4 Loaded Guns, 192 Rounds of Ammo, and 3 Knives (Not in a Pear Tree)

If you read our Week in Review posts here on the TSA Blog, you know that it’s not uncommon for our officers to find guns, knives, ammo, and even the occasional debrainer.

However, we’re not used to finding so many things on one passenger. At Sacramento (SMF) last week, a passenger was taking off his coat when an officer noticed he was wearing a shoulder holster with a loaded 9mm pistol in it. Yes, it has happened in the past where passengers have simply forgotten they had a firearm, but after our officers were finished searching the rest of his property, here is what was found:

• Two loaded 9mm pistols
• Two loaded .25 caliber pistols
• 192 rounds of ammo along with two magazines
• 3 knives 

Did you know that TSA officers discovered 101 guns last month? You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

Blogger Bob Burns
TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

Not Even Ninjas Can Evade Airport Security

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but in this case, it’s a book titled: Ninja:The Shadow Warrior. This is exactly what I’d expect to find in a book with that title. I couldn’t resist with the title of this blog post, but we didn’t catch an actual Ninja of course. What we did catch was a passenger who claimed they forgot this stealthy Ninja book was in their bag. Hmmm....

The good old days of hollowing out books to conceal items such as knives, guns and explosives are long gone. Well, at least at airports… While this concealment method might work in other venues, we screen all accessible property and we routinely find everyday items that have been altered to conceal weapons. That’s why we take a closer look at everything.

The passenger, who was ticketed to fly to Chicago, voluntarily surrendered the knives and book. TSA has the authority to levy a civil penalty against passengers who bring deadly weapons into the airport checkpoint.  So be sure to leave all of your Ninja tools at home when you travel.

You couldn’t pull this off with an e-reader… 

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Week In Review: 5 Grenades “Grenading”

5 Grenades Grenading (EWR)

5 grenades “grenading” and a partridge in a pear tree! Not one, but 5 inert grenades were discovered in a passenger’s checked luggage at Newark (EWR). Read here and here why even inert grenades at the airport are a problem even though they can’t explode. In a somewhat related incident at LAX, an expended smoke grenade was found in a passenger’s carry-on bag.

I’m sure you’ve heard the “What’s In Your Wallet” commercials…Well, a frustrated passenger at Boston (BOS) stated he had a bomb in his wallet. The police ended up citing the passenger, so while there was no actual bomb in his wallet, there is now less cash…

Not counting all of the usual items our officers find, this week they also found stun guns, firearm components, ammunition, replica firearms, brass knuckles, a belt buckle knife, a brass kubotan containing a 2½-inch double-edged knife, switchblades, butterfly knives and batons. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home.

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to double check your luggage before you get to the airport. 

On the other hand, there are artfully concealed items...  Artfully concealed means that the prohibited item was intentionally concealed with the intention of sneaking it through security:

Sword Cane (COS)

A 20” sword cane was discovered during X-ray screening at Colorado Springs (COS). The passenger said the cane was purchased for him by a relative and he wasn’t aware of the sword.

One could say a passenger was “foiled” after his knife was found in his carry-on bag inside a box wrapped in tinfoil at Columbus (CMH). The passenger actually admitted he was trying to conceal it from us. 

Aluminum foil may protect you from aliens and mind rays, but it’s not going to hide anything from us in the X-ray.

Foiled Knife (DEN)

We’re looking for dangerous items and not booze, but miniature bottles of liquor were discovered in a passenger’s socks during screening with the body scanner at Denver (DEN). Hint – most miniature bottles of liquor are under 3.4 oz. and can be brought in your carry-on baggage as long as it’s in a baggy. No need to smuggle them…

Belt Buckle knife at Newark (EWR). It's a belt buckle. It's a knife. It's a belt buckle, it's a knife. and so on...

