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TSA

Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports
Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports Screeners at New York City airports caught travelers with an average of a gun a week last year, the TSA reported. The 51 handguns seized by Transportation Security Administration officers last year were 30% more than the 39 in 2022, the agency said on Wednesday, Jan. 10. "Each of the firearms were discovered by TSA officers during the routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints," TSA Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2023, she said. That's 195 more than the year before. Of last ye…
Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On
Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On A traveler from Philadelphia was arrested at JFK Airport after TSA officers found a loaded gun in his carry-on bag along with two extra magazines holding two dozen bullets, authorities said. The officers immediately notified Port Authority police, who seized the 9mm handgun and the ammo and took the man into custody on Sunday, Oct. 29, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. In addition to the criminal charges will be a fine that potentially could reach $15,000 for bringing a weapon to an airport checkpoint, Farbstein said. SEE: Civil Penalties For Trying T…
'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports 'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports
'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports A Connecticut man was seized at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday after TSA screening revealed a loaded .380-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. Port Authority police confiscated the gun and arrested the Newton, CT man on a weapons charge after the Transportation Security Administration X-ray machine alerted a screener, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said on Oct. 3. “The number of individuals who are stopped with guns at checkpoints across the country is staggering," said Robert Duffy, the TSA’s federal security director for the airport. "Nationwide, TSA officers have already detected more than …
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says TSA agents at Newark Airport nabbed a Pennsylvania traveler who they said tried to bring a loaded gun aboard a flight in his backpack. The discovery of the 9mm handgun at a security checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Saturday, Sept. 16 brought the total number of firearm seizures at Newark Liberty International Airport this year to 18, federal officials said. That's four more than were seized all of last year, they said. The agents summoned Port Authority police, who took the Canadensis (Monroe County), PA man into custody, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. "We are at a point whe…
Bergen Ex-Con Tried Boarding Newark Flight With AR-15, Taser, Fake US Marshal Creds, More: Feds Bergen Ex-Con Tried Boarding Newark Flight With AR-15, Taser, Fake US Marshal Creds, More: Feds
Bergen Ex-Con Tried Boarding Newark Flight With AR-15, Taser, Fake US Marshal Creds, More: Feds A convicted felon from Bergen County was seized while trying to bring two rifles, a handgun, a Taser, a switchblade and bogus U.S. Marshals credentials onto a flight from Newark to Fort Lauderdale, federal authorities said. Seretse Clouden, 42, of Wallington had a .308-caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle, a 5.56-caliber AR-15 rifle, a .40-caliber Glock 22 handgun and the phony creds -- which bore his name, photograph and a U.S. Marshal badge -- in his checked baggage, the FBI charged in a complaint. His bags also contained a ballistic vest that said "Deputy Marshal," two magazines containing 15…
Newark Again Leads NYC-Area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says Newark Again Leads NYC-Area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says
Newark Again Leads Nyc-area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says Newark Liberty International Airport last year had the dubious distinction of recording the most gun seizures by TSA officers of any hub in the New York metropolitan area, the agency reported. It also makes the fifth straight year that Newark Airport had more checkpoint gun seizures than its regional counterparts. The 14 firearms discovered at Newark security checkpoints in 2022 tie a recent high from 2018, Transportation Security Administration statistics show. LaGuardia had 11 and JFK had seven. Overall, the 39 handguns stopped at New York City regional airports last year were 50% more…
Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint
Happy Ending At Newark Airport After Thief Snatches Wedding Band At TSA Checkpoint A thief was steps from fleeing with a fellow traveler's wedding band at Newark Airport when TSA and Port Authority officers teamed up to catch him, authorities said. Told that the ring was missing from a screened bin, a Transportation Security Administration supervisor reviewed surveillance video and saw the thief snatch it, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police who were called to the checkpoint watched the video, got a good look at the thief and headed in his direction, Farbstein said. Moments later they returned to the checkpoint with the ring and the man in custody after …
Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA
Flyer Seized With Six Gun Stashed In Suitcase Said She Didn't Know It Was There: Newark TSA A traveler at Newark Airport claimed she didn't know she had a .38 Special stashed behind the lining of her suitcase, authorities said. The loaded revolver was "artfully" concealed in the Orange, NJ, woman's carry-on, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.  A TSA officer staffing a checkpoint X-ray monitor alerted Port Authority police, who seized the six shooter and the woman, Farbstein said. It was the 11th gun picked off at a Newark TSA checkpoint so far this year, she said. “This is a fine example of how we use the technology available to us to…
TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page
TSA: Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia Could've Checked 'What Can I Bring?' Page A gun-toting Florida man who was nabbed at LaGuardia Airport told TSA officers that he'd forgotten he had his loaded .380-caliber handgun with him, authorities said. “That’s no excuse," Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. "This man is now likely to receive a civil financial penalty that could possibly cost him thousands of dollars. "If you own a firearm, you need to know where it is at all times.” A TSA officer spotted the handgun (inset photo above) in the West Palm Beach resident’s belongings as they passed through the checkpoint X-ray machine’s monitor, the Tr…
Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says
Bergen Man Had Gun Parts 'Artfully' Hidden In Ankle, Wrist Weights At Newark Airport, TSA Says A Bergen County man bound for Turkey was caught at Newark Airport with various gun parts "artfully" concealed inside ankle and wrist weights, authorities said. The Elmwood Park traveler claimed a friend had given him the suitcase that he checked with the airline before attempting to board a flight to Istanbul late Wednesday night, said Lisa Farbstein of the Transportation Security Administration. An alarm sounded as the checked bag went through the screening process, Farbstein said. A search turned up the gun parts inside the weights, which she said were packed in a box. Passengers can tr…
Traveler Caught Trying To Bring Loaded Gun Aboard JFK Flight, TSA Says Traveler Caught Trying To Bring Loaded Gun Aboard JFK Flight, TSA Says
Traveler Caught Trying To Bring Loaded Gun Aboard JFK Flight, TSA Says A traveler was arrested at JFK Airport when he tried to bring a loaded gun onto a plane, authorities said. A TSA officer spotted the handgun on the checkpoint X-ray machine’s monitor after the Yonkers resident placed his belongings on the conveyor belt at the Queens airport security checkpoint on Wednesday, TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police were summoned, seized the 9mm handgun -- which was loaded with seven bullets -- and arrested the man on a weapons charge, Farbstein said. Passengers can travel with firearms only in checked baggage and if they're properly pack…
TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend
TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend The July Fourth weekend started off at Newark Airport's TSA security checkpoints with what wasn't exactly a bang but still drew a lot of attention. A TSA officer at a checkpoint X-ray monitor spotted a gun inside a traveler's carry-on bag, agency spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. It was the 10th firearm picked off at a Newark Airport checkpoint this year, she said. The man told officials that he "forgot that he had his loaded gun with him," Farbstein said. Port Authority police were alerted and took him into custody, Farbstein said. “This is lining up to be what is likely the busiest tr…
'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints 'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints
'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints It doesn’t rank with airports in Atlanta, Houston or Dallas in terms of numbers, but Newark Liberty has had what the TSA and Port Authority say are an alarming amount of guns seized from passengers trying to board planes with them. And most of those things are loaded. It's become an epidemic, said Thomas Carter, the Transportation Security Administration’s director for New Jersey, during a Wednesday news conference at the airport. “Guns and ammunition are never allowed to pass through a security checkpoint to be carried onto a flight, even if a traveler has a concealed carry permit,” Cart…
