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The head of the United States Department of Homeland Security allegedly authorized the purchase of Spirit Airlines aircraft before learning that the carrier did not truly possess the planes – and that the aircraft were missing power plants.

This strange incident was contained in a report released on Friday, which recounted how the official and a former political strategist had recently arranged to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from the airline. People familiar with the situation told the paper that the two planned to use the jets to expand removal flights – and for personal travel.

Those insiders also stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had cautioned them that purchasing aircraft would be significantly costlier than simply increasing existing flight contracts.

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Complicating matters further, the airline, which filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in August, did not possess the jets and their engines would have had to be acquired independently. The proposal has since been halted, according to the investigation.

In the interim, Democratic lawmakers on the House funding panel said in October that during this season's record-long federal shutdown, the DHS had already purchased two Gulfstream aircraft for $200 million.

“It has come to our attention that, in the midst of a government shutdown, the US Coast Guard signed a single-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace to procure two new G700 luxury aircraft to facilitate travel for you and the deputy, at a expense to the taxpayer of $200m,” Democratic representatives wrote in a communication to the DHS.

A department representative informed the outlet that parts of its reporting about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but declined to offer additional clarification.

The legislature had previously authorized the termed “major immigration bill” in July, which dedicates roughly $170 billion for immigration-related and border-related operations, a sum that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most well-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.

In September, it was reported that the government was transporting immigrants detained as part of its removal program in ways that violated their legal rights, often by plane.

Leaked data examined from private airline GlobalX detailed the travels of tens of thousands of individuals who have been shuttled around the nation before deportation.