Immigrant about to be deported escapes federal custody at airport, flees in cab

A Senegal native who was about to be kicked out of the U.S. on a flight from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City escaped from federal custody and fled by hailing a taxi, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke, 31, entered the U.S. legally in 2005. But he was convicted in 2012 of two felony firearms offenses and served three years in prison in Michigan, after which he was ordered deported back to Senegal, court records show.

Mbacke was being transported by federal immigration officers to a connecting flight at about 9 p.m. Tuesday when he "eluded custody," the Port Authority Police Department said. PAPD recovered surveillance video that showed Mbacke left the airport in a cab.

ICE and other authorities are trying to find him. Mbacke was last seen wearing a black or purple shirt, jeans and sneakers. He is 6 foot 3 inches and approximately 190 pounds.

"Members of the public should not to attempt to apprehend him and instead immediately contact authorities," ICE said in a statement.