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The secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security reportedly approved the purchase of Spirit Airline jets before learning that the airline did not actually own the planes – and that the aircraft were missing engines.

This bizarre incident was contained in a investigation released on Friday, which described how the official and a former political strategist had recently attempted to buy ten Boeing 737 planes from Spirit Airlines. People familiar with the situation told the paper that the pair intended to use the planes to expand deportation flights – and for private use.

Those insiders also claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had cautioned them that purchasing aircraft would be far more expensive than simply expanding existing flight contracts.

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Making the situation more complex, the airline, which entered bankruptcy protection for the second instance in August, did not own the jets and their power plants would have had to be bought independently. The plan has since been paused, according to the investigation.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the House appropriations committee said in October that during this fall's record-long government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security had already acquired 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 entered into a sole source agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to procure two new G700 luxury aircraft to facilitate travel for the secretary and the deputy, at a cost to the taxpayer of $200 million,” Democratic representatives wrote in a letter to the department.

A department representative informed the outlet that parts of its reporting about the aircraft acquisitions were inaccurate but refused to provide further details.

Congress had earlier approved the so-called “major immigration bill” in July, which allocates roughly $170 billion for immigration and border-related operations, a amount that makes Immigration and Customs Enforcement the most heavily funded federal agency in the federal government.

In the autumn, it was revealed that the government was transporting immigrants held as part of its removal program in ways that breached their constitutionally protected rights, often by air.

Confidential information examined from charter airline Global Crossing detailed the journeys of thousands of immigrants who have been transported around the country before removal.