Libyan orders arrest of airline official over transport of migrants to Nicaragua

Libyan authorities on Monday ordered the arrest of an airline official on charges of helping to illegally transport migrants to the United States via Nicaragua.

The commercial director of Ghadames Air was under investigation for "committing an activity harmful to the interests of the country," said a statement from the Tripoli-based Attorney General's office, which did not name the suspect.

It said Ghadames Air had transported hundreds of people to the Central American country of Nicaragua, who intended to then illegally enter the United States.

Ghadames Air is a private airline founded in 2021 and headquartered in Tripoli, according to the company's website. The carrier could not immediately be reached for comment.

"The company had engaged in an activity ...operating flights carrying hundreds of people from East Asian countries without taking into account the obligations of the air carrier and national legislation related to immigration," the Attorney General's office statement said.

It gave no further details on the origin countries of the migrants.

Oil-rich Libya plunged into chaos following the toppling of long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. It has since become the main gateway for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.