Tampa International Airport (TPA) TSA Officer Haofeng Chen, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, used his translation skills to assist the FBI in an international parental kidnapping case recently, according to an employee story from the TSA.
Late on a recent Friday night, Assistant Federal Security Director-Law Enforcement (AFSD-LE) Kevin Grooms received a request from the FBI for a Mandarin Chinese speaker to assist with a reunion of a kidnapped victim and a family member.
“Along with being the AFSD-LE, I am a part of the Tampa FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and work closely with the FBI whenever they are involved with anything at the airport,” said Grooms. “Because the reunion (of the child and family) was taking place at TPA, I was notified that (FBI) agents would be on-site to assist the victim. The FBI was doing everything possible to make the victim and their family feel safe and comfortable, so they inquired if TSA had any personnel who spoke Mandarin, the primary language of the victim and their family.”
A request for translation services went out from the TPA Coordination Center and Supervisory Officer Christian Enos responded, saying that Chen spoke Mandarin and would be happy to assist. Chen worked a late shift Saturday night and Sunday was his day off, but he agreed to the tight turnaround and came back to meet the 5 a.m. flight.
“I spoke with Officer Chen by phone to brief him on the request from the FBI and that this would be a sensitive situation with a young child returning from being kidnapped and taken overseas to be reunited with family here in Tampa,” said Grooms. “I informed him that we needed to make the child feel comfortable and welcomed. Officer Chen advised that Mandarin was his native language and he understood and was more than willing to assist in any manner that he could.”
A second generation American, Chen, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Fuzhou, China, approximately 20 years ago, was happy to assist. The FBI agents met Chen prior to the flight’s arrival to brief and thank him.
“I definitely felt enthusiastic and thrilled that my first language in Mandarin was able to help a mother feel at ease and calm as she returned back to the U.S. from a long ordeal,” said Chen. “The moment that touched me the most is when the mother met the FBI agent who helped her throughout the case to recover her abducted child.”
To Chen, the translation experience was an illuminating lesson about the synergy of government partnerships.
“I initially thought the collateral assignment to assist with the FBI was an awesome opportunity to learn and experience how the FBI operates and to use my Mandarin skills to help out a family in need,” reflected Chen. “But at the end of the operation, I came to understand the crucial role the FBI plays in the rescue and recovery of abducted children, and how much it meant to the family involved. I witnessed the powerful impact of different agencies when they collaborate towards a common goal.”
The original story can be found here.