'It's My Dad's': PA Man With Gun Arrested At Atlantic City Airport Checkpoint 'It's My Dad's': PA Man With Gun Arrested At Atlantic City Airport Checkpoint
'It's My Dad's': PA Man With Gun Arrested At Atlantic City Airport Checkpoint A Pennsylvania man who was caught trying to carry a loaded gun onto a flight at Atlantic City Airport claimed it wasn't his, federal authorities said. The Radnor, PA resident was seized when a Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the .38-caliber handgun as it passed through the X-ray monitor in a carry-on bag, TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. It was loaded with seven bullets, including one in the chamber, she said. "Security officials alerted New Jersey State Police, who confiscated the handgun and arrested the man," Farbstein said. "The man claimed that the carry-o…
TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia
TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia A loaded handgun was seized and an Oklahoma traveler arrested after TSA officers caught him trying to carry the weapon onto a flight at LaGuardia Airport, authorities said. A Transporation Security Administration officer spotted the .380-caliber Ruger LCP as the owner's belongings passed through the X-Ray machine at a security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police arrested the traveler and seized the pocket-carry gun, which was loaded with three rounds, Farbstein said. Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any ci…
TSA Nabs Traveler With 'Knuckle Knife' At LaGuardia TSA Nabs Traveler With 'Knuckle Knife' At LaGuardia
TSA Nabs Traveler With 'Knuckle Knife' At LaGuardia TSA agents detained a traveler at LaGuardia Airport after spotting a trench knife in a carry-on bag, authorities said. Also known as a "knuckle knife," the blade "folds into the handle of the knuckles," Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. The double-edged trench knife was invented for close-quarters combat during World War II, when fighting predominately happened in trenches. The "knuckle-duster" handle was intended to protect the fingers and provide a secure grip, but it also added to force to a blow. Knives, like guns, are prohibited on planes. …
TSA Drops Mask Mandate For Planes, Public Transit... For Now TSA Drops Mask Mandate For Planes, Public Transit... For Now
TSA Drops Mask Mandate For Planes, Public Transit... For Now Face masks will no longer be enforced on airplanes and other modes of public transport after a federal judge ruled the order unconstitutional Monday, April 18. The decision comes after U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said in a 59-page decision that the CDC overstepped its authority by enforcing the 14-month directive. The Biden administration was in the process of reviewing and deciding whether or not to appeal it as of Monday evening, multiple news outlets report. The Amtrak rail system and TSA both rescinded the mandate, but the CDC – which extended the mask mandate through …
‘I Forgot’: Vegas Resident Flying Home Nabbed With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport, TSA Says ‘I Forgot’: Vegas Resident Flying Home Nabbed With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport, TSA Says
‘I Forgot’: Vegas Resident Flying Home Nabbed With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport, TSA Says A Las Vegas resident caught with a loaded gun at a Newark Airport security checkpoint told officers he’d driven to Connecticut with it in his backpack, then forgot it was there, the TSA said. Port Authority police seized the handgun and arrested the man on weapons charges after a Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the weapon in an X-ray monitor in Terminal A, TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said on Tuesday, March 22. “The man told officials that he had driven from his home in Las Vegas to Connecticut and brought his handgun with him in his backpack for the drive,” Farbs…
New Orleans Woman Stopped With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport New Orleans Woman Stopped With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport
New Orleans Woman Stopped With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport TSA officers nabbed a New Orleans woman trying to carry a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Airport, authorities said. The .40-caliber Smith & Wesson weapon wasn't loaded as it passed through the checkpoint X-Ray machine’s monitor, although an ammo magazine that the woman had was, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said on Wednesday, March 9 She told them she was running late for her flight and didn't have enough time to pack the firearm in a checked bag, Farbstein said. Officers immediately alerted the Port Authority police, who arrested the woman on weapon…
TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia
TSA Nabs CT Traveler With Gun At LaGuardia TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport nabbed a Connecticut man trying to carry a gun aboard a flight on Monday, authorities said. A Transportation Security Administration officer spotted the unloaded .38-caliber Sig Sauer P238 pistol in a carry-on bag as it passed through the checkpoint X-Ray machine’s monitor at the Queens, NY airport, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said.  Officers immediately alerted the Port Authority police, who detained the Darien man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges, she said. Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any circumstances, Farbstein no…
TSA At Newark Nabs NYC Traveler With Gun In His Carry-On TSA At Newark Nabs NYC Traveler With Gun In His Carry-On
TSA At Newark Nabs NYC Traveler With Gun In His Carry-On TSA officers at Newark Airport nabbed a New York City man trying to carry a gun aboard a flight on Thursday, authorities said. "The gun was spotted inside the man’s carry-on bag by a TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor," said Lisa Farbstein of the Transportation Security Administration in Washington, DC. Port Authority seized the 10-shot 9mm SCCY CPX-2 pistol and took the man into custody, Farbstein said. "This is nothing new,” said Thomas Carter, the TSA’s federal security director for New Jersey. "It’s 2022 and the law regarding the prohibition of guns in airplanes…
HERO: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport HERO: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport
Hero: Rookie TSA Officer Revives Choking Baby At Newark Airport A 2-month-old boy had stopped breathing and was red-faced when a young mother at the Newark Airport security checkpoint screamed for help. TSA Officer Cecilia Morales had barely been on the job two months when she heard the commotion at Terminal C and began shouting instructions. "They just kept passing the baby around probably because they were panicking," Morales's fiancé told Daily Voice. Morales, a Newark resident who's been an EMT in North Jersey more than a decade, then vaulted a checkpoint conveyer belt, took the child and placed him face down on her arm, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farb…
Will TSA Unwrap Your Christmas Gifts? Here’s What Flyers Should Know Will TSA Unwrap Your Christmas Gifts? Here’s What Flyers Should Know
Will TSA Unwrap Your Christmas Gifts? Here’s What Flyers Should Know Before you try bringing gift-wrapped presents or your favorite food to the airport on your way to a holiday visit, you might want to check these TSA dos and don’ts. ATTENTION WRAP ARTISTS: You can save yourself a ton of grief by packing gifts in gift bags or gift boxes instead of wrapping them, the Transportation Security Administration says. “If a gift triggers an alarm, it will need to be opened to resolve the alarm,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. “If the is in a bag or a box, it is simple to look at the item to resolve the alarm.” NOT ALL SNOW GLOBES ARE EQUAL: Bringing a snow…
TSA: Pennsy Traveler Caught At Newark Airport With Taped, Bandaged Gun, Bullets In Soap Bar TSA: Pennsy Traveler Caught At Newark Airport With Taped, Bandaged Gun, Bullets In Soap Bar
TSA: Pennsy Traveler Caught At Newark Airport With Taped, Bandaged Gun, Bullets In Soap Bar TSA officers at Newark Airport nabbed a Pennsylvania man who they said tried to bring a gun "artfully" taped and wrapped in an Ace bandage -- along with bullets stashed in a hollowed-out bar of soap -- onto a plane. The Chester, PA traveler told them the gun was "given to him by a deceased relative and he was planning to take it to Lagos, Nigeria," TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said Tuesday. "The items were detected among the traveler’s other belongings inside his checked bag," Farbstein said. "When the TSA officer spotted the items, Port Authority police were contacted and the man was ca…
WATCH: Muslim Activist Who Ran For Congress Livestreams Arrest On Newark Flight WATCH: Muslim Activist Who Ran For Congress Livestreams Arrest On Newark Flight
Watch: Muslim Activist Who Ran For Congress Livestreams Arrest On Newark Flight A Muslim activist who ran for Congress in New Jersey was arrested for refusing to get off the plane following an argument with another passenger that delayed the American Airlines flight at Newark Liberty International Airport Saturday. Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, 28, was charged with delaying transportation and trespass, after she livestreamed the more than 15-minute ordeal that landed her in handcuffs, the New York Daily News reports. The incident allegedly began at the security checkpoint, just before the 10 a.m. flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. "Hey guys I'm going live right now from my f…
COVID-19: Fewer Flying, But More Caught Carrying Guns At Airports COVID-19: Fewer Flying, But More Caught Carrying Guns At Airports
