Las Vegas airport he approached a TSA checkpoint and gave a document checker a boarding pass with someone else’s name on it. It was for a woman flying Southwest to Rochester, New York. He was wearing a hooded top and bandana obscuring the lower half of his face.
The TSA employee questioned his use of a woman’s boarding pass, called a supervisor, and they translated their questioning in Spanish. The man refused to provide ID, but pulled out a passport – and then refused to hand it over.
When a TSA officer refused to return the boarding pass, the man hit and slapped the officer in the head and took the officer’s glasses. Las Vegas police responded and tried to detain him, but he fought them, flipped one officer over his back, and both fell to the ground. He grabbed an officer’s pen and tried to him with it, kicked a police officer twice, and kicked a TSA officer in the face. One police officer was injured and sought medical help.
Eventually the man was detained and handcuffed. He pled to two counts of interference with security screening personnel; two counts of assault, resisting, or impeding a person assisting certain officers/employees; and one count of entry by false pretenses to a secure airport area.
Sentencing is set for September 10, 2026 and the man faces up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and $250,000 fine. After his federal criminal case ends, he’ll be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The job of TSA document checker and screener is more dangerous than you’d expect. This is hardly the first time we’ve seen an attack. For instance, a main lied in wait near a TSA checkpoint in Miami and sprinted out of hiding to attack a screener after having been diverted on a Copa flight the day before.
A cop tasered passengers in Atlanta as a fight broke out at security oer a man without ID. Surely the worst place in the airport to pick a fight is in front of TSA and cops.
Meanwhile an officer pulled a gun on passengers during a brawl also at the Miami airport when a Florida Man grabbed the keys from an airport employee’s golf cart.
Notably, it isn’t just passengers doing this. An American Airlines employee was charged after threatening to kill a TSA document checker. They had tried to use the PreCheck at Charlotte without a valid PreCheck boarding pass, hurled a racial slur, and things escalated from there.
(HT: Paddle Your Own Kanoo)
Maybe Joe Dementia &,the gang can come down and help it! Ue[scone of theirs….a male using a stolen women’s ID! In the country illegally! Ck & ck
Another wonderful person here compliments of Joe Biden. Catch and release. Forget the trial, just deport. Due process should be for citizens, Greencard holders and those individuals legally in our country.
Disgraceful behavior. It would be fitting if he was made to serve every day of the full 10 years at Guantanamo; once his time was up he could just be shot out of a cannon back into Cuba.
Seems like the system is actually working, here. Law enforcement and courts holding a perpetrator accountable. Good. Instead, expect folks like @George Romey to pretend that these outcomes never happen, and that we’re living through a lawless hellscape… Then, expect some others to claim all immigrants are criminals… *facepalm* (fellas, we’re a nation of immigrants… lest we forget.)
Fellas, I get it, feels cathartic to say mean things about a baddie, but…
@George Romey — You’re suggesting to violate the 5th Amendment (due process applies to all persons within the borders of the US, even undocumented immigrants.)
@Mike Hunt — You’re suggesting to violate the 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment).
Please, now, direct your hate at me, personally. Tell everyone how you REALLY feel.
@1990 The TSA officer that might make $70K a year well he/she they’re just a chump. They’re a loser for making this lowlife have “an accident.” How dare that TSA officer expect justice?
And yes US Law should not cover those from other nations not here legally. If I snuck into Germany I should not expect the favors of the German criminal justice system. Don’t like it? Come into a country legally. It’s that simple.
(Captain Oveur voice) “So, George, what’s your opinion on ‘Street Judges?'”
I have a terrible imagination but I can’t picture any way that he would have seen this ending positively. Quite the scraper, sounds like he took a lot of people down with him – yikes.
Speaking of Vegas, it’s already June and no official dates or deets for Zorkfest 2026 yet! @Gary, thinking about potentially headlining again this year?
@Denver Refugee — Bah, nice reference! @1990 will be sure to appreciate.
