DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

.crop... Last week, federal agents inter­ viewed the general manager of a crop-dusting company here, about 80 miles northwest of Miami. The man­ ager told the local police that more than a dozen Middle Eastern men had regularly visited the company in the weeks leading up to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. J. D. Lee, general manager of South Florida Crop Care, at Belle Glade Municipal Airport, told the au­ thorities that at least one of the sus­ Lee said Mr. Atta showed up at the recalled. He said he had no reasopijo pected terrorists and his associates crop-dusting business to inquire be suspicious because pilots often showed up at the business in a pri­ about the planes once in February asked about the planes and becaii^ vate plane or in minivans from Feb­ and on another occasion he could not the Belle Glade area is home^^ ruary to August. Each time, they recall. many Middle Eastern families. , wanted to know how much fuel and On the earlier visit, Mr. Atta flew “I had no idea something was up at chemicals the yellow 502 Air Tractor in on a Cessna with two unidentified the time,” Mr. Lee said. “But. the crop-dusters could carry and wheth­ minute the bombing happened, with­ er any special skills were needed to men. In July, Mr. Lee said, another in an hour, it dawned on me about fly them, Mr. Lee said in an inter­ group of Middle Eastern men visited these people and all the questiens view today. his business as frequently as twice a they were asking.” 5-;, One of Mr. Lee’s employees, week for about eight weeks. Their The manager of another crop-dustr James Lester, who is charge of last visit was on the Saturday before ing business at the airport, Adri^ maintaining and loading the planes, the Sept. 11 attacks, he said. Rodriguez of Roma Services, si^ identified one of the men from a “Tve probably seen 12, 15 or 18 that he did not recall seeing the nnen Federal Bureau of Investigation pho­ at his facility but that last weel^^^ to as Mr. Atta, who is suspected of F.A.A. requested information ab^m crashing American Airlines Flight 11 all his pilots and records from into one of the trade center towers. A suspected hijacker flights for the past number of ye^s. Despite the government’s concern Mr. Rodriguez, who is presidest/crf about the use .of crop-dusters for showed interest in the local chapter of the National.!^ chemical or biological attacks, weap­ ricultural Aviation Association, said ons experts speculated that the sus­ agricultural planes. the group had sent out a memory pects were considering using them in dum to its 3,500 members — includ­ much the same way that they used ing the 300 operating in Florida.— the passenger jets; as flying bombs. with suggestions for increased secu­ Instead of carrying pesticides, the different ones, but some might have rity procedures across the country/:. crop-dusters could carry fuel. been the same ones,” Mr. Lee said. As part of that effort. Belle Glade “The most likely explanation is a During each trip, Mr. Lee said, the Municipal Airport now has 24-heur conventional attack,” said Jonathan men asked what he said were in security. All of Roma’s planes have B. Tucker, an expert on chemical and retrospect peculiar questions about extra security devices that keep biological weapons at the Washing­ the operation of the planes. ‘‘They them from being started or moved ton office of the Monterey Institute of were asking questions they didn’t from the parking locations. International Studies. have any business knowing,” he said. Mr. Rodriguez said that, though But Mr. Tucker also said the “They asked about how big a load the precautionary measures were planes could be used to dispense tox­ it could haul, how much fuel it could called for, he did not see much risk-ef ic chemicals or deadly germs. Chem­ carry, how fast it could go and how a crop-duster being stolen and used icals would be easier to dispense hard it was to fly,” Mr. Lee said. in an assault. “You can’t be a reguj^ than germs because the pore size of On occasion the men videotaped pilot and fly one of these things, unmodified sprayer nozzles is right the outside of the planes and seemed said. “It takes lots of hours and expe­ for dispensing liquid chemicals. Mr. to assess airport facilities, Mr. Lee rience to do this.”

NYC-WTC_000152293