Covid-19: Fewer Flying, But More Caught Carrying Guns At Airports An Essex County traveler caught trying to bring a loaded gun through a Newark Airport checkpoint late last week wasn't a rarity: Even though far fewer people are flying because of the coronavirus, the TSA says, more passengers are packin'. Airline traveler volume since the pandemic hit has been 60% to 80% lower than last year. Yet, with 11 weeks left in 2020, the TSA reports as many guns seized this year as in all of 2019, "when passenger volume was significantly more robust," said Thomas Carter, the TSA’s security director for New Jersey. Some examples: A Pennsylvania man was caught wit…
Newark TSA Agent Gets Misplaced Wedding Dress To The Ceremony On Time Newark TSA Agent Gets Misplaced Wedding Dress To The Ceremony On Time
Newark TSA Agent Gets Misplaced Wedding Dress To The Ceremony On Time It seemed like your ordinary roller bag left behind at the Newark Airport TSA checkpoint by someone perhaps in a rush -- only inside was the dress a young bride-to-be was to wear at her wedding in Ohio the very next day. Narolin Cepeda, a former Paterson resident, was already winging on her way there when the MOB inadvertently left hers and her daughter's dresses behind. Moving quickly, Cepeda's younger brother, Christopher, pulled up a form online, sent it to the TSA’s Lost and Found Office at Newark Liberty International Airport and hoped for the best. Loletta Nathan-Gordon, a TSA admini…
Even With Flying Down 95%, Guns, Knives, Ammo Still Turn Up At Airport Checkpoints, TSA Says Even With Flying Down 95%, Guns, Knives, Ammo Still Turn Up At Airport Checkpoints, TSA Says
Even With Flying Down 95%, Guns, Knives, Ammo Still Turn Up At Airport Checkpoints, TSA Says At a time when barely 100,000 people a day are flying out of airports across the country, TSA agents at LaGuardia found a traveler carrying two knives and two boxes of ammo in a carry-on, authorities said Monday. That wasn’t the worst example. Agents at a TSA checkpoint at Boston Logan Airport caught a woman trying to carry a handgun on her flight. So did TSA agents at Yeager Airport in Charleston, WV. “They might be wearing masks,” TSA Public Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. “But TSA officers are still able to spot a gun in a carry-on bag.” A year ago Sunday, TSA agents across t…
TSA: Female Passenger Made Bomb Threat Before Newark Airport Landing TSA: Female Passenger Made Bomb Threat Before Newark Airport Landing
TSA: Female Passenger Made Bomb Threat Before Newark Airport Landing A plane landing at Newark Airport was met by police after a female passenger made a bomb threat in the air. Authorities removed the woman from United Flight 2329 from Chicago after landing at 9:40 p.m. a TSA spokesperson said. Officials swept the plane and found nothing dangerous on board. The woman was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. New York Daily News Knicks writer Stefan Bondy was on board, live-tweeting the incident. "Update: it was a bomb threat. Don’t know why the protocol is to keep us on the plane if there’s a bomb. I’m going home."Stefan Bondy Twitter Screengrab Pa…
Halloween Scene: Traveler Tries Bringing Jumbo Kitchen Knife Aboard LaGuardia Flight Halloween Scene: Traveler Tries Bringing Jumbo Kitchen Knife Aboard LaGuardia Flight
Halloween Scene: Traveler Tries Bringing Jumbo Kitchen Knife Aboard LaGuardia Flight Other than to carve a Halloween pumpkin, a TSA spokeswoman asked why anyone would try to bring a jumbo kitchen knife aboard a flight after agents intercepted one at a LaGuardia Airport checkpoint. Agents nabbed a traveler with the "crazy-big" knife -- with an eight-inch blade -- at the Queens airport on Thursday, TSA Transportation Security Administration Public Affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. This comes after they found a "razor-sharp" throwing star among a traveler's carry-on items as he passed through the checkpoint. "Sorry, but martial arts weapons, by definition, are weapon…
TSA: Passenger Tries Bringing Large Sword Onto Plane At Newark, Other Weapons Seized Nationwide TSA: Passenger Tries Bringing Large Sword Onto Plane At Newark, Other Weapons Seized Nationwide
TSA: Passenger Tries Bringing Large Sword Onto Plane At Newark, Other Weapons Seized Nationwide A man who tried carrying a large sword onto a plane at Newark Airport was nabbed by TSA agents. He apparently thought he could carry it past a security checkpoint because of its value, TSA Transportation Security Administration Public Affairs spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said Monday. “Doesn't matter to TSA how much the weapon is worth,” Farbstein said. “No weapons should be brought in the cabin of a plane.” It was one of several weapons that TSA agents found people illegally carrying through checkpoints at airports throughout the country the past few days. A passenger at Seattle-Tacoma Int…