Three federal agents went through a Denver International Airport screening station pursuing a pair of suspects and caused a security breach that delayed passengers, closed down screening stations and halted the airport’s trains today.
The breach happened just after 10 a.m. in the north screening area. The security zones and train system were closed down for 23 minutes, resuming operations at 10:25 a.m.
“When there is a breach like this, and the train is being held, the airlines don’t load any more passengers, so I am sure there were some departure delays. How many I don’t know,” said DIA spokesman Chuck Cannon.
Two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and one Secret Service agent went through the screening area dressed in plain clothes. They had warrants to arrest a man and woman suspected of trafficking in counterfeit goods, said ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok.
Screeners didn’t verify the officers’ credentials, and the Transportation Security Administration closed down the system while federal air marshals and police searched for them.
The officers were found on Concourse B, Rusnok said. They arrested the suspects, he added.
“I heard there were agents all over the place. … The lines were backed up,” said David Adams, who helps direct traffic at the screening stations.
Lines were back to normal within an hour, Cannon said.
“The TSA is meeting today with the agencies involved to review the incident,” said TSA spokeswoman Carrie Harmon.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell contributed to this report.