It's a knife. It's a Belt Buckle. (EWR)

Our officers found 25 loaded firearms and 4 unloaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. Here’s a rundown of the 29 firearms our officers kept off of airplanes this week: 

• 12/2: BTR – Loaded .40 - BNA- Loaded .40 w/ One Round Chambered - LAX - Loaded .40 w/ One Round Chambered - BZN – Loaded .380 - SJC – Loaded .38 - IND - Loaded .40 w/ One Round Chambered - RSW - Loaded .38 - CLE – Unloaded .38 - DFW – Loaded 9mm w/ One Round Chambered - MIA - Loaded 9mm w/ One Round Chambered 
• 12/3: DEN – Loaded 9mm 
• 12/4: DEN - Loaded 9mm - BNA – Unloaded .25 - MCO - Loaded .380 - MEM - Unloaded .38 
• 12/5: No Firearms Found! 
• 12/6: PDX – Loaded .380 - IND – Loaded .22 - AUS – Loaded .380 - DAL – Loaded .22 w/ One Round Chambered- FLL – Loaded 9mm 
• 12/7: MCO – Loaded .22 - MDW – Loaded .357 - JAN – Loaded .40 - LIT – Loaded .380 w/ One Round Chambered 
• 12/8: BNA - Loaded .380 w/ One Round Chambered - PDX – Loaded .22 - LAX – Unloaded .45 - TPA – Loaded .38 - TPA – Loaded .45

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. 

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way. 

Including checkpoint and checked baggage screening, TSA has 20 layers of security both visible and invisible to the public. Each one of these layers alone is capable of stopping a terrorist attack. In combination their security value is multiplied, creating a much stronger, formidable system. A terrorist who has to overcome multiple security layers in order to carry out an attack is more likely to be pre-empted, deterred, or to fail during the attempt. 

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Week in Review: Smooth Travel This Holiday Season – Plus Machetes Too!

2 1/2" Blade From Walking Stick (ORD)

I’m back! I’ve been off on vacation, but have no fear, because I’m back in the cockpit and ready to navigate my cubicle through the blogosphere. 

The busiest travel time of the year has passed and I have to say the data is impressive. We are pleased to report that screening operations during the Thanksgiving holiday at the nation’s airports went smoothly overall. With over 12.38 million people who traveled this Thanksgiving more than 99 percent of passenger’s screening experience took less than 20 min. We appreciate the partnership of the traveling public to make this a safe holiday travel season. 

Now for the wacky stuff…

Machetes were found in two separate incidents at Philadelphia (PHL) and Los Angeles (LAX) with one of the blades measuring 14 ½ inches. I wasn’t aware of any overgrowth at PHL and LAX. Perhaps we should notify the grounds crew?

Grenade Found At GSP

In a fashion similar to turducken, an inert grenade was found stuffed in a sock that was stuffed in a shoe at Greenville (GSP). Read here and here why even inert grenades at the airport are a problem.

Not counting all of the usual items our officers find, this week they also found stun guns including one disguised as cell phone, brass knuckles, switchblades, a kubaton/knife combo, butterfly knives, firearm components, collapsible batons, throwing stars, a cat’s eye, an asp, a 7” military knife, a 6½-inch double sided dagger, pepper spray, ammunition, and a 3 1/8” double bladed knife.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home.  

Military Knife Found at BWI

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to double check your luggage before you get to the airport. 

On the other hand, there are artfully concealed items... 

Artfully Concealed Items: Artfully concealed means that the prohibited item was intentionally concealed with the intention of sneaking it through security:  For example, I blogged about this artfully concealed item yesterday: A stun gun disguised as a smart phone. 

A 2½-inch blade, manufactured as part of a walking stick, was detected during checkpoint screening at Chicago O’Hare (ORD)

Our officers found 23 loaded firearms in carry-on baggage since last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded ones we found). Here’s a rundown of the loaded weapons we kept off of airplanes this week:

11/27/2011: TSA Officer at ONT detects a loaded .40 pistol with a round in the chamber.

11/28/2011: TSA Officer at IAH detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

11/28/2011: TSA Officer at EWR detects a loaded pistol.

11/28/2011: TSA Officer at RIC detects a loaded .38 pistol.

11/28/2011: TSA Officer at GPT detects a loaded .22 pistol.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at ABI detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at BNA detects a loaded .38 pistol with a round in the chamber.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at TPA detects a loaded .22 pistol.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at CRP detects a loaded .40 pistol.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded .380 pistol.

11/29/2011: TSA Officer at DFW detects a loaded .40 pistol.

11/30/2011: TSA Officer at GSP detects a loaded .38 pistol.

11/30/2011: TSA Officer at MCI detects a loaded .38 pistol with a round in the chamber.

11/30/2011: TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded .38 pistol.

11/30/2011: TSA Officer at IAH detects a loaded .38 pistol.

11/30/2011: TSA Officer at ATL detects a loaded .38 pistol.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at PWM detects a loaded 9mm pistol.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at CMH detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at CRW detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at STL detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at ACT detects a loaded pistol.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded .380 pistol.

