Authorities in Pakistan have arrested an armed FBI agent right before he boarded a domestic flight to Islamabad, police said.
Joel Cox was carrying a combination of bullets and knives as he was trying to board the flight in Karachi on Monday. Authorities arrested the agent, who was in Pakistan on a police training mission, and charged him with anti-terrorism, CNN reported. U.S. officials are currently working with Pakistan to see that Cox is released.
Anti-terrorism charges dictate that no one can board a commercial flight with unauthorized ammunition or weapons.
The FBI agent was found with 15, 9mm bullets, three small knives and a wrench, police superintendent Malir Rao Anwar told CNN. The weapons along with Cox's laptop and cellphone were submitted for analysis at a forensics lab. Cox already appeared in court on Tuesday and is due for another court appearance on Saturday.
Cox will most likely face trial, which is necessary for "upholding Pakistan's dignity and honor," Anwar told CNN.
"[Cox] acted illegally and his arrest is perfectly legal," Anwar said.
U.S. government agencies, including the FBI, allow employees to carry authorized weapons in Pakistan. An official from the State Department said diplomats are working to have Cox released.
Cox arrived in Pakistan to take part in a program to train local police, a U.S. law enforcement officer told CNN.
This is not the first time a U.S. official was arrested and charged in Pakistan. CIA contractor Raymond Davis was arrested and charged with the murders of two men in 2011. Davis, who claimed he believed he was about to be robbed, has since been released.
The incident increased anti-American sentiments in the country and placed a strain on its relationship with the U.S., CNN reported. The U.S. eventually offered compensation to the families of the two victims.