Another illegal invader that @1990 loves and wants to vote.
@George Romey — Ok, Judge Dredd… we get it… you ARE the law. Calling an assaulted TSA officer a ‘chump’ for not executing a guy on the spot is wild. Go off, Your Honor!
(@Denver Refugee, @L737… *chef’s kiss*)
@Gary: What was illegal about the man’s plea? “Man In U.S. Illegally Pleads Guilty…”
@Michael Mainello — Ahh, still butt-hurt over that LA mayor’s race, I take it? When you win, it’s valid; when you lose, it’s a fraud… right…
@Retired Lawyer — Bahaha! You still got your chops, counselor! (Yeah, Gary could’ve written that better.)
@George Romey and @Jay: I’m a retired lawyer but also a genealogist, and President of my county genealogy society.
Tell me – how did your ancestors get here? When? Unless you are 100% Native American/First Nations, or you are descended 100% from slaves, you are the child of immigrants. What was their story? Their stories are the same as those of current immigrants.
Our immigration system is based on a system started in 1920, revised in 1954, and not changed since. There was wide bipartisan support for a comprehensive reform bill until Trump blew it up in 2024 so he could have a political issue.
Your xenophobia is apparent.
We don’t have to live like this.
I’m in favor of DEI:
D = Deport
E = Every
I = Illegal
My position is about love of country, love of my fellow citizens, and love of our way of life.
I want to conserve and protect our home country.
Yes, we’re a nation of LEGAL immigrants.
Lefties always try to obfuscate the distinction between legal and illegal.
@OnePatriot77 — Oof, that’s a faux patriotism; a cheap, negative imitation. True patriotism defends the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, including due process. What you’re advocating for is just exclusionary scapegoating, which is a farce to our values as a nation. (Not to mention, we’ve fought wars against that exact ‘brand’ of authoritarianism… lest we forget…)
@Retired Lawyer is right… the xenophobia is apparent.
@ Retired lawyer — wrong. 1965. Did away with quotas to let in the world, for better or worse (better and worse). That’s where Thai restaurants come from.
Strange deal, this guy is from Cuba so may have had a legit asylum claim. Blew it now.
Luckily he wasn’t a Belfast Beheader
What do you mean by “a main lied in wait”? Do you possibly mean “a man lay in wait”?
@jack the ladd — You’re both right on the history. @Retired Lawyer correctly referenced 1924 (Johnson-Reed) and 1952/54 (McCarran-Walter), along with the 2024 bipartisan bill (which #47 killed for campaign leverage). (He could have also included the 2014, “Gang of Eight” attempt that also failed.) You correctly added the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, but that doesn’t make Retired Lawyer ‘wrong.’ In fact, Retired Lawyer’s context is way ahead of most commenters here who are just spewing hate.
@1990 – wrong again. We know you like the illegals because they give Democrats more congressional seats. However, they entered the US illegally and should be fined and deported ASAP.
@Retired Lawyer. I disagree. Every American is an immigrant or the descendant of immigrants, whether from pre-Columbian immigration or post. Some, of course, were not voluntary immigrants, but immigrants nonetheless.
@Michael Mainello — Might wanna check out Florida and Texas, where Republicans actually benefit more so from non-voting undocumented persons in their districts. Recall that the 14th Amendment counts all persons for apportionment, not just citizens. So, it’s really not netting either side a definitive ‘win.’ That whole Constitution-thang also has a process for amending it if you don’t like it… *cough*
@This comes to mind — Calling victims of transatlantic chattel slavery ‘involuntary immigrants’ is a grotesque. (Is this really what they’re teaching in Ohio schools? Yikes…) Human trafficking is not ‘immigration.’ And, labeling Native Americans who were here for millennia as ‘immigrants’ is a silly semantic game that seeks to minimize the unique histories of how people got here. WTF, mate.
Democrats are working hard to make sure criminal illegals aliens like this one get to stay here permanently while getting free housing, free health care and cash stipends.
