Passenger Able To Bypass Security, Board Flight

Sometimes, ya just gotta have a smoke. But it pays to make sure you still have your boarding pass.

Twenty year-old William Contreras Ramos did not heed that advice when he stepped outside John F. Kennedy International Airport Tuesday night to have a quick drag. When he realized he was running late for his flight, he scrambled to the security line -- and realized he didn't have his boarding pass.

Thinking quickly, Ramos walked through an exit line at Terminal 2 -- and right past a private security guard, reports The Associated Press.

"He was going through the exit lane. That's going the wrong way," TSA spokesman Norm Brewer said. "As I understand it, he was challenged and stopped. And then what happened, I do not know."

The guard wasn't able to track down the Puerto Rican citizen -- who made it to his gate, and onto his flight to Albany -- forcing an evacuation of Terminals 2 and 3 just before 1900 local time.

Chaos apparently reigned after that. As passengers were forced to exit the terminals to be re-screened, JFK operator Port Authority of New York and New Jersey called Albany County Sheriff James Campbell to alert them to watch for Ramos.

Deputies met his flight, and took Ramos into custody. The man had no weapons on him, though a straight razor was found in his carry-on luggage. He was detained Wednesday, until FBI officers could pick him up.

Reassuringly, the TSA states "there is no known nexus to terrorism at this time."

Calls made by the AP to JFK security operator Aviation Safeguards, who employed the inattentive guard, were not returned.

FMI: www.tsa.gov