12/1/2011: TSA Officer at DFW detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

 

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Including checkpoint and checked baggage screening, TSA has 20 layers of security both visible and invisible to the public. Each one of these layers alone is capable of stopping a terrorist attack. In combination their security value is multiplied, creating a much stronger, formidable system.  A terrorist who has to overcome multiple security layers in order to carry out an attack is more likely to be pre-empted, deterred, or to fail during the attempt.

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

There’s An App For That? Stun Gun Disguised As Smart Phone At LAX

Transportation Security Officers at LAX were “stunned” when they discovered a smart phone. Not just any smart phone… It was a cute little pink smartphone that gave a whole new meaning to “bad connection.” It was a stun gun.

Law enforcement authorities responded to the incident and allowed the passenger to continue on her flight, after surrendering the item to TSA.

Our officers see countless smart phones every day, but this one was literally meant to “connect" with someone. It’s just an example of what we know all too well. Everyday common household items aren’t always what they appear to be. It may seem mundane at times, but this is why we take a closer look at everything that’s going on the plane.

It’s important for passengers to check their bags prior to traveling. Even if a passenger has no ill intent, an item such as this one could result in a civil penalty or even an arrest. And we really don’t wish that on anybody. So let’s keep your record clean and our checkpoint lines short. Leave this stuff at home.

Great job LAX!

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team 

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.
 

TSA Week In Review: Sword canes, razor blade chewing gum, and a little splash of EVOO

Display of Prohibited Items Found at EWR

Note *** The Week In Review normally lists info from Friday through Thursday. This week I won’t be including information for Thursday. Thursday’s report comes in on Friday morning and it’s a Federal Holiday. Also, I’ll be on vacation and will return on the 28th, so the next two Week In Review posts will be abridged versions.

In an odd turn of events at Orlando (MCO), a passenger who was told that her olive oil exceeded the size limit grabbed the bottle and began pouring it upon herself and our officer. I hear EVOO is good for the skin, but yeah… this is frowned upon. 

This week, our officers found not one, but two sword canes! One at Westchester (HPN) and the other at Sarasota (SRQ). These are considered artfully concealed items, but to be fare, most passengers are shocked when we show them what was concealed in their cane. Many of the canes are hand-me-downs or they were purchased at a thrift or antique store.

At Los Angeles (LAX), an anomaly was found during screening with a body scanner. The passenger stated he had burns on the inside of his leg, so the anomaly could not be cleared and the passenger was denied access to the sterile area. Law enforcement responded and the passenger later admitted that the anomaly was marijuana. We’re not looking for drugs, but we had no idea what was concealed on the passenger until he confessed. It could have easily been explosives.

Here is how a situation played out at Houston Intercontinental (IAH).

        Passenger: I have a bomb in my bag.
        Officer: What did you say?
        Passenger: I have a bomb in my bag.
        Officer: [Looking Alarmed]
        Passenger: I’m just kidding.

After this was all said and done, the passenger was allowed to rebook, but not with his original airline. He caused his original flight to be delayed by 42-minutes affecting 224 passengers.

After being told he could not take his snow globe on the flight, a passenger at Reno (RNO) thought it best to begin shouting “I am going to blow up the plane and I know how to do it.” For the record, snow globes are prohibited because the liquid is sealed inside the globe and we have no way of screening the liquid without destroying the globe. Also, shouting that you’re going to blow up a plane is never a good thing. 

Notable News This Week: The TSA Pre✓™  pilot expanded to three more airports. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),  Las Vegas - McCarran International Airport (LAS), and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). 

Firearm components, replica firearms, ammunition, unloaded firearms, a bb gun, stun guns, a belt buckle knife, brass knuckles, a brass knuckles belt buckle, a 6” knife, a collapsible baton, a 4” switchblade, and a butterfly knife, were among some of the dangerous items found around the nation by our officers in passenger’s carry-on bags this past week. And believe it or not, not one grenade turned up this week.

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. On the other hand, there are artfully concealed items. 

Artfully Concealed Items: Artfully concealed means that the item was intentionally concealed with the intention of sneaking it through security:

• A razorblade was found concealed inside a pack of chewing gum at Indianapolis (IND). Something tells me that’s not so hot for your gums.
• A brass knuckle belt buckle was found at New York LaGuardia (LGA).
• A knife with a 4 ½” blade was found concealed in the lining of a bag at Midway (MDW).

