What We Know About Flight Instructor Thiago DeJesus

Published November 5, 2010

Thiago DeJesus, the owner of a flight school in Stow, was arrested Friday along with 33 of his students for being in the United States illegally.

Details are sparse and the newsroom is working on it. Here is what we know:

  • DeJesus owns TJ Aviation Flight Academy at Minute Man Air Field.
  • DeJesus has an active FAA pilot certificate and a flight instructor rating,  despite strict security controls put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
  • DeJesus and the students arrested are Brazilian and have no known ties to terrorists.
  • DeJesus was sanctioned for one FAA violation, dated June 26, 2010, but the case is closed and the FAA will not comment on what the violation was.
  • DeJesus and the students arrested are Brazilian.

The federal agencies involved are pointing fingers at one another. The FAA says this is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation. ICE says this is a TSA matter, since the TSA performs clears pilots to take flight lessons.

The TSA released this statement:

TSA performs a thorough background check on each applicant at the time of application to include terrorism and other watch list matching, a criminal history check and checks for available disqualifying immigration information. This matter has prompted a review of the process through which foreign nationals obtain clearance to take flight lessons and acquire pilots’ licenses.

As the Boston Globe reports, the case raises new doubts about the effectiveness of the nation’s antiterror net:

In 2008 ABC News reported that thousands of foreign nationals were obtaining pilot’s licenses without the proper paperwork.

Officials at TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration, which issues pilot’s licenses, could not explain this week why alleged illegal immigrants were allowed to take classes and obtain pilot’s licenses in Stow.

DeJesus denies that he is in the United States illegally.