Reagan National Airport is on pace to break the record number of firearms caught at its security checkpoints, and TSA has a warning about what could happen if you accidentally leave a gun in your carry-on bag.
This past week, the 37th and 38th firearms of 2024 were caught at Reagan National. Last year, TSA agents at the Arlington, Virginia, airport caught a total of 39 guns — the standing record, which this year’s numbers expected to top.
Two guns were caught at Reagan National just this past week: One incident took place on Sunday, Dec. 1, the busiest day in TSA history. And on Thursday, a Seattle, Washington, woman was caught with a Ruger LCP loaded with six .380 cartridges.
“When TSA officers do intercept a firearm at a checkpoint, what happens is, the checkpoint lane comes to a stop. The conveyor belt is turned off. We contact the police. The police have to comment,” said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson.
The police then will decide if you are criminally charged or if you will face a federal civil citation, which could reach a maximum of $15,000. You would also be booted from the TSA PreCheck program, if you were already a member.
Passengers can fly with a firearm as long as it is unloaded and locked in a hard-sided case, declared at the airline ticketing counter and checked in luggage.
“There’s a right way to do it and the wrong way to do it,” Farbstein said.
She offered advice on packing your carry-on with the busy holiday travel season coming up.
“Start by packing with an empty bag. Just turn it upside down, dump everything out, and start to pack from scratch. That way, there’s not going to be a bullet in the corner,” she said.
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