Our officers found 24 loaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded and replica ones we found). Here’s a rundown of the loaded weapons we kept off of airplanes this week:

• 11-4: TSA Officer at  IAH detects a loaded  9mm pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-4: TSA Officer at  CVG detects a loaded  .38 pistol.
• 11-5: TSA Officer at  MOB detects a loaded  .22 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-5: TSA Officer at  OKC detects a loaded  .40 pistol.
• 11-5: TSA Officer at  SGF detects a loaded .38 pistol.
• 11-6: TSA Officer at  IAH detects a loaded  .40 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-6: TSA Officer at  STL detects a loaded  .40 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-7: TSA Officer at  BZN detects a loaded  .45 pistol.
• 11-7: TSA Officer at  ATL detects a loaded  .380 pistol.
• 11-7: TSA Officer at  DFW detects a loaded  9mm pistol.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  PIT detects a loaded  .38 pistol.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  OMA detects a loaded  .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  RDM detects a loaded  9mm pistol.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  STL detects a loaded  .380 pistol.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  DEN detects a loaded  .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  MEM detects a loaded  .22 pistol.
• 11-8: TSA Officer at  LIT detects a loaded  .25 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  DEN detects a loaded  pistol of unknown caliber.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  ELP detects a loaded  .32 pistol.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  SMF detects a loaded .22 pistol.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  MIA detects a loaded  9mm pistol.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  FLL detects a loaded  .45 pistol.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  ATL detects a loaded  .40 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-9: TSA Officer at  LAX detects a loaded .45 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-10: No Data for Thursday due to federal holiday. (Thursday’s report comes in on Friday mornings.)

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. 

Body Scanner Finds: We’re not looking for drugs, but that’s normally what we find with the scanners. We don’t know what the anomalies are until we conduct a pat-down and they could very well be dangerous items.

• Vial of cocaine discovered in right front pocket. Sacramento (SMF)
• Marijuana was detected in the shorts pocket of passenger. Atlanta (ATL)
• Cocaine found in the right front pocket of passenger. Sacramento (SMF)
• Marijuana detected in the left, rear pants pocket of passenger. San Francisco (SFO)
• Marijuana detected in the right, front pants pocket of passenger. San Diego (SAN)
• Marijuana detected in the right, upper leg area of passenger. Los Angeles (LAX)

Display of Prohibited Items Found At ACY

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to check your bags before you leave.

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Week In Review: Do Not Let Your Grandson Pack Your Bags

The Gift of Grenade (BHM)

Grandma's Grenade (SLC)

An inert grenade was found in a passenger’s bag at Salt Lake City (SLC). It turns out that the passenger’s grandson had packed her bag. I’m sure you can imagine grandma’s surprise! Moral of the story: Do not let your grandson pack your bags! Another inert grenade was detected at Birmingham (BHM) and in this case, it was a gift for the passenger’s father. Read here and here why even inert grenades at the airport are a problem.

Stun Gun (CRW)

 A stun gun resembling a smart phone  was discovered at Charleston (CRW). 

A passenger traveling through LaGuardia (LGA) reported his wallet missing to a TSA Supervisor. After searching around the checkpoint and double checking his bags, the wallet containing approximately $1,000.00 and 5 credit cards did not turn up. But wait! A call came in from the Airport Police Department... After reviewing the camera footage, it was determined that the passenger dropped his wallet and another passenger picked it up and kept it. Airport police met the culprit at the gate and placed him under arrest returning the wallet to its rightful owner.

Notable News This Week: Senator Lieberman took to Twitter to defend TSA! Also, take a look at Lisa’s post from earlier this week about some interesting items we found on Halloween. Some people have been really vocal as to how they believe TSA should profile. Well… while this wasn’t aviation related, I don’t think these gentleman would fit any of the suggested profiles we’ve been given as the type of person we need to look out for. 

Stun guns, firearm components, ammunition, an asp, brass knuckles, a switchblade, butterfly knives, a belt buckle knife, a brass knuckle belt buckle, a 4” belt buckle knife, and other knives with blades up to 6 ½” were among some of the dangerous items found around the nation by our officers in passenger’s carry-on bags this past week. 

Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the throughput is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested. On the other hand, there are artfully concealed items. 

