We were following six-week-old babies, we were following eighty-five-year-old grandmothers. Our complete mission to stop a terrorist attack had stopped, and now we had become this dog whistle. — Sonya LaBosco, Air Marshal Whistleblower
Sonya LaBosco spent over two decades in law enforcement, from mounted patrol in Daytona Beach to the cockpits of commercial aircraft as a Federal Air Marshal. Now, as Executive Director of the Air Marshal National Council, she is the leading voice demanding accountability for what she describes as the deliberate weaponization of federal air marshals against law-abiding American citizens.
In Episode 8 of The Hero Next Door, LaBosco sat down with hosts Nick Searcy and Dr. Darcy Leutzinger for a wide-ranging conversation on her career, the post-9/11 mission, and the corruption she exposed from within.
From Moonshine Country to Mounted Patrol
LaBosco did not come from a law enforcement family. Raised in rural Mississippi among moonshiners, she made a deliberate choice early in life: instead of running from the law, she would become the law. In 1989, she enrolled in the police academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, paying the $599 tuition with just $601 in her bank account.
She started part-time, working major events including race week, bike week, and spring break. Her work ethic earned her a full-time position within a year. She then pitched and built Daytona Beach PD’s first-ever mounted police unit in 1993, selling the city commission on its value as a community policing tool.
September 11th Changed Everything
After twelve years at Daytona Beach PD, where she had risen to sergeant and was on the list for lieutenant, the attacks of September 11, 2001, altered her trajectory permanently. LaBosco watched the towers fall from her living room after a midnight shift and made an immediate decision: she would become a federal air marshal.
She called an 800 number from a nationwide law enforcement bulletin, filled out a bubble-sheet application by mail, and was flown to Atlantic City for assessment in February 2002. She was hired shortly after, leaving behind a twelve-year career, a pending promotion, and the security of a pension.
“These terrorists came in and attacked us in our own homeland and murdered 2,977 people,” LaBosco recalled. “I knew I was going to fly and make sure that never happens again.”
On the Line: Detecting a Bomb at Orlando International
LaBosco described a 2008 incident at Orlando International Airport where her training and instincts prevented a potential attack. While on ground-based duty in plain clothes, she observed a man behaving erratically: overdressed for summer, sweating, fidgeting, repeatedly checking his watch.
She coordinated with teammates and followed the individual through the terminal into a crowded food court. When the man spotted uniformed police and fled down an escalator, it confirmed her suspicion. Authorities later determined he was carrying components for an improvised explosive device, both on his person and in a checked bag.
The Quiet Skies Betrayal
The most significant portion of the interview addressed the Quiet Skies program and the targeting of American citizens after January 6, 2021.
According to LaBosco, after Representative Benny Thompson, chair of the January 6th Select Committee, sent a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske asking what would be done about individuals who traveled to the Capitol, TSA placed the flight manifests of anyone who flew into the National Capital Region between January 5th and January 7th into a national security database, designating them on a domestic terrorist watch list.
“We were following six-week-old babies. We were following eighty-five-year-old grandmothers,” LaBosco stated. “Our complete mission to stop a terrorist attack had stopped, and now we had become this dog whistle.”
She noted that no BLM participants, Antifa members, or campus protesters who caused property destruction were ever placed on the same watch list.
Alerting Tulsi Gabbard
LaBosco confirmed that after DNI Tulsi Gabbard appeared on a Fox News program in 2024, teams of air marshals contacted her within 24 hours to report Gabbard had been placed on the domestic terrorist watch list. After verifying the information over multiple surveillance missions, LaBosco reached out through a back channel.
Gabbard was being surveilled even while reporting for National Guard drill duty. LaBosco also alerted Brandon Straka, Tyler Hansen, and others who had been placed on the list.
The Quad S Designation
The interview also addressed the SSSS (Quad S) designation that appeared on boarding passes of targeted travelers. LaBosco explained that these designations prevented travelers from using mobile check-in or kiosks, forcing them to the desk where the marking was printed on their ticket.
More critically, she revealed that the TSA watch list information extended to local law enforcement databases. A retired air marshal working as a deputy pulled over a citizen for a routine traffic stop and the individual appeared as a suspected domestic terrorist because of TSA’s list.
Accountability and the Path Forward
LaBosco called for immediate administrative investigations into all personnel in the Federal Air Marshal Service’s 20 field offices, headquarters, and training center who participated in surveilling Americans. She stated that every special agent with a top-secret clearance was aware of the First Amendment violations and that none have been held accountable.
She identified current leadership as Biden administration holdovers, including acting TSA administrator Ty McNeil Wynn and Federal Air Marshal Service Director Brian Belcher, who she said received a $40,000 annual bonus in 2025 on top of his $200,000 salary.
LaBosco also called for the Federal Air Marshal Service to be removed from TSA entirely and placed under a true law enforcement component, noting that every other nation’s air marshal program (Canada, Germany, Thailand) operates within a law enforcement agency rather than an administrative one.
Tips for Civilian Travelers
When asked what civilian travelers should do about unruly or dangerous passengers, LaBosco offered direct guidance:
- Be aware that incidents can happen at any time in flight
- Recognize that once the door closes, no outside help is coming
- Identify fellow passengers who appear capable of assisting physically
- Follow flight crew direction but be prepared to act
- Understand that physical altercations at altitude can last 10-15 minutes before landing
She noted that during the Biden administration, when air marshals were deployed to the southern border instead of flying, critical incidents aboard aircraft increased with no federal law enforcement present.
About Sonya LaBosco
Sonya LaBosco is the Executive Director of the Air Marshal National Council, a 501(c)(4) membership-based organization representing current and retired federal air marshals and U.S. Marshals. She served as a Daytona Beach police officer for twelve years and as a Federal Air Marshal from 2002 until her medical retirement in 2014 following an on-duty injury. She appeared in the documentary Police State alongside Nick Searcy.
Watch the full episode on Proud American Studios.
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