A college student was arrested at the Houston airport for allegedly carrying half a stick of dynamite and other bomb-making material in his checked luggage and a plane coming from the UK diverted following an alert in two of seven security-related incidents in the US which led to questioning of passengers and search of flights.
The 21-year old student, an American citizen identified as Howard McFarland Fish on board a Continental flight from Argentina, was found to be carrying in his checked luggage prohibited materials during a routine check at Houston's Bush International Airport but officials said terrorism was not involved.
He is expected to appear before a Federal Court on Monday and could get up to ten years in prison if convicted.
The prosecutors are yet to decide whether to prosecute him and on what charges.
Officials quoted Fish as saying that he had been exploring mines in Bolivia and had purchased dynamite as a souvenir.
He was also allegedly carrying a blasting cap, a home made fuse and a quarter pound of ammonium nitrate.
Fish was in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday and was being questioned by it.
{{/usCountry}}Fish was in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday and was being questioned by it.
{{/usCountry}}In another incident, an American Airlines flight from Manchester in England to Chicago was diverted to Bangor airport in Maine and officials said they learnt of the threat only after the plane was in the air but did not elaborate.
The passengers deplaned and were questioned by FBI.