Prosecutors file terrorism charges against Peruvian national over false bomb threat at AILA

Santo Domingo.- The Public Prosecutor’s Office will formally present terrorism charges this Thursday, February 5, against Peruvian national Ángel del Pino Cuya, also known as Ricardo Casas, accused of making a false bomb threat involving a commercial flight that departed from Las Américas International Airport (AILA).

The incident occurred on January 6, 2026, when the accused allegedly made a phone call warning of a suspected explosive device aboard Copa Airlines flight CM299, which was en route to Panama. The alert forced the aircraft to return to AILA, triggering emergency protocols that paralyzed airport operations for more than three hours and led to the diversion of several inbound flights.

Authorities evacuated passengers and carried out a thorough inspection of the aircraft and luggage, generating widespread alarm and requiring an extraordinary deployment of security and technical resources. According to prosecutors, the false threat caused significant logistical disruptions and economic losses, in addition to heightened public anxiety.

The Prosecutor’s Office will request preventive detention and ask the court to declare the case complex, citing the seriousness of the offense, risks of flight and obstruction of justice, potential repeat behavior, and its impact on state security and civil aviation. Investigators note that the accused initially claimed the information came from a family member, later changing his version to say it was provided by a friend of a relative.

Prosecutors maintain that the act was deliberate and intended to generate collective panic and disrupt public order, justifying the terrorism charge.