Artfully Concealed Items: Artfully concealed means that the item was intentionally concealed with the intention of sneaking it through security:

Knife Found In Bag Handle (EWR)

• Something didn’t look right about a bag that was screened at Milwaukee (MKE). After rescreening a jar of peanut butter in the bag, it was determined that there was a mass in the center of the jar. The mass turned out to be a lighter, glass pipe, and marijuana. We’re not looking for drugs, but you can probably imagine how this might look dangerous to us and why we took a closer look.
• A passenger at Santa Barbara (SBA) alarmed the walk through metal detector and an anomaly was detected in her groin area during a pat-down. The passenger eventually admitted she had a tube of toothpaste concealed in her groin area. While we’re not looking for toothpaste, it was concealed in an area where explosives can be hidden and we had no idea what it was until we resolved the alarm. We should have known what it was though, right? Isn’t that where all the cool kids are keeping their toothpaste nowadays?
• As I stated last week, contrary to popular belief, the lining of a bag is not X-ray proof. A passenger at Milwaukee (MKE) had their knife concealed under the bag lining. We found it.  
• “I always keep them in my shoes” is what a passenger at Philadelphia (PHL) stated after two razorblades were found under the insole of his shoes.  
• A knife was found concealed in the handle of a bag at Newark (EWR). I guess you could say our officers “handled” it. 

Our officers found 12 loaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded and replica ones we found). Here’s a rundown of the loaded weapons we kept off of airplanes this week:

• 10-28: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded .40 pistol.
• 10-28: TSA Officer at ATL detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
• 10-28: TSA Officer at IAH detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
• 10-29: TSA Officer at ICT detects a loaded .25 pistol.
• 10-30: TSA Officer at RNO detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 10-31: TSA Officer at MSY detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 11-1: TSA Officer at BNA detects a loaded .380 pistol.
• 11-1: TSA Officer at CVG detects a loaded .380 pistol.
• 11-1: TSA Officer at DFW detects a loaded pistol of unknown caliber with a round in the chamber.
• 11-1: TSA Officer at BDL detects a loaded .38 pistol.
• 11-2: TSA Officer at JAN detects a loaded .25 pistol.
• 11-3: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .32 pistol.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. 

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to check your bags before you leave.

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Blogger Bob Burns

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Checkpoints This Halloween: Trick Or Treat?

Boots with gun barrel heel and bullets Photo courtesy of TSA-JFK

Halloween. Dress up in a scary costume, visit some neighbors, shout, “Trick or treat!” and race home to see what’s inside the bag. That’s the normal spiel, but passengers at airports this Halloween put their own spin on the holiday, and believe me when I say that several had some tricks up their sleeves and in their bags.

Let’s see, there was the passenger in Boston who had a steak knife in his carry-on bag; the El Paso passenger with a 6 ½-inch hunting knife in his carry-on bag; the LaGuardia Airport passenger who had eight rounds of 9 mm ammunition in his bag; the JFK Airport passenger who had a 6-inch butterfly knife in his bag; and the New Orleans passenger who had a loaded .380 caliber firearm--with a bullet in the chamber--in his carry-on bag.

Unlike trick or treat, these passengers didn’t get to go home with their goodies. All of those items were confiscated. And due to jurisdictional laws, the passengers in the New York airports were cited for violating the local laws. 

Now that the fall season is arriving, it’s likely that many of you are camping, hunting, hiking, etc. There’s a good chance the last time you wore your fall coat or used your knapsack was on a hunting or fishing trip, and maybe you left a knife or some ammunition tucked away in one of those handy-dandy compartments. Truth is, we’d rather you keep your guns, knives, and ammunition--just keep them at home, that’s all. So be sure to take the time to do a quick check of your personal items to be sure you’re not forgetting about the weapon you tucked away during your last trip.

And it doesn’t hurt to think about what you’re wearing when heading to the airport. Your favorite belt with the brass-knuckles buckle? Leave it at home. The cool western belt with bullets decorating the side, leave it in the drawer. Hand grenade belt buckle? Yep…. We see it all. And the boots pictured below that were worn to JFK Airport—the ones with the shiny bullets and handgun barrel heel--please leave them in the closet instead of wearing them to the airport, even on Halloween. 