The guy in the story is literally locked up, pleaded guilty, and is on a fast track to deportation. Who exactly is letting him stay? Not to mention, #44 deported far more people than 45/47 ever did. Believe me, I WISH the Democrats were actually working on free housing, healthcare, and cash stipends (gimme gimme!), but centrist Dems are far too busy catering to entrenched corporate power and wealthy donors to ever do that.
What does it mean to illegally plead guilty
@Eric Walker — Gary probably should’ve gone with… “Undocumented Man Pleads Guilty After Using Woman’s Boarding Pass and Attacking TSA Officers at Las Vegas Airport…”
@1990 – Believe me, I WISH the Democrats were actually working on free housing, healthcare, and cash stipends (gimme gimme!),
You really need to self deport to a communist country. Your positions are chidish and frankly dangerous. I know you support the Democrats, but you are even more liberal than they are i.e. Communist.
@Michael Mainello — Nah, you first, (and only if you really want to.)
Did you see #47 is now talking about cutting Social Security benefits? Oof. That should go over real well with older voters who’ve paid their fair share for decades…
It saddens me to see so many angry/sad republicans. The wealth gap has never been greater and workers, now with disappearing unions willbe totally screwed with ai/robots to compete with. Everything is going to be controlled by land owners and investors ie far from communism. As a legal immigrant and citizen of 30 years ive never felt more like a god #$## foreigner non american than right now and am thinking of what happens when the patriotism starts turning into ethnic cleansing (lucky for some of you Italians are considered white for now by republicans). Abortion and affirmative action are gonzo. Soon gay marriage will be striked down. You guys should at least be happy!!
I’m still at a loss over how America’s left doesn’t realize there is a *legal* way to enter the United States without a visa and claim asylum at the border, in a PORT OF ENTRY. We have that “DUE PROCESS”. If you come over illegally, and ignore the 9 US Embassies along the way to the US border, where you could have STOPPED TO REGISTER AND PLEAD ASYLUM, then you are a criminal. You are breaking the law. You are an UNWELCOME GUEST.
Sadly you can NOT do this same thing in 190 other countries in the world. If you cross the border illegally, they send you back. They fine you. Sometimes even JAIL YOU.
When people visit another country and avoid the legal means of immigration/entry, one would HOPE they are on their best behavior. They are GRATEFUL to be in America and not in whatever country they came from. One would hope they’d honor our laws and customs, and try to become legal residents of the US.
This guy lost his chance to enter the US legally when we had the wet-foot-dry-foot policy, that was effective under BOTH parties.
And yes, we ARE a country of immigrants. Do some research and you’ll see almost everyone came into a port of entry, or is Ellis Island just an imaginary place?
Odd that under Trump, illegal border crossings have gone from nearly 3+ million a year to barely 10,000 in the past year. ODD, isn’t it?
When I fly to another country, I always check TIMATIC for any visa / entry restrictions and follow them. But now that I’m heading to Europe next week, I think 1990 should fly with me so I can use their excuses to avoid customs all together so I don’t want to deal with the EES and long lines at customs and just ignore them, since 1990 and a few others believe immigration laws are merely imaginary and xenophobic. I’ll let 1990 defend me to the Swiss police and see how far we get.
@1990 – as I said “childish”.
If the Democrats keep paying off illegals and criminals, we might have to cut Social Security.
@WeLostByeBye — I wouldn’t lose hope; I suspect the pendulum will swing back once there’s real economic fallout from all these failed policies. Folks are hurting, and this administration offers them little to nothing, other than hate.
@Michael Mainello — Go ahead, cut Social Security, and scapegoat whatever you want, but people will know who cut it… Republicans.
@haolenate — I wish there was an actual ‘left’ in the US, but, no, we have a center-right, corporate-donor-backed controlled opposition in the Democrats, currently. Sure, there’s real hope in an actual progressive re-emergence after #47, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Give us a Teddy Roosevelt 2.0, please. Time to bust some trusts!
