Deputies arrest man suspected of getting ready for evil plan at PBI airport

Michael Rodrigues (Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.) Deputies arrested Michel Rodrigues on Tuesday at the Palm Beach International Airport after finding his weapons inside a car he had rented and parked in a prohibited area.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach International Airport operations personnel reported that there was a suspicious man in a restricted area on Tuesday, according to deputies.

Deputies reported finding Michael Rodrigues getting dressed outside of a parked rental car when they started their investigation into his odd behavior.

"When deputies opened the glove compartment to retrieve the rental agreement, they discovered a fully loaded AR-15 magazine inside," Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for PBSO, wrote.

Deputies continued searching the car and found a fully loaded AR-15 rifle, a machete, and knives, and suspected they might have just foiled the 41-year-old felon’s evil plan.

Detectives questioned Rodrigues before his arrest for trespassing an operational area on airport property, possession of cocaine, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Joyce Grace Ortega contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

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Andrea Torres

Andrea Torres

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.