Tag:

Airport Security

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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Overserved Delta Passenger Gropes Girl, Mom On JFK Flight, Attendants Do Nothing: Lawsuit Overserved Delta Passenger Gropes Girl, Mom On JFK Flight, Attendants Do Nothing: Lawsuit
Overserved Delta Passenger Gropes Girl, Mom On JFK Flight, Attendants Do Nothing: Lawsuit A Delta Air Lines passenger downed at least 10 vodkas and a glass of wine before groping a 16-year-old girl and her mother during a nine-hour flight from JFK Airport to Greece, a lawsuit alleges. Flight attendants “blatantly ignored” the situation, then let the abuser leave the plane when it landed in Athens without notifying the authorities, says the suit filed in the U.S. Eastern District of New York Court in Brooklyn. The unidentified predator -- who claimed to be from Connecticut -- put his hands on the girl, made obscene gestures and pressed her for her address and other personal detai…
'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…
'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. …
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport
Young Pilot Hospitalized After Helicopter Spun In Air, Crashed At Essex County Airport A 33-year-old pilot was pulled from his helicopter after a crash at the Essex County Airport Saturday, June 4, police said. The pilot was taking off and heading to pick up a private charter when the a 2015 Bell Model 407 began spinning around 100 to 150 feet in the air around noon, Fairfield police said. Then, it hit the ground on the north side of the airport near Runway #28. The pilot, from Marietta, Georgia, was found still in the pilot seat, partially leaning out of the cockpit with head injuries. He was extricated and taken by the West Essex First Aid Squad to an ar…
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. …
Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security
Ex-Con From NY State Admits Trying To Get Loaded Gun Through Newark Airport Security An ex-con from New York admitted trying to slip a loaded, stolen gun through the security checkpoint at Newark Airport late last year, authorities said. Desmond Herring, 48, of Newburgh, NY 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 rounds loaded into a magazine, along with anot…
‘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…
2 NJ Airports Make TSA's Top 10 List Of Most Unusual Finds At Security Checkpoints 2 NJ Airports Make TSA's Top 10 List Of Most Unusual Finds At Security Checkpoints
2 NJ Airports Make TSA's Top 10 List Of Most Unusual Finds At Security Checkpoints Chainsaw, cleaver, meth burrito -- these are not new weapons in an update of the classic board game Clue, but part of a top ten list of "catches" at airport security checkpoints around the country in 2021, according to the US Transportation Security Administration. New Jersey is never one to be left off such a unique list of items.  You can see where the Garden State's airports rank in the top ten list. Chainsaw – New Orleans International Airport Wine holder – Sacramento International Airport Fireworks – Syracuse Hancock International Airport Machete – Reagan Washington National Bea…
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…