Lisa Farbstein - Guest Blogger/TSA Spokesperson New York/New Jersey

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Week In Review: Loaded Guns & A Knife In A Nut Can

Can Shown Not Actual Can (Courtesy of Eric Kilby)

A lot of passengers simply forget that they have certain items in their bags, but when a prohibited item is intentionally concealed, it’s called an artfully concealed item. We had several of these this past week and here are a few of the more interesting ones:

• During Advance Imaging Technology (AIT) screening at  Salt Lake City (SLC), a bottle of vodka was found taped to the inside of a passenger’s lower calf area. The interesting thing here is that the passenger could have put the vodka in 3.4 oz. bottles in a baggie (not a brown bag) and that would have been just fine. For all we know, this could have been liquid explosives.
• A passenger at Las Vegas (LAS) hid an unloaded .25 caliber handgun under the flap of their duffle bag. It turns out that flaps aren’t X-ray proof…
• It also turns out that chewing tobacco isn’t X-ray proof either. That’s where TSOs at Chicago Midway (MDW) found a passenger’s knife. I’m going out on a limb here, but I suppose they were “spittin’ mad?”
• “Aw nuts!” is probably what a passenger was thinking when TSOs at Albuquerque (ABQ) found their knife hidden in a can of peanuts.

After being told that some of the toiletries in her bag were too large, (read about TSA liquid rules) a passenger at Charlotte (CLT) took the next logical step and told our officers she had a bomb in her bag. Not only did that make her day a little longer, the entire checkpoint was closed until the situation was resolved. Her fellow passengers weren’t too happy.

A loaded .40 caliber handgun with 15 rounds and one chambered was found at Indian Wells Valley Airport (IYK) on Wednesday. This time was a little different though. It wasn’t found at the checkpoint, it was found in an unattended bag near the rental car counters. Ooops.

Yet another inert grenade was found in a carry-on bag at Birmingham. This time, it was a gift for the passenger’s son. While it was an inert grenade and posed no threat, we don’t know that when it’s on the X-ray monitor. We have to treat it like it’s real.  Read here and here about all the grenades we find.

Stun guns, firearm components, ammunition, brass knuckles, knives with blades up to 5 ½”, and switchblades were among some of the dangerous items found around the nation by our officers in passenger’s carry-on bags this past week.

Our officers found 25 loaded firearms in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday. (Not counting the unloaded and replica ones we found). Here’s a rundown of the loaded weapons we kept off of airplanes this week:

• 10-21: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .40 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-21: TSA Officer at RNO detects a loaded 9mm
• 10-21: TSA Officer at BOS detects a loaded .40 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-21: TSA Officer at DEN detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-21: TSA Officer at TPA detects a loaded .380 pistol
• 10-22: TSA Officer at GNV detects a loaded 9mm pistol
• 10-22: TSA Officer at ATL detects a loaded .40 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-23: TSA Officer at ABQ detects a loaded 9mm pistol
• 10-23: TSA Officer at DFW detects a loaded .380 pistol
• 10-23: TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded .380 pistol
• 10-24: TSA Officer at LEX detects a loaded .357 pistol
• 10-24: TSA Officer at AEX detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-24: TSA Officer at PDX detects a loaded 9mm pistol
• 10-24: TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded .380 pistol
• 10-25: TSA Officer at MCO detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-25: TSA Officer at TUS detects a loaded .32 pistol
• 10-25: TSA Officer at CMH detects a loaded .45 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-25: TSA Officer at DRO detects a loaded .45 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-25: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .357 pistol
• 10-25: TSA Officer at LIT detects a loaded .357 pistol
• 10-25: TSA Officer at SLC detects a loaded .45 pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-26: TSA Officer at AUS detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber
• 10-26: TSA Officer at BOI detects a loaded .44 pistol
• 10-27: TSA Officer at OKC detects a loaded .380 pistol
• 10-27: TSA Officer at CMH detects a loaded .38 pistol

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to check your bags before you leave.

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.

TSA Week In Review: Loaded Guns & Landmines

Landmines Found at SLC

Yes, you read the title correctly. Landmines… TSA officers found in checked baggage at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) after our Explosive Detection System alarmed. SLC Explosive Ordnance Disposal arrived on the scene and determined the mines were inert. After all was said and done, all checked bags from that area had to be rerouted to other baggage systems and four flights were delayed 19 minutes.

Unloaded firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, stun guns, brass knuckles, assorted knives of all sizes and types, a collapsible baton, fraudulent IDs, nunchucks, and yet another darn replica grenade were among items found around the nation by our officers in passenger’s carry-on bags this past week.

