© Provided by NBCU News Group, a analysis of NBCUniversal Media LLC Image: Stephanie UngStephanie Ung says she and a acquaintance were greeted by federal agents afterwards dispatch off the even from vacation. A vacation to Cancun, Mexico, aftermost anniversary to bless a altogether concluded in affliction aback an Atlanta-area woman says she and her acquaintance were mistaken on the flight home as animal trafficking victims.
The incident, which led Delta Air Lines to say it was extensive out to the customers, has put a spotlight on the aerial position of accurately anecdotic victims while acclaim out incidents of trafficking.
One of the travelers, Stephanie Ung, who had aloof angry 26, told NBC associate WXIA that she was questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection admiral for added than an hour aloft accession at the airport. She said she never got a beeline acknowledgment as to why she was detained.
"I aloof kept cogent them that I capital to go home for my ancestors Thanksgiving dinner, and that they were authoritative me late, but they aloof didn't care," Ung said through tears. "They aloof laughed."
"The actuality that I absent banquet with my ancestors — you can't booty that back," she added. "I can aloof attending at the pictures and feel sad that I wasn't a allotment of it."
Related: Flight associates alternation to atom animal trafficking
Ung, who is Asian American, said that she believes her chase was a agency in the situation.
"I apperceive animal trafficking is huge aural the Asian community, right, and that's the alone acumen why I could see you endlessly me," Ung said. "That and the actuality that I was in a dress. I was in a dress with some cardigans and boots, and I anticipate that's absolutely adapted to fly on an aeroplane with."
She added that her acquaintance additionally has an Asian accomplishments and added cartage ability accept beheld them as "two little girls on the plane."
She accustomed that some ability see that as a red flag, but in this case, bodies were amiss and charge to "mind your own business."
A Delta agent said that addition commuter on the flight believed addition abroad was in control of the women's passports at the time and appear that affair to the crew. Addition captivation addition person's authorization can be a "possible indicator of a animal trafficking event," Delta said in a statement.
U.S. citizens are appropriate to accept a authorization to fly to and from Mexico. Ung told the base that they were in control of their own passports during their trip.
She could not anon be accomplished for animadversion Tuesday by NBC News.
Since 2011, Delta said it has been training its flight associates to atom accessible cases of animal trafficking and contributed $1 actor this year to advice the anti-trafficking accumulation Polaris. In this situation, the airline added, it took the affair actively and contacted authorities.
"While their analysis did appearance that our barter were not actuality trafficked, we alternation our aggregation associates to abide active and use their able acquaintance and convenance best acumen to ensure the assurance of all customers," Delta said. The airline said it is "troubled" by accusations of bigotry and has accomplished out to the afflicted travelers.
Customs and Border Protection said in a account that it cannot animadversion on alone cases, but that any adventurer who feels that an administrator has acted unprofessionally can articulation apropos to the on-duty administrator or anonymously address allegations of delinquency online.
Federal authorities say Atlanta charcoal one of the better hubs in the country for animal corruption and animal trafficking. Georgia ranks sixth in the nation for appear cases, according to the National Animal Trafficking Hotline.
