A cell-phone yielding suspect managed to evade security at one of the nation’s most-traveled airports over the weekend, bypassing checkpoints by riding a baggage carousel into the luggage area and sprinting onto the tarmac.
The unidentified culprit caused a panic at Miami International Airport on Saturday, diving into a luggage conveyer belt near the American Airlines check-in line before emerging onto the highly restricted runway.
“Had there been a plane at that gate, this individual could have entered the plane or had access to the aircraft. This is a very restricted area, only accessible to some with very limited access, and he was able to gain access. Very concerning,” a source told the Miami Herald.
Video of the incident appeared on social media within minutes, showing the man darting onto the tarmac as security personnel struggle to subdue the suspect. It remains unclear whether the individual was carrying a weapon, or why he tried to bypass airport security.
The security breach comes just weeks before millions of Americans take to the skies during the Thanksgiving holiday break; the most heavily traveled weekend of the year.
Watch the horrifying scene above.