King Midas in Reverse traveled through Newport News Williamsburg International Airport this past Thursday with a brick of gold that had ‘$10,000,000.00’ stamped on it. The police responded and while the gold was fake, the warrant against the individual was 100% authentic. The real fugitive, and his fake gold, were taken into custody by law enforcement.

This past Wednesday, a Transportation Security Officer's search of a suspicious bag at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport's C-Pier checkpoint yielded five credit cards and an additional driver's license... all belonging to different people, none of which belonged to the passenger. TSA contacted the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, who took the individual into custody.

In another incident, a passenger at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was placed under arrest after he got a little tipsy and was heard saying he was going to bring a bomb onboard the aircraft.

It’s no secret that we find drugs and concealed cash nearly every day. We find them both during baggage checks and also during screening with advanced imaging technology (aka body scanners). We’re not looking for drugs and cash, but they show up as anomalies in the same exact places where explosives could be hidden. That’s why these finds are significant. It shows that our technology and procedures work.  Just this week at Westchester County Airport (HPN), a large mass was detected in a carry-on bag. After a bag search, a false bottom was located in the bag where over $50,000.00 of cash was bundled. Each bundle was wrapped in cellophane and a cloth that had been soaked in an unknown fragrant substance. The passenger’s ID was fraudulent and they were arrested by the Westchester County Police on state charges.

The TSA Week In Review appeared in a New York Times Editorial titled: Check-In at Dodge City. Also, a reader of the York Daily Record wrote a letter to the editor stating that they believe that “overall, the negative reviews of TSA are unwarranted.” Thanks for the kind words!

Dr. Emma Garrison-Alexander, TSA’s Chief Information Officer and Assistant Administrator for Information Technology, was recognized earlier this week with the United States Government Information Security Leadership Award (GISLA), presented by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc., (ISC)². Great job!

Our officers found 22 loaded firearms since I posted last Friday in carry-on baggage. And 1 one on a passenger! (Not counting the unloaded and replica firearms we found). Here is a rundown of the loaded weapons we kept off of airplanes this week:

• 10-14: TSA Officer at SAT detects a loaded .22 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 10-15: TSA Officer at CLL detects a loaded .45 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 10-15: TSA Officer at MCI detects a loaded .9mm pistol.
• 10-15: TSA Officer at ATL detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 10-16: TSA Officer at CLT detects a loaded .38 pistol.
• 10-16: TSA Officer at OKC detects a loaded  9mm pistol.
•  10-16: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-17: TSA Officer at BNA detects a loaded .45 pistol. 
• 10-17: TSA Officer at BUR detects a loaded .38 pistol. 
• 10-17: TSA Officer at MCO detects a loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-18: TSA Officer at BNA detects a loaded .380 pistol. 
• 10-19: TSA Officer at LAW detects a loaded .357 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-19: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-19: TSA Officer at PHX detects a loaded .38 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-19: TSA Officer at FMN detects a loaded 9mm pistol.
• 10-19: TSA Officer at LIT detects a loaded .380 pistol. 
• 10-19: TSA Officer at SAV detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber.
• 10-20: TSA Officer at IAD detects a loaded .380 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-20: TSA Officer at TUL detects a loaded .38 pistol. 
• 10-20: TSA Officer at LIT detects a loaded .38 pistol.
• 10-20: TSA Officer at ATL detects a loaded 9mm pistol. 
• 10-20: TSA Officer at MEM detects a loaded .38 pistol with a round in the chamber. 
• 10-20: One passenger at DFW took it to the extreme. In the passenger’s back pack, a duffle bag and a sleeping bag, a TSO found two unloaded pistols, (.380 & 9mm) 8 knives of varying blade lengths with seven inches being the longest blade, a saw, and three ammo magazines.   
• 10-20: After alarming the walk through the metal detector at HSV, a passenger immediately remembered he had a loaded .22 Derringer in his pocket.  

Multiple Items Found At DFW From One Passenger

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items in their bag. That’s why it’s important to check your bags before you leave.

We also look for explosives and bomb components as well, but thankfully those are extremely rare and we're happy to keep it that way.

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

If you’d like to comment on an unrelated topic you can do so in our Off Topic Comments post. You can also view our blog post archives or search our blog to find a related topic to comment in. If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact a Customer Support Manager at the airport you traveled, or will be traveling through by using Talk to TSA.