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Law enforcement boards American Airlines flight for 'possible security threat'

Law enforcement boarded an American Airlines plane in Miami on Wednesday after a "possible security threat" occurred during the flight.


Passengers aboard Flight 2289, traveling from Los Angeles to Miami, deplaned and were bused to the terminal after the flight landed just before 5 p.m. local time, the airline confirmed to FOX Business.


The airline didn't disclose what the "security threat" was. However, according to a video posted on Twitter, passengers were "ordered to put their hands on their heads for 45-60 minutes" before the plane had touched down.


According to passenger Chris Nguyen, they were also "repeatedly told not to film on the plane."


In a separate video, the cluster of passengers is seen waiting in a terminal at the Miami International Airport where Nguyen said they were "forced to wait after getting off the plane."


"Passengers were deplaned and bused to the terminal, and the aircraft was inspected by authorities," an American Airlines spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. "Safety and security is our top priority and we apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused."


The incident unfolded a day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced even more proposed fines on passengers under its zero-tolerance policy as unruly behavior on flights continues to skyrocket.


The policy was adopted in January after the agency saw a "disturbing increase" in passengers exhibiting "threatening or violent behavior," the FAA said.

Since Jan 1, the FAA received 3,271 reports of unruly behavior, about 2,475 of which were reports of passengers refusing to wear masks.


Local law enforcement directed FOX Business' request for comment to the FBI.

The FBI "is aware of this situation and is examining the facts with consideration of federal criminal statutes," a spokesperson for the agency told FOX Business.

The FBI is working with prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in order to decide whether to seek criminal charges.


This article originally appeared on Fox Business

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