Recent revelations have surfaced about the alleged illicit activities of a pilot, who was apprehended shortly after his aircraft landed.
On July 26, following a flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco, a pilot from Delta Flight 2809 was detained.
Federal agents reportedly boarded the plane upon its arrival to arrest the co-pilot. He has been identified as 34-year-old Rustom Bhagwagar from Florida.
One traveler noted that up to ten agents were present during the arrest. At that moment, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Francisco mentioned to the San Francisco Chronicle that they were aiding local law enforcement in executing an arrest warrant.
The arrest was described as part of ‘an ongoing local investigation with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office’.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of Homeland Security, spoke on the issue, stating that Bhagwagar was apprehended on allegations of sexual offenses involving a minor.
She also released a statement condemning the actions of Bhagwagar following his arrest.
She stated: “Thanks to DHS’ partnership with Contra Costa County Sherriff’s Office this [alleged] pedophile is behind bars.
“Anyone who commits depraved crimes against a child, including U.S. citizens, will face consequences. President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to do everything in their power to protect children from exploitation and abuse.”
In response, a representative for Delta Airlines communicated to UNILAD: “Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will fully cooperate with law enforcement.
“We are appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest and the individual in question has been suspended pending an investigation.”
Several passengers from the flight expressed their shock upon witnessing the arrest.
A passenger named Sarah shared with ABC7: “[Agents] barged through and stormed the cockpit. They removed the co-pilot, cuffed him, presumably arrested him, and brought him back down the aisle to deplane.”
Sara continued, “It was scary. It was traumatic to watch. As soon as my husband picked me up from baggage claim, I jumped in the car and cried. Because who knows what’s happening to that poor person? Why that happened? What did we just see?”
Witnesses also noted that the other pilot and cabin crew appeared equally taken aback and bewildered by the arrest.
UNILAD has reached out to HSI San Francisco for additional comments.
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office released a statement: “Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division has been conducting an investigation since April 2025 after receiving a report of sex crimes against a child. An arrest warrant was later secured for the suspect.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that the suspect was an airline pilot and was scheduled to land at San Francisco International Airport on the evening of Saturday, July 26, 2025.
“At approximately 9:35 PM, Sheriff’s Office detectives, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, boarded the plane to arrest the suspect identified as 34-year-old Rustom Bhagwagar of Florida. He was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on five counts of oral copulation with a child under 10 years of age. He is being held in lieu of $5 million bail. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For tips, email: [email protected] or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.”
If you are impacted by any issues mentioned in this article, contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Alternatively, you can chat online via online.rainn.org.