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The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security allegedly authorized the acquisition of Spirit Airlines aircraft before discovering that the airline did not actually own the aircraft – and that the aircraft were missing engines.

This bizarre incident was detailed in a investigation published on the end of the week, which described how the secretary and a former political strategist had recently attempted to buy 10 Boeing 737 aircraft from Spirit Airlines. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the pair planned to use the jets to increase removal flights – and for private use.

Those sources also stated that ICE officials had cautioned them that buying planes would be significantly costlier than simply increasing current charter agreements.

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Complicating matters further, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in the summer, did not possess the aircraft and their power plants would have had to be acquired separately. The plan has since been halted, according to the report.

In the interim, Democrats on the House funding panel said in October that during this season's historically lengthy government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already acquired two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a federal shutdown, the United States Coast Guard entered into a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to acquire two new G700 luxury jets to facilitate travel for you and the deputy secretary, at a cost to the public of $200 million,” Democratic representatives wrote in a letter to the DHS.

A DHS spokesperson told the Journal that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to offer further details.

Congress had previously authorized the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in the summer, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration-related and border security operations, a amount that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most well-funded federal agency in the US government.

In September, it was reported that the government was moving immigrants held as part of its removal program in ways that violated their constitutionally protected rights, often by plane.

Leaked data examined from charter airline GlobalX detailed the travels of tens of thousands of immigrants who have been shuttled around the nation before deportation.