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The secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved the purchase of Spirit Airline aircraft before discovering that the carrier did not actually own the aircraft – and that the planes lacked engines.

This bizarre incident was detailed in a investigation released on Friday, which recounted how the official and a former political strategist had recently arranged to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from Spirit Airlines. Sources with knowledge informed the outlet that the pair planned to use the planes to expand removal flights – and for personal travel.

Those insiders also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had warned them that purchasing aircraft would be far more expensive than simply increasing existing flight contracts.

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Making the situation more complex, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy proceedings for the second instance in August, did not own the jets and their engines would have had to be bought separately. The plan has since been paused, according to the investigation.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the House funding panel said in the autumn that during this fall's record-long federal shutdown, the DHS had already acquired two Gulfstream aircraft for $200m.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a federal shutdown, the United States Coast Guard entered into a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to acquire two new G700 luxury jets to support travel for you and the deputy secretary, at a expense to the public of $200m,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter to the department.

A DHS spokesperson told the Journal that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to provide further details.

Congress had previously approved the so-called “big, beautiful bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration-related and border-related operations, a amount that makes ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the US government.

In September, it was reported that the administration was transporting individuals held as part of its deportation agenda in ways that breached their legal rights, often by air.

Leaked data reviewed from private airline GlobalX detailed the journeys of tens of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the nation before removal.