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The secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly approved the acquisition of Spirit Airlines jets before discovering that the carrier did not truly possess the planes – and that the planes were missing power plants.

This bizarre incident was detailed in a report published on Friday, which recounted how the official and a former campaign manager had recently attempted to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from the airline. Sources with knowledge told the paper that the two planned to use the planes to increase removal flights – and for private use.

Those insiders also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had warned them that purchasing aircraft would be significantly costlier than simply expanding existing flight contracts.

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Complicating matters further, Spirit, which filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in August, did not own the aircraft and their power plants would have had to be bought independently. The plan has since been halted, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers on the House appropriations committee said in October that during this season's record-long government shutdown, the DHS had already purchased two Gulfstream jets for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the middle of a federal shutdown, the United States Coast Guard signed a sole source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to procure two new G700 luxury jets to support travel for the secretary and the deputy secretary, at a cost to the public of $200 million,” Democratic lawmakers wrote in a communication to the department.

A department representative informed the outlet that some details in the report about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to offer further details.

The legislature had earlier authorized the termed “major immigration bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border security operations, a amount that makes ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the US government.

In September, it was revealed that the government was moving individuals detained as part of its removal program in ways that violated their legal rights, often by air.

Confidential information examined from charter airline GlobalX outlined the journeys of thousands of immigrants who have been shuttled around the nation before removal.