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Transportation Security Administration

Christmas Eve Travel Chaos: American Airlines Grounds Flights Nationwide Christmas Eve Travel Chaos: American Airlines Grounds Flights Nationwide
Christmas Eve Travel Chaos: American Airlines Grounds Flights Nationwide Holiday travel was disrupted for many when American Airlines grounded all flights nationwide on Christmas Eve morning due to a technical issue. Thousands of passengers experienced delays, missed connections, and confusion on one of the busiest travel days of the year, Tuesday, Dec. 24. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the ground stop at the airline’s request. By late morning, the FAA lifted the ground stop after the issue was resolved, allowing American Airlines to resume operations. Travelers reported waits exceeding 90 minutes, with some having to deplane. Frustration …
France-Bound Passenger Found With Loaded Magazine, Handgun At Newark Airport: TSA France-Bound Passenger Found With Loaded Magazine, Handgun At Newark Airport: TSA
France-Bound Passenger Found With Loaded Magazine, Handgun At Newark Airport: TSA A Westchester County, NY man traveling to France was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, Aug. 6 after he had a gun and ammunition in his carry-on bag, authorities said. The man had a ticket to Nice, France and was arrested by Port Authority Police at Terminal B after his handgun was flagged in the checkpoint X-ray machine, the Transportation Security Administration said.  He also had a magazine loaded with five bullets, the TSA said. The federal penalty for bringing a weapon to a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000.
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark A local man was seized when he tried to bring not only a loaded gun but also two magazines onto a flight at Newark Airport over the holiday weekend, authorities said. A TSA officer detected the 9mm handgun and the 30 rounds of ammo at they passed through a Terminal A security checkpoint X-ray machine in the Newark resident's carry-on bag on Saturday, May 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police were summoned and seized the gun, ammo and traveler, she said. In addition to criminal charges, he faces up to $15,000 in civil penalties, she said…
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…
AIRHEAD: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List AIRHEAD: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List
Airhead: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List A traveler at LaGuardia Airport who stuffed pot into her adult diaper made the Top 10 list of unusual items snagged at TSA security checkpoints nationwide in 2023. There were some doozies in the list released on Tuesday, Jan. 9. They included: A knife found hidden inside a prosthetic leg at Anchorage Airport; Another knife stuffed inside a loaf of keto bread at Seattle-Tacoma Airport; Throwing knives found in a carry-on at Boston-Logan; A bag of meth inside a container of crab boil seasoning powder at -- where else? -- New Orleans Airport. Running just behind the leader -- an inert explos…
BUNS & AMMO: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper BUNS & AMMO: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper
Buns & Ammo: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper A traveler blamed his girlfriend after TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport found 17 unwrapped bullets concealed in a baby diaper, authorities said. It gave new meaning to the term "dirty diaper," Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. The disposable diaper was removed from the Arkansas traveler's carry-on bag after it triggered an alarm on the X-ray belt was otherwise clean, Farbstein said. The man said he didn't know how the 9mm ammo ended up there. His girlfriend must have done it he said. That wasn't holding much water with TSA agents, who turned him and…
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack A bomb dog named for a Bergen County woman who was among those slain at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 terror attacks is featured in the new 2024 monthly calendar produced by the federal Transportation Security Administration. Gina-Gina is a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois who works with her handler, Julie Guevara, at LaGuardia Airport. She was named after Gina Sztejnberg, 52, of Ridgewood, who worked as a database architect consultant for Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. on the 96th floor of the North Tower. Guevara has a special connection to that fateful day. She was among the New York F…
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…
'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says 'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says
'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says A Nassau County man was arrested after a security X-ray machine at LaGuardia Airport pointed TSA agents to a gun in his carry-on bag, authorities said. The 9mm caliber handgun was loaded with eight bullets (see photo inset above), said Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration. It was the eighth firearm picked off by TSA officers at the Queens airport so far this year, she said. Port Authority police seized the gun and arrested the Westbury resident, Farbstein said. He told them that he "forgot that he had his gun with him," she said. In addi…
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA
Double Trouble: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA TSA agents picked off two guns in a week's time when they caught both a traveler from Fort Lee and a woman who works in a terminal retail shop packing heat. Both weapons were loaded, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. The man was caught with a .380-caliber handgun in his duffle bag as he tried to board a flight on Friday, Aug. 25, Farbstein said. The shop employee from Newark was caught with a 9mm pistol on her way to work (see photo inset above), she said. Both were taken into custody by Port Authority police, who also seized the weapons. The w…
'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun 'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun
'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun A “good catch on a busy holiday” produced the July 4th arrest of a Florida man who tried boarding a flight at Kennedy Airport with a loaded gun, authorities said. TSA officers detected the compact 9mm Smith & Wesson weapon in the man’s carry-on bag as he entered a security checkpoint at JFK, the Transportation Security Administration’s Lisa Farbstein said. The gun was loaded was 10 bullets, she said. Port Authority police seized the gun and arrested the traveler. In addition to criminal charges, he also faces federal penalties that can reach $15,000, authorities said. “We are seeing …
Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports
Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports A Middlesex County man tried bringing a loaded gun aboard a flight at Newark Airport on what was the busiest travel day ever not only there but throughout the United States, authorities said. The Woodbridge resident was arrested and the weapon seized on Friday, July 1, as the July 4th travel weekend shifted into high gear, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Criminal charges and a fine that can run as high as $15,000 follow, she said. TSA officers screened 2,884,683 travelers across the country on Friday and locally screened 83,041 passengers at Newark Liberty…
TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee
TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee An employee at a shop in JFK Airport lost his job after TSA agents caught him carrying a loaded gun in his backpack, authorities said. Port Authority police arrested the Queens resident and seized the .45-caliber handgun, Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. He also was forced to surrender his airport security badge, which is required of everyone who works on the secure side of the airport, Farbstein said. Without it, he couldn't continue working at the retail shop,  she said. In addition to his arrest, the man faces a potential fine of up to $15,00…
Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark
Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark A gun turned up at a security checkpoint at Newark Airport during what was the TSA's ninth all-time busiest day screening travelers there, authorities said. The 9mm handgun, which wasn't loaded, was spotted at a checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Sunday, June 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. The traveler from Las Vegas, who was arrested by Port Authority police, was among 78,333 who were screened at Newark's TSA checkpoints -- and 2.7 million who passed through at airports nationwide, Farbstein said. "Summer travel season is in full swing and ou…
Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint
Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint A Staten Island man was caught trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Airport early Wednesday, authorities said. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer spotted the .38-caliber revolver – loaded with seven rounds -- as the owner’s belongings passed through the X-ray machine at the Terminal A checkpoint the morning of June 21, the TSA’s Lisa Farbstein said. The man was taken into custody and the gun seized by Port Authority police. The incident came just four days after TSA agents at Newark found a traveler from Philadelphia with a semi-automatic handgun in a ca…
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA One day it was a traveler from Rockland -- and before that, one from Brooklyn. Both were armed. The two passengers from New York were each stopped trying to bring loaded 9mm handguns onto flights at Newark Airport on back-to-back days, authorities said. Both now face hefty fines. The incidents at security checkpoints in Terminal B involved a Brooklyn traveler on Wednesday, May 3, and another from Garnerville on Thursday, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. The incidents weren't related, she said. "In each instance when a TSA officer spotted the guns in…
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Another traveler gave what TSA officials say has become a familiar excuse after being arrested trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport. "I forgot," said the airline customer from Georgia after a TSA agent at one of Newark Airport's checkpoint X-ray machines spotted a .38-caliber handgun in the man's carry-on bag. It was loaded with six bullets, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Friday, April 28. Officers alerted Port Authority police, who arrested the Southern man -- and seized the gun, she said. Farbstein…
'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA 'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA
'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA An upstate New York man not only insisted he had "no idea" how a gun and ammunition for it ended up in his carry-on bag at JFK Airport, authorities said. "He also claimed the gun didn't belong to him," TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. The firearm with a separate box containing five bullets triggered an alarm at a Transportation Security Administration X-ray unit on Wednesday, April 19, Farbstein said. Port Authority police summoned to the checkpoint took the Liberty, NY, man into custody and seized the gun and ammo, she said Thursday. “It is the busy spring travel season," said John…
Newark Airport Worker Found With Handgun, TSA Says Newark Airport Worker Found With Handgun, TSA Says
Newark Airport Worker Found With Handgun, TSA Says A man who worked at Newark Liberty International Airport was arrested after he was stopped by Transportation Security Administration officers with a loaded handgun in his backpack on Saturday, April 1. The TSA did not identify the man. After spotting the gun in an X-ray machine in Terminal C, TSA officers alerted Port Authority Police who confiscated the weapon, according to the TSA. The man's employee badge was confiscated and he is no longer employed at the airport, according to the TSA. The man faces weapon charges as well as a civil penalty of up to $15,000, according to the TSA. …
TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver
TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver A Pennsylvania man was arrested at Newark Airport over the weekend with an unloaded .357-caliber revolver in his carry-on, the TSA said. The Bethlehem, PA traveler was nabbed after the weapon was spotted going through an X-ray scanner at a Terminal C security checkpoint on Sunday, Jan. 29, the Transportation Security Administration’s Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police took him into custody. Whenever the TSA catches a traveler with a gun at a checkpoint, the entire lane comes to a standstill until the incident is resolved, Farbstein noted. That can delay – and even prevent – others…
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…