As for immigration policy, the ‘open-borders’ trope is tired. No one wants violent criminals, regardless of their immigration status. However, most undocumented people are not violent criminals; they’re migrant laborers, ironically employed under-the-table by a lot of Republicans (yet we never go after those ‘business’ owners).
I wish we could all agree that systematic reforms are needed in this area, and that past bipartisan efforts to implement such reforms (2014, 2024) were a step in the right direction (including better ‘border security’). But, #47 halted those later efforts, because he wanted to run on vilifying brown-people. History will not be kind.
@1990 – You are clever and a very good at not answering a question and mis-reading an answer, but then again you are a Democrat / Communist. You are very ignorant on the 2024 immigration bill. Democrats were against it also because they did not want to compromise. Since they could only get 99% of their demands, they did not support it either.
@WeLostByeBye – Thanks for legally becoming a citizen. Stop gettng your news from the DNC if you read anything from 1990 you will understand what brainwashing can do to someone. Also read what @haolenate wrote, it is excellent.
@haolenate – Excellent.
@Michael Mainello — No, sir, you are the king of projection and deflection.
You’re lying about the 2024 bipartisan effort. Republicans and Democrats each compromised. #47 killed it because he wanted to run on it.
Please, do keep claiming anyone you disagree with is a Communist; makes you seem very calm and rational.
@1990 – I call you a Communist because what you propose is Communism. Take from the producers and give to others. What you call projection and deflection is me calling out your positions. I can honestly discuss an issue with someone with an open mind, yours is closed and spout Democrat / communist talking points. If that offends you or others oh well.
“But the bill failed to attract that broad support, losing backing even from Democrats who’d voted for the foreign aid package.
The 2024 bill was defeated by both parties: “New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said in a Wednesday statement that while he voted for the larger package in early February – mostly because it included critical aid to Ukraine – he would not do so this time around because the bill was too restrictive.”
In the mid-1980s Venezuela was a capitalist example and then the Democrats / Communists promised what you spew. Until President Trump removed their dictator, they were living in a h’hole. Argentina is also experiencing a resurgence due to capitalist policies.
This may show up twice, I made a minor correction.
@1990 – I call you a Communist because what you propose is Communism. Take from the producers and give to others.
What you call projection and deflection is me calling out your positions. I can honestly discuss an issue with someone with an open mind, yours is closed and spout Democrat / communist talking points. If that offends you or others oh well.
“But the bill failed to attract that broad support, losing backing even from Democrats who’d voted for the foreign aid package. The 2024 bill was defeated by both parties: “New Jersey (Senator) said in a Wednesday statement that while he voted for the larger package in early February – mostly because it included critical aid to Ukraine – he would not do so this time around because the bill was too restrictive.”
In the mid-1980s Venezuela was a capitalist example and then the Democrats / Communists promised what you spew. Until 47 removed their dictator, they were living in a h’hole. Argentina is also experiencing a resurgence due to capitalist policies.
@Michael Mainello — Say whatever you wanna say 3x, but it won’t make it correct or good.
No, I regularly advocate for consumer and worker protections, guardrails against excessive corporate power, and improvements to existing systems, whether it be taxation, law enforcement, or immigration policy, to name a few. You’ve seen my stuff.
You’re just doing caricatures on here. Please, keep doing so. It makes you look very, very ‘smart.’ Big-League. Or, is it, Big-ly?
@1990 – “No, I regularly advocate for consumer and worker protections, guardrails against excessive corporate power, and improvements to existing systems, whether it be taxation, law enforcement, or immigration policy, to name a few. You’ve seen my stuff.”
Denial and Deflection. Soaring rhetoric to cover up your desire to rule the population because you and your party believe they are incapable of living a free and independent life.
@1990 – Let’s take health care. Obamacare was passed with 100% Democrat support, your party refused any Republican compromise. You promised to save the taxpayer money and provide taxpayer subsidized health care to many poor citizens. It sounded great, but it didn’t work and now you demand more taxpayer money AND BLAME REPUBLICANS (normal for each party).
