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NousDefionsDoc · 02-06-2004, 20:05

American Arrested in Brazil at Customs
20 minutes ago

By ALAN CLENDENNING, Associated Press Writer

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A second American in three weeks was arrested in Brazil on Friday after being accused of making an obscene gesture during new customs procedures for U.S. citizens.

Police said Douglas A. Skolnick, 55, raised his middle finger while being photographed and fingerprinted. They said he was from New Jersey but did not release his hometown.

Police accused Skolnick, who is with a tour group, of showing contempt to authorities while being checked in Foz de Iguacu, a southeastern resort town famed for its waterfalls.

The fingerprinting and picture-taking requirements were imposed in response to similar rules in the United States for citizens of Brazil and many other countries. The United States said it imposed the rules to prevent terrorists from entering the country.

American Airlines pilot Dale Robin Hersh was arrested on Jan. 14 on the same charge after making a similar gesture. The airline paid a $12,750 fine and Hersh returned home.

Skolnick "did it the same way as the American pilot," said Marcos Koren, a federal police spokesman.

A judge will decide how much to fine the American and whether to deport him or let him rejoin his tour group of about 80 Americans, most of them retirees, the spokesman said.

Officials with the American Embassy in Brasilia did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Foz de Iguacu sits at the border with Argentina and Paraguay, about 500 miles southeast of Sao Paulo.

Members of Skolnick's tour group arrived from Santiago, Chile, on a chartered flight. They were allowed into Brazil, and Skolnick's wife accompanied them to their hotel.

"They'll go and see the falls and the beauties of this region, but he won't know any of the beauty, just the inside of a cell," Koren said of the husband. The group is expected to leave Brazil on Sunday.
______________

I'll bet he made everybody in the group just laugh and laugh! Wonder what a tour group is doing in the Tri-border? Yup, that's where I'd go on vacation.

02-06-2004, 20:05	#1
NousDefionsDoc Quiet Professional Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: LA Posts: 1,653	Brazil American Arrested in Brazil at Customs 20 minutes ago By ALAN CLENDENNING, Associated Press Writer SAO PAULO, Brazil - A second American in three weeks was arrested in Brazil on Friday after being accused of making an obscene gesture during new customs procedures for U.S. citizens. Police said Douglas A. Skolnick, 55, raised his middle finger while being photographed and fingerprinted. They said he was from New Jersey but did not release his hometown. Police accused Skolnick, who is with a tour group, of showing contempt to authorities while being checked in Foz de Iguacu, a southeastern resort town famed for its waterfalls. The fingerprinting and picture-taking requirements were imposed in response to similar rules in the United States for citizens of Brazil and many other countries. The United States said it imposed the rules to prevent terrorists from entering the country. American Airlines pilot Dale Robin Hersh was arrested on Jan. 14 on the same charge after making a similar gesture. The airline paid a $12,750 fine and Hersh returned home. Skolnick "did it the same way as the American pilot," said Marcos Koren, a federal police spokesman. A judge will decide how much to fine the American and whether to deport him or let him rejoin his tour group of about 80 Americans, most of them retirees, the spokesman said. Officials with the American Embassy in Brasilia did not immediately return messages seeking comment. Foz de Iguacu sits at the border with Argentina and Paraguay, about 500 miles southeast of Sao Paulo. Members of Skolnick's tour group arrived from Santiago, Chile, on a chartered flight. They were allowed into Brazil, and Skolnick's wife accompanied them to their hotel. "They'll go and see the falls and the beauties of this region, but he won't know any of the beauty, just the inside of a cell," Koren said of the husband. The group is expected to leave Brazil on Sunday. ______________ I'll bet he made everybody in the group just laugh and laugh! Wonder what a tour group is doing in the Tri-border? Yup, that's where I'd go on vacation. __________________ Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home. He knows only The Cause. Still want to quit?
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