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Authorities investigating men arrests at Daytona speedway

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The Associated Press

Published: September 11, 2009

Updated: 09/11/2009 04:50 pm

DAYTONA BEACH - Four men who were stopped in July 2008 after they were observed taking photos of the Daytona International Speedway never posed a terrorist threat, an FBI agent said Friday.

One of the men was on a law enforcement watch list, but the men were never arrested and they were released after agents determined that they didn't pose a terrorist threat, said Special Agent Jeff Westcott.

"It really didn't turn out to be anything," Westcott said.

The incident was first reported Thursday by Orlando television station Central Florida News 13.

A Florida Highway Patrol memo on the agency's Web site that congratulated Trooper William Cain for being "Trooper of the Month" in July 2008, however, described the men as "potential terrorists." Cain was credited with initiating the stop of the men's van.

According to the FHP memo, Cain first noticed the four men in a van because one of the men had what appeared to be "a shooters jacket over his Middle Eastern style dress." The trooper ran a vehicle registration check and found that the van was registered to someone on the watch list.

Cain followed the van as FBI agents and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents were contacted. As the van passed the speedway, one of the passengers took photographs of the facility, the memo said.

Cain tailed the van for almost an hour until FDLE agents arrived, and together they conducted a traffic stop on the van. The men in the van were separated and interviewed and at first denied having a camera. The camera was found in the van during a search, the FHP memo said.

The men, who are former residents of Trinidad, were turned over to the FBI.

Westcott said Cain did the right thing by stopping the van and having the men vetted by the FBI.

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