My point is compromise is not in the Democrat DNA. Republicans do compromise but a bill only passes if Democrats get 95% of what they want. If you didn’t have the media to distort and push your points, you would be a minority party or have to have actual policy positions.
Have a good day, I know none of this will change your mind.
@Michael Mainello — Healthcare? You’re accusing #44 and Democrats of not compromising? *facepalm* Yeah, ACA was and is an improvement, but clearly did not go far enough (too much of a win for insurance companies). Medicare for All is a step in the right direction.
Happy Friday? I’m usually around.
@1990 – The ACA / Obamacare was the Democrats bill. Medicare for all is too expensive and would bankrupt the country. How long would it be before the Democrats waive the monthly fee, co-pays and 20% charge? Medicare is not free.
@Michael Mainello — The insurance-based system is bankrupting people, as is, especially when Republicans remove the subsidies, which they have. Folks will notice that difference, and ultimately go without care. Bad outcomes.
Overall spending on healthcare actually decreases under Medicare for All (by eliminating insurance company profits, lowering administrative costs, and allowing the government to use its leverage to negotiate lower prices for medicine and procedures.)
(Did the insurance lobby get to you? *blink* twice, and we’ll send help!)
@1990 – Obamacare is a Democrat program, shoved down peoples throats, that will save money. By demanding more subsidies you are admitting Democrats lied and knew this would be the outcome.
Free enterprise, not government mandates, will save and lower costs. Quit hating on the free market because it really works. Look at Canada, Cuba and North Korea if you want to see your preferred medical system.
@Michael Mainello — The law didn’t fail; private insurance monopolies hijacked it to price-gouge patients, proving that health insurance shouldn’t exist for corporate profit.
The remedy isn’t a return to the days when insurers could deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or bankrupt families over a single diagnosis; the solution is a single-payer Medicare for All system that guarantees healthcare, matches every other major democracy, and eliminates the middlemen.
Since we’re covering all sorts of topics, did you see that #47 agreed to give Iran $3 billion now, and $7 billion later? Oof. Makes those ‘pallets of cash’ from before look like a joke. From ‘no new wars,’ to ‘just give Iran money.’ Yikes, man. Major foreign policy blunder.
I presently split my time between the US and another country, one that we uh, sorta controlled for almost 100 years. They use our currency as their main currency – and you can probably guess.
The US Embassy here tried HARD, even under OBAMA, to stop all these migrants and register them at the US Embassy here, so by the time they reached the US border – guess what, they could clear at a port of entry, get assigned a case worker, etc, and *enter* the US. Other countries had the same program. Yet, the progressive groups who were “assisting” all of these migrants told them NOT to do it. Funny we never had a problem with border entries from Canada. Weird.
But while I’m here in this country, I always have my passport on me and respect the laws of the land. I don’t comment on this country’s politics (even though their President has repeatedly said to leave him out of the US/China/Russia drama). I don’t rock the boat here. I don’t drive after 90 days (which is an immediate deportation event for US/CA citizens!). I leave the country every 30ish days back to the US and am always upfront with customs (I have a partner here and keep an office downtown).
When I go work in another country, I get a proper visa and carry it with me at all times. Why is that such a hard concept for many to comprehend? I don’t overstay – or even think about it. Maybe because I respect the laws, even if I don’t agree with them. But its their laws.
At some point I will look at taking one of the pathways to permanent residency here, because frankly, both parties in the US have gone crazy and we can’t have meaningful discussions when we disagree about something. ‘phobic words and “hate” seem to pop up regularly.
Immigration is such a challenging one because people are leaving their homes for a reason. However we can’t be the collection bucket for all immigration – the world needs strong & smart citizens in each country to help it grow.
