Kevin Iraniha is a 27-year old American who recently completed a graduate program at the University of Peace in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica. Proud of his academic achievement, his family arrived from San Diego to attend his graduation ceremony. Mr. Iraniha was ready to return home to California earlier this week, bu he was denied boarding by Frontier Airlines and security personnel at the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO).

According to an article published on the Huffington Post by Shirin Sadeghi, host of New America Now, ex-BBC and Al Jazeera journalist, Mr. Iraniha was traveling with his father and two brothers when he was informed that he had been placed on a no-fly list. His brothers boarded the plane, but Mr. Iraniha and his father remained in Costa Rica and went to the United States Embassy complex in Pavas to inquire about the unusual measure. After a lengthy interrogation by American law enforcement personnel, Mr. Iraniha was still not allowed to board an aircraft bound for the United States, so he changed his itinerary and flew into Mexico City. From there he caught a flight to Tijuana and then crossed the terrestrial border and continued on to San Diego.

Mr. Iraniha spoke to Ms. Sadeghi from an Internet cafe in Mexico City once he arrived there from Costa Rica. He stated that Mexican security officials brefly stopped him for questioning, but they mostly laughed at the situation and allowed him to continue on to Tijuana.

This is not the first time that Mr. Iraniha has come into contact with American law enforcement. After taking a trip to Egypt, India and Iran (where his father was born) last year, Mr. Iraniha was subject to a visit by an agent from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Mr. Iraniha claims that the agent may have hinted at him becoming an informant; a theory that is also supported by legal analysts at the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). In fact, the article by Ms. Sadeghi indicated that Mr. Iraniha has been advised by a CAIR lawyer that his unwillingness to become an informant may have caused his placement on the no-fly list.

Mr. Iraniha, who is a practicing Muslim, also explained that the interrogation at the U.S. Embassy included questions about his visits to mosques in Costa Rica and whether he had noticed suspicious activities therein. During his time in Costa Rica, Mr. Iraniha earned a Master’s Degree in International Law with a focus on non-belligerent conflict resolution from the University of Peace. He is now considering legal action based on the recent events.