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler A traveler at JFK Airport might've thought he was smooth, but spread the word: Gun parts hidden in jars of peanut butter aren't going to make it past the TSA. A screener found several parts of a disassembled .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in plastic and stuffed into two jars of Jif -- both creamy -- at the Queens airport, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. "The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets," she said. "When the checked bag triggered an alarm in a Terminal 8 X-ray unit, a TSA officer opened the bag and upon closer inspection uncovered the…
UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays
Update: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays A frisky feline who was recently rescued from a checked bag at JFK Airport enjoyed Thanksgiving at home, the TSA reports. Smells snuck into a suitcase on an Orlando-bound pre-holiday flight in what the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein jokingly called a bid to pursue "a big mouse he heard was running around Disneyworld." The orange tabby "belonged to someone else" in the Brooklyn household and apparently stowed away when no one was looking, Farbstein said at the time. Kitty owners noted that it was paws-able, given cats' love for warm, secure spaces. We’re lettin…
38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia 38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia
38 Special: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia A traveler from Louisiana was caught trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a plane at LaGuardia Airport, the TSA said. Transportation Security Administration officers picked off the .38-caliber revolver as it passed through a checkpoint X-ray machine with the woman's belongings on Monday, Nov. 28, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. It was loaded with five bullets, she said. The officers seized the gun and summoned Port Authority police, who took her into custody, Farbstein said. Not only was the woman arrested -- she also now faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could run into t…
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says Thanksgiving brought Newark Airport a near-dubious distinction when authorities seized the 22nd gun of the year at a security checkpoint, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Delaware County, PA man with a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 bullets -- including one in the chamber -- in his carry-on bag in Terminal C, the agency's Lisa Farbstein said. The Newtown Square, PA resident was the third traveler nabbed with a gun at Newark just this month, Farbstein said. The 22 overall for the year ties the record for the most in a month there with five weeks left i…
Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage
Look What The TSA Screener Dragged In: Frisky Feline Found In JFK Airport Luggage It's not what you think: TSA agents at JFK Airport rescued a cat found in a traveler's luggage, but it wasn't caused by someone's cruelty. The orange tabby "belonged to someone else in the household" but apparently hopped into the traveler's suitcase when no one was looking, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. It is paws-able, kitty owners say. Good thing the stowaway was found, given the temperatures of pressurized cargo holds during flights. The suitcase had been checked before a flight to Atlanta, with a connector to Melbourne Orlando Airport in Flo…
TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins
TSA: Another Midwesterner Nabbed With A Gun At Newark Airport As Thanksgiving Travel Begins The second Midwesterner of the week was nabbed with a loaded gun at a Newark Airport security checkpoint, authorities reported. The 9mm handgun seized from an Illinois traveler's carry-on bag on Thursday was loaded with 12 bullets, including one in the chamber, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said on Friday, Nov. 18. The firearm was the 13th found at Newark Airport checkpoints this year, more than the recent high of 12 last year. Thursday's armed traveler was also toting a 9-inch hunting knife, Farbstein said. "Both weapons were detected when the TSA officer who was staffing a checkpoint X-ray m…
TSA: Disassembled Gun Found In Separate Carry-Ons At Newark Airport TSA: Disassembled Gun Found In Separate Carry-Ons At Newark Airport
TSA: Disassembled Gun Found In Separate Carry-Ons At Newark Airport A traveler at Newark Airport couldn't claim he forgot when TSA officers found gun parts and more than a dozen rounds spread through two of his carry-on bags, authorities said. The Indiana man was taken into custody after they alerted Port Authority police to the 9mm discovery at a Terminal B security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Thursday, Nov. 17. He told officials he'd driven to the area but had to fly home after his vehicle was stolen, Farbstein said. He "thought it would be okay to travel with a disassembled gun," she said. Nope.…
Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole
Feds: NY Ex-Con Who Tried To Get Loaded Gun By Newark Airport Security Gets 3 Years, No Parole An ex-con from New York must spend the next three years in federal prison, with no parole, for trying to slip a loaded, stolen gun and lots of ammunition past a security checkpoint at Newark Airport. Desmond Herring, 48, of Newburgh made a beeline for his gate when a TSA officer staffing the checkpoint X-ray monitor found the loaded weapon -- along with boxes of ammo -- in his carry-on bag on Nov. 29, 2021, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. Port Authority police collected the bag and examined its contents, the TSA said at the time. Along with the 9mm pistol were 10 rou…
They Always Seem To Forget -- Or So They Say: TSA At LaGuardia Nabs Traveler With Loaded Gun They Always Seem To Forget -- Or So They Say: TSA At LaGuardia Nabs Traveler With Loaded Gun
They Always Seem To Forget -- Or So They Say: TSA At LaGuardia Nabs Traveler With Loaded Gun Another gun-toting traveler whom area TSA officers caught trying to board a plane with a loaded gun in his belongings said he forgot he had it, authorities said. The North Carolina resident had 10 bullets in the 9mm handgun flagged by a Transportation Security Administration officer as it passed through an X-ray machine at a LaGuardia Airport security checkpoint, the TSA said. “That’s no excuse," said Robert Duffy, the TSA federal security director at the Queens airport. "Responsible gun owners know where their firearm is at all times." Officers immediately alerted Port Authority police, w…
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 …