[Ppnews] "No fly" nabs Statue of Liberty undercover cop

[Political Prisoner News]

Former NYPD cop Miguel Rodriguez flagged as terrorist after arrest 
during undercover role in 1977

BY <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/John%20Marzulli>John Marzulli
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, March 21st 2010, 4:00 AM
Former NYPD cop Migel Rodriguez was arrested in 1977 after goin

DelMundo for News
Former NYPD cop Migel Rodriguez was arrested in 1977 after going 
undercover as part of a crime sting. His conviction was supposed to 
be purged, but it never was.


The black-and-white mug shot shows a young man with tousled hair and 
a wispy beard, staring into the camera with steely eyes.

It was 1977 and 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Miguel+Rodriguez>Miguel Rodriguez 
had just busted a pane of glass in the 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Statue+of+Liberty>Statue of 
Liberty's crown and hung out a 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Puerto+Rico>Puerto Rican flag 
during a nine-hour siege staged by associates of the 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Fuerzas+Armadas+de+Liberacion+Nacional>FALN 
terrorist group.

Like the others, he was arrested. At that moment, only a handful of 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+York+City+Police+Department>NYPD 
officials knew Rodriguez was really an undercover cop who had 
penetrated the group.

Fast-forward more than three decades since his heroic and dangerous 
assignment and Rodriguez is facing a new threat: 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Department+of+Homeland+Security>U.S. 
Homeland Security thinks he's a terrorist.

Rodriguez, who retired from the NYPD as a sergeant in 1994, has been 
detained twice in the past month at area airports because of his old 
arrest and conviction.

His name brings up a red flag to airport screeners: "Warning, 
approach with caution. ... Individual identified as possibly being 
tied with terrorists."

He was held for hours and missed several flights while cops checked 
out his background - a process that Rodriguez said left him 
"disheartened, shocked."

"I was devastated that I was treated like a criminal," the 
63-year-old told the Daily News.

"A bomber could get on a plane with bombs in his underwear and not 
me," he said.

"I don't consider myself a hero, but I'm not a terrorist. I just want 
to be able to go someplace and not be treated like a terrorist."

A native of Puerto Rico, Rodriguez served in combat in 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Vietnam>Vietnam from 1966 to 1967.

He joined the NYPD in 1973, and was immediately sent to the 
cloak-and-dagger 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Bureau+of+Special+Services+and+Investigations>Bureau 
of Special Services and Investigations as an undercover targeting 
Puerto Rican terror groups.

He said he used his real name on the street, but the NYPD payroll 
carried him as "<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/John+Chase>Officer 
John Chase" and paid his salary in cash.

Rodriguez gained the trust of radicals hanging out in an 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/East+New+York>East New York 
bookstore and traveled to 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Chicago>Chicago and Puerto Rico 
with his comrades.

He participated in planning sessions for bombings and the spectacular 
takeover of the Statue of Liberty, passing top secret intelligence to 
his handlers.

He was still undercover when he was convicted of trespassing. The 
NYPD told him it would be purged, but it apparently never was.

Rodriguez used to be able to fly without a problem, but Homeland 
Security software has apparently been updated since his last 
uneventful trip in 2004.

Because he still works in law enforcement - he asked that his 
employer not be identified for security reasons - Rodriguez was able 
to make some phone calls to get him out of his recent airport jams.

Last week, he went to police headquarters for help. He got the 
brush-off from a sergeant in 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Ray+Kelly>Commissioner Raymond 
Kelly's office who, he says, told him to write a letter - and a book 
about his career.

Rodriguez said he has faith that Kelly - "from one Marine to another" 
- will find a solution.

Told of the ex-cop's plight by the Daily News, the top cop pledged to help.

"Commissioner Kelly will make it his business to straighten this 
out," said police spokesman 
<http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Paul+Browne>Paul Browne.

<mailto:jmarzulli at nydailynews.com>jmarzulli at nydailynews.com



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