Press Releases 2007

Statement from U.S. Embassy on Weekend Arrests

June 4, 2007

Four individuals have been charged in New York with conspiring to attack JFK Airport by planting explosives to blow up the airport’s major jet-fuel supply tanks and pipelines.  The plot was halted before execution thanks to an outstanding joint law enforcement effort between authorities in the U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana.

Dr. Roy L. Austin, U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, said: “Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement authorities were full partners in this lengthy and complicated investigation. Their continued cooperation with American authorities, their quick action, and their vigilance undoubtedly saved thousands of lives.  They are still working hard to apprehend the one suspect who remains at large.  We are grateful to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, with whom we maintain a strong and mutually beneficial relationship.  We deeply appreciate their continuing support as we try to make this hemisphere a safer place.”

As alleged in the complaint, the plot tapped into an international network of violent extremists from the United States, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.  United States Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf stated: “The defendants are charged with conspiring to bomb one of the busiest airports in the United States, located in one of the most densely populated areas in the northeast – had the plot been carried out, it could have resulted in unfathomable damage, deaths, and destruction.  But thanks to the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement, the defendants’ plan never reached the operational state, and the public was never at risk.”

For additional information about this case, please contact Bill Muller at the U.S. Department of Justice, New York, at Tel. No. 718-254-6258.