@1990 – I jest, the Swiss are a bit efficient when it comes to customs, but they are quite strict! As much as I don’t like the EES process, I’m not about to skip it or find a way around it because I chose to not follow their laws. Not sure I want to be an illegal immigrant in Europe right now, they get deported within days of being discovered – so much for “due process” – when you ignored it the 1st time. Even in this country I’m in now, the police check your visa stamp and if there isn’t one, you are deported within 24 hours. Don’t pass go, don’t collect $200. No visit to your hotel/home to get things. Its a jail cell then the airport.
@haolenate — Panama? I’ve been (Copa!). Yes, the Darien Gap is a ‘natural’ border wall, so to speak. (Huge mistake giving up the Canal only for the Chinese to swoop in.) Lotta changes there in the last 20+ years. Talk about skyscrapers everywhere. Reminds me of Hong Kong but in Latin America. Nothing wrong with multiple citizenship (though, I presume, some folks, perhaps Michael Mainello would think of you as a traitor… uh oh.)
As for Canada, they tend to just overstay, not so much that they come over without documentation. Besides, these days, with the tariffs and threatening rhetoric (51st state), I think the Canadians and Europeans are reconsidering how to decouple from the US strategically, economically, etc. which is sad, because that hard and soft power used to be the US greatest strength over the past century. I just hope we’re not entering our own century of humiliation (getting some Qing dynasty vibes… the one with the opium dens, except this time… it’s fentanyl, I guess.)
@1990 – He is following the law, unlike those you support.
@haolenate – from what I have read that you wrote, much respect.
@1990 – Yeah, as far as health insurance is concerned it is never the Democrats fault, even when your party controls 100% of the program. Dems are the most irresponsible party in history.
@Michael Mainello — The law said to give our enemy billions of dollars? Yikes. #47 also abandoned reforms on healthcare; remember his ‘two more weeks’ on a replacement. Yikes again.
@1990 – Let me layout the Democrat Party. No policies, block all reforms and blame Trump / Republicans.
@1990 – Let me layout the Democrat Party. No policies, block all reforms and blame 47 / Republicans.
@Michael Mainello — Projecting again. No policies? We’ve literally been discussing Medicare for All…
Another… raising minimum wage… ($15/hour… up to $20/hour by 2030.)
And another… simplifying the tax code, eliminating loopholes, ending buy-borrow-die, etc. (see the other post for my discussion with @Mike Hunt.)
And so, so much more… addressing all the corruption of this administration… accountability and affordability. Got any plans for any of that? Or just new wars and blamin’ trans people again? *smh*
@1990 – is that a policy or bribery to the voters? All the Democrats do is destroy institutions and them tell their poorly educated (union teachers) voters here is another government handout / program.
Ya know, since this is an aviation and travel blog, it’s good TWA went bankrupt in the 2000s, because I doubt they’d’ve survived the 2020s with liveries like “TRANS WORLD” on their aircraft… bah!
@Michael Mainello — How are tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations not socialism for the rich? (Meanwhile, it’s rugged individualism for everyone else.) Talk about bribery… There’s no reason already extremely profitable industries like oil and gas, big pharma, etc. need subsidies.
@1990 – The rich did not receive tax cuts, those earning under 200K received tax cuts. The wealthy pay the vast majority of individual tax revenue, but tax them more and then the Dems will write the tax code so they don’t have to pay as much or they will re-locate out of the US.
California and NY are hemoraging the rich due to high taxes.
But then you know all of this, you just like to throw feces out and see what sticks. I mean the Dems are great at stirring up anger in their base. They are very violent and whiny.
@Michael Mainello — Back to lying, I see… ‘The rich did not receive tax cuts’ is clearly false. The 2017 cuts slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and lowered the top individual bracket, and the 2025 legislation made it permanent. Good times for the rich, everyone else, not so much. Most non-rich are still struggling with inflation, stagnant wages, lack of affordable housing, soaring healthcare, and increased energy costs due to #47’s new forever war (no, no… there’s a peace deal… for the 39th time…) Looks like you’re the one with poopoo on your hands…