Manafort, Trump’s ally, has been removed from the plane for allegedly violating his passport

MIAMI – Former Trump adviser Paul Manafort was removed from a plane at Miami International Airport before taking off for Dubai because he was carrying a revoked passport, officials said Wednesday.

Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Jabaleta has confirmed that Manafort was removed from an Emirates Airlines flight without incident Sunday night, but has instructed U.S. border and customs security to question further. That agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A lawyer representing Manafort did not return a call or email seeking comment Wednesday.

Manafort, 72, led former President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign but was ousted in August of that year after revelations about his business dealings in Ukraine.

He was later charged with widespread financial wrongdoing as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s campaign and relations with Russia. He was convicted by a jury in August 2018 and later convicted in federal court in Washington.

In May 2020, Manafort was released from a low-security prison where he is serving a seven-year federal sentence for coronavirus concerns. Although Manafort has not done enough to qualify for release under the guidelines, the prison bureau has decided to release him because of his age and poor health, a source familiar with the matter said. In December 2020, Trump pardoned Manafort.

Manafort’s removal was first reported by the Knewz.com website.