Narrative:

During baggage loading the ramp crew called me downstairs along with a passenger because gasoline/solvent fumes were detected in a box he had checked in. Along with the supervisor, I watched as the suspect box was opened and 3 plastic containers of liquid were discovered. The box was thoroughly searched and repacked and boarded. The passenger claimed no knowledge of the liquid contents. His story was he was a furniture maker headed for highpoint, nc. He was a through passenger from mexico. I do not recall which station (gdl-mmy). However, it concerns me very much that during this period of heightened security such an incident could take place. Exactly what kind of precautions are being taken to security check baggage in mexico that will be checked through dfw or other stations. This is somewhat reminiscent of the chain of events that ended in lockerbie. I know the agents in gdl and mmy, having flown there, and they are very conscientious folks. But I would like to know what kind of precautions we are taking on international baggage xfer from mexico. This is a serious question -- so let's get to the bottom of it quickly -- please. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after not receiving a reply from his company for several months, reporter captain contacted the chief pilot for feedback. Reporter was sent a company report saying that their ramp personnel had done an excellent job in finding the leaking material. The passenger had been called to reply to the contents, but the passenger claimed no knowledge of it. All of his bags and boxes were thoroughly searched. The leaking fluid was liquid solvents, paint thinners, etc. Flts from other foreign airports such as europe and south america are more thoroughly screened, but domestic flts are not as thorough. Mexico is treated as a domestic flight and the united states has little control over their baggage screening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLAMMABLE FLUID LEAKING FROM PAX BOX IN CARGO COMPARTMENT. BAGGAGE ORIGINATED IN MEXICO.

Narrative: DURING BAGGAGE LOADING THE RAMP CREW CALLED ME DOWNSTAIRS ALONG WITH A PAX BECAUSE GASOLINE/SOLVENT FUMES WERE DETECTED IN A BOX HE HAD CHKED IN. ALONG WITH THE SUPVR, I WATCHED AS THE SUSPECT BOX WAS OPENED AND 3 PLASTIC CONTAINERS OF LIQUID WERE DISCOVERED. THE BOX WAS THOROUGHLY SEARCHED AND REPACKED AND BOARDED. THE PAX CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE LIQUID CONTENTS. HIS STORY WAS HE WAS A FURNITURE MAKER HEADED FOR HIGHPOINT, NC. HE WAS A THROUGH PAX FROM MEXICO. I DO NOT RECALL WHICH STATION (GDL-MMY). HOWEVER, IT CONCERNS ME VERY MUCH THAT DURING THIS PERIOD OF HEIGHTENED SECURITY SUCH AN INCIDENT COULD TAKE PLACE. EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF PRECAUTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TO SECURITY CHK BAGGAGE IN MEXICO THAT WILL BE CHKED THROUGH DFW OR OTHER STATIONS. THIS IS SOMEWHAT REMINISCENT OF THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT ENDED IN LOCKERBIE. I KNOW THE AGENTS IN GDL AND MMY, HAVING FLOWN THERE, AND THEY ARE VERY CONSCIENTIOUS FOLKS. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF PRECAUTIONS WE ARE TAKING ON INTL BAGGAGE XFER FROM MEXICO. THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION -- SO LET'S GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT QUICKLY -- PLEASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER NOT RECEIVING A REPLY FROM HIS COMPANY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, RPTR CAPT CONTACTED THE CHIEF PLT FOR FEEDBACK. RPTR WAS SENT A COMPANY RPT SAYING THAT THEIR RAMP PERSONNEL HAD DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN FINDING THE LEAKING MATERIAL. THE PAX HAD BEEN CALLED TO REPLY TO THE CONTENTS, BUT THE PAX CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT. ALL OF HIS BAGS AND BOXES WERE THOROUGHLY SEARCHED. THE LEAKING FLUID WAS LIQUID SOLVENTS, PAINT THINNERS, ETC. FLTS FROM OTHER FOREIGN ARPTS SUCH AS EUROPE AND SOUTH AMERICA ARE MORE THOROUGHLY SCREENED, BUT DOMESTIC FLTS ARE NOT AS THOROUGH. MEXICO IS TREATED AS A DOMESTIC FLT AND THE UNITED STATES HAS LITTLE CTL OVER THEIR BAGGAGE SCREENING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.