Transportation Security Administration agents stopped a record 6,737 guns at airport checkpoints last year, 93% of which were loaded.
The figure represents an increase from the 6,542 firearms stopped in 2022 and the 5,972 firearms that were intercepted at security checkpoints in 2021, according to the TSA.
“We are still seeing too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what is particularly concerning is the number of them loaded, which presents an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint,” the administrator said. of TSA, David Pekoske.
The record haul in 2023 follows a worrying trend: The number of weapons intercepted by agents has tripled in the last decade, according to a Forbes analysis.
TSA officials blame the increase on the rise of permitless carry laws, which are now in effect in 28 states.
“We have a significant increase in the population of new gun owners, never seen before. And then we have a significant increase in new air travelers,” a TSA official told Forbes last year.
Last year, a record 6,737 guns were found in travelers’ luggage, 93% of which were loaded. The Washington Post via Getty Images TSA officers at Hollywood Burbank Airport discovered the loaded gun upstairs in a passenger’s carry-on bag. Transportation Security Administration
Many of the armed travelers come from airports in southern states with less strict gun laws, Forbes reported.
Topping the list is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where TSA agents stopped 451 firearms at security checkpoints last year.
In second place is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where TSA agents prevented 378 guns from getting on planes.
The minimum penalty for flying with an undeclared firearm is $3,000. Transportation Security Administration
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport came in third with 311 guns.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport prevented 235 weapons from boarding planes and Denver International Airport prevented 178.
The TSA provides a way for travelers to legally travel with a gun, but the firearm must be in a locked hard container in checked luggage, and the traveler must inform the airline about the firearm when they check their bags. .
Southern states had the highest number of detections. Transportation Security Administration Passengers who travel illegally with a weapon are subject to punishment under local laws. ZUMAPRESS.com
Travelers who violate these rules are subject to any local laws that impose punishment; Criminal laws vary by city or state. But civil penalties also apply.
The minimum penalty for flying with an undeclared firearm is $3,000 and the cost rises to $14,950 for repeat offenders.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn