FLEOA Issues Cease and Desist Order to TSA for Policy That Places Federal Air Marshals' Lives at Risk

Today, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) announced that it has issued a Cease and Desist order to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for persistent actions of TSA's Office of Inspection (TSA-OI), including, but not limited to, randomly questioning host country hotel employees regarding alcohol consumption of Federal Air Marshals ("FAMS"), while they are in mission status on foreign soil, which is a betrayal of the FAMs' presence and identities, placing their lives unnecessarily at risk.

Random and reckless exposure of the identity of FAMs in a host country exposes FAMs, who are not permitted to carry a firearm in the host country, to becoming targets of terrorism or terrorist threats, as well as undermining aviation security generally by providing foreknowledge to those seeking to do harm to the flying public by exposing who FAMs are, which fatally compromises anonymity.

FAMs have been targeted by international criminals and terrorists while abroad, to include the recent attack on FAMs in the Lagos airport in Nigeria that evidences the reality of these threats.

"It is unfathomable that the TSA and FAMS Management would promulgate a policy that directly divulges the undercover identity of FAMs, especially overseas," FLEOA Federal Air Marshal Agency President Frank Terreri stated. "TSA is not only endangering the American public by this inane policy, they are setting up FAMs to be identified by terrorists while unarmed overseas and for possible abduction. With the desire of Islamic radicals to publicly execute any potential enemy, the prospect of them targeting Federal Air Marshals for beheadings and/or public executions is a real threat. To this date, the TSA has sat on their hands while placing Federal Air Marshals in dire jeopardy."