Overview
- Svetlana Dali allegedly slipped past gate procedures at Newark Liberty and was discovered midflight on United Flight 19 to Milan before being taken into custody at Malpensa Airport.
- Dali, a Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, was on one year of supervised release after a 2025 federal conviction for stowing away on a 2024 JFK–Paris Delta flight.
- FBI Newark says it is working with the TSA and the Port Authority on an open investigation, and United Airlines says it is investigating and cooperating with authorities.
- TSA and Port Authority officials are reviewing surveillance video to determine how she bypassed screening and boarded without a ticket.
- It remains unclear whether Italy will pursue charges or return her to U.S. custody; prior incidents cited by officials include a Bradley Airport breach, a Miami secure-area find, and removal of an ankle monitor before a failed trip toward Canada.