In one of the most intriguing stories of the week, 13-year-old Alex Vargas Sanchez successfully boarded American Airlines flight 602 to Puerto Rico on Saturday, 27 July. Incredibly, the boy went unnoticed by Immigration officers, the duty free zone supervisor and the security personnel at Las Americas International Airport. In addition, he was able to board the plane without a ticket and was even found a seat by a flight attendant. According to El Nacional newspaper, young Alex occupied a seat reserved for a ticket-holding passenger, and when the rightful occupant arrived, he was found another seat, leaving him comfortably accommodated for the flight to Puerto Rico.
Upon arriving to Luis Muñoz Marín airport in San Juan, Alex made customs and immigration officials believe that he was traveling with his parents. When the inspectors told him to wait in a specific area for his “parents” to catch-up with him, he disappeared and was able to make his way out of the airport.
His mistake was to confess to a taxi driver in San Juan what he had done. Upon hearing Alex’s story, the driver contacted the Puerto Rican police and the boy was sent back to Santo Domingo.
Alex Vargas’ story has received considerable coverage in the news media. As a reaction to the stowaway’s adventure, authorities at Las Americas Airport terminated at least one security worker and suspended several others, including military personnel. Thanks to his new fame, Alex will receive the financial support of a charitable but anonymous citizen, who will pay for classes in his favorite hobby: drawing.