INVESTIGATORS. >> THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 7 GETTING RESULTS.
>> GINGER: AS WE REMEMBER THE
LIVES LOST 20 YEARS AGO IN THE
SEPTEMBER 11TH TERROR ATTACKS.
WE ALSO REMEMBER A PIECE OF
THE STORY WHICH STARTED
EARLIER RIGHT HERE AT THE
ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,
AN IMMIGRATION INSPECTOR WHO
LEARNED YEARS LATER WHILE
TESTIFYING BEFORE THE 9.11
COMMISSION THAT HIS ACTIONS
WEEKS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11 MAY
HAVE SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES.
NEWS SIX’S MERRIS BADCOCK SAT
DOWN WITH HIM TO GET HIS TAKE
ON THAT UNFORGETTABLE DAY.
>> YOU MIGHT CALL IT A HUNCH.
THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO
MY HE WAS A HIT I WAS THAT I
WAS WATCHING. CAN WATCH
INSTINCT. HE WAS WELL-DRESSED
MILITARY CUT AT SUPER NATIONAL
MOMENT. THAT STOPS YOU IN YOUR
TRACKS. I THINK YOU LOOK IN MY
EYES BLACK DEVIL EYES. HE CAME
IN THE BUT JOSE MELENDEZ PEREZ
CALLS IT A GUT FEELING
SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. I
DON’T KNOW WHAT BECAUSE THEIR
PASSPORTS COULD. THESE HAS A
GUT FEELING 20 YEARS AGO THAT
SOME BELIEVE CHANGED THE
COURSE OF HISTORY SINCE AFTER
ALL. LINDA’S PEREZ IS CREDITED
WITH STOPPING THE MAN WHO
WOULD HAVE BEEN THE 20TH
HIJACKER IN THE 9.11 ATTACKS
HAPPEN I LET THE SKY GO TO.
THAT’S THE QUESTION THAT
SOMETIMES I ASK MYSELF
HAPPENED ON 8/4/2000, ONE,
ROUGHLY ONE MONTH BEFORE THE
ATTACKS, SAUDI NATIONAL
MOHAMMAD AL-QAHTANI LANDED AT
ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
BUT AL QAHTANI DIDN’T HAVE HIS
FORMS FILLED OUT PROPERLY AND
SAID HE DIDN’T SPEAK ANY
ENGLISH. SO HE WAS SENT TO SEE
IMMIGRATION INSPECTOR MELENDEZ
PRESS WHO WAS CONDUCTING
SECONDARY SCREENINGS THAT DAY
AT OLE WHEN THE 2 MEN MADE EYE
CONTACT. WHEN I GOT THERE THIS
GUY’S TANTRUM AND GIVE ME THIS
LIKE I WAS SAYING VERY LOOK,
THE FIRST GUT FEELING. AND I
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IS NOT
RIGHT WITH THIS SEEMED TO THE
FIRST QUESTION WAS.
>> WHY YOU DON’T HAVE THE
RICH? I THINK I KNOW YOU
SUPPORT EITHER. WE CAN TAKE IT
AND HE FROM ICE COMING IN AND
HE WOULD TAKE HIM. A FAN OF US
HOW YOU KNOW THESE BY THE
WEEK, YOU KNOW THAT MAKE
ANYTHING THAT WAS THE FIRST
9.11, COMMISSIONERS NOW KNOW
THAT AT THE SAME TIME,
MELENDEZ PEREZ WAS QUESTIONING
AL KUT HIGH LEAD 9.11,
HIJACKER MOHAMED ATTA.
>> LISA: WAS WAITING FOR
SOMEONE TO ARRIVE AT A EVEN
USED IN AIRPORT PAY PHONE TO
DIAL A NUMBER LATER ASSOCIATED
WITH THE TERROR ATTACKS. WHILE
WAITED FOR HIS PASSENGER
MELENDEZ PEREZ DISCOVERED AL
QAHTANI HAD NO RETURN TICKET.
NO HOTEL RESERVATION. 2800 IN
CASH AND NO EXPLANATION FOR
HIS VISIT. WHEN I START ASKING
QUESTION, HE GOT UPSET HE GOT
WHEN THE SAUDI NATIONAL
REFUSED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
UNDER OATH. MELENDEZ LEGALLY
HAD ENOUGH TO SEND AL QAHTANI
BACK. BUT 5 WEEKS LATER.
>> AND THAT FEELING AGAIN AND
IF WRITING THAT I WAS TO CALL
THE AIRPORT, I CALLED HIM A
PULL THE FILE FROM CUT ANY
GIVEN TO THE FBI.
INVESTIGATORS NOW BELIEVE
AL-QAHTANI WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
AMONG THE HIJACKERS OF UNITED
AIRLINES FLIGHT. 93.
>> LISA: THE ONE DESTINED FOR
THE U.S. CAPITOL. INSTEAD, THE
PLANE CRASHED INTO A
PENNSYLVANIA FIELD WHILE THE
OTHER PLANES HAD 5 HIJACKERS
ON BOARD FLIGHT. 93 ONLY HAD 4
LATEST PEREZ RECEIVED HONORS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HE DIDN’T
EVEN LEARN THE ROLE HE HAD
PLAYED UNTIL 2004. YOU SWEAR
OR AFFIRM TO TELL THE TRUTH
WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO TESTIFY
BEFORE THE 9.11 COMMISSION,
YOUR ACTIONS MAY WELL HAVE
CONTRIBUTED.
>> TO SAVING THE CAPITAL. AND
FOR THAT, WE ALL OWE YOU A
DEBT OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE.
20 YEARS LATER. WATCHING THE
PLAY BACK OF HIS LIFE. NOW,
THE PEOPLE, HIS FUND IT.
SUSPECT THE COMICS.
>> SOME FEELINGS HAVEN’T
CHANGED.
>> YOU KNOW THAT DAY AS LONG
AS I LIVE WITH.
>> REMEMBER.
>> HOW EVERYTHING UNFOLDS.
CALL HIM A SAINT, A HERO, A
LIFESAVER. BUT MELENDEZ PEREZ
CALLS IT A PURPOSE. DO YOU
FEEL LIKE A HERO? I WAS JUST
DOING MY JOB.
>> TODAY WHEN A CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PATROL EMPLOYEE DOES
SOMETHING OUTSTANDING LIKE
BOARDING A TERRORIST OR
PREVENTING AN ATTACK. THEY CAN
RECEIVE AN ANTI TERRORISM
AWARD AN AWARD WHICH IS NAMED
AFTER SPECTER MELENDEZ I’M