Limited Number of Air Marshals Flying During Thanksgiving Holiday Period

Image: Woman exiting an airplane. (photo via MesquitaFMS/E+)
Image: Woman exiting an airplane. (photo via MesquitaFMS/E+)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 9:25 AM ET, Wed November 22, 2023

Air Marshals are supposed to be invisible in the sky. Now, they might not be on the planes at all.

Air Marshal National Council Director Sonya LaBosco says air marshals are still being deployed at the southern border, and that could mean a dearth of guards on duty on airplanes during what is estimated to be a record-setting Thanksgiving week.

"We just received an email last week that resources are depleted as far as our flying air marshals," LaBosco told FOX News on Tuesday. "We are ushering in illegal immigrants on the border and leaving the traveling public unsafe."

LaBosco blamed the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a sentiment echoed by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz previously wrote a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske saying, "It is concerning that the administration has prioritized ushering illegal immigrants into the country over protecting the lives and safety of the traveling public."

LaBosco said air marshals deployed in the region are simply "passing out water."

Cruz said removing air marshals off flights could put travelers “at risk.” 

“But we all know that the border is not secure, but now, not only is the border destabilized, our aviation is destabilized as well," LaBosco said. "Clearly, we're not flying right now.”

“The only missions that we're doing are quiet skies missions,” LaBosco continued. “We're not doing our regular missions where we're out there looking for the bad guys. So right now, on most flights, you're not going to have air marshals.”


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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