FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - When it comes to firearms found at airport checkpoints, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport made it into TSA’s top 10 list.
According to TSA officials, FLL is one of three Florida airports to make the list for firearms found in carry-on luggage in 2022.
Orlando International Airport was ranked sixth with 156 guns found; FLL ranked ninth with 134 guns found, and at 10 was Tampa International Airport with 131 guns found.
Officers found 6,542 firearms at 262 different airports in 2022 nationwide.
While firearm possession laws vary by state and local governments, they are not permitted in carry-on bags, regardless if a passenger has a concealed weapons permit.
“It is a concern because it brings an unnecessary risk to the checkpoint, especially because most of the firearms that we find are loaded,” said Deputy Federal Security Director Jesús Serrano.
The only way a firearm can be transported on a flight is if it is unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and placed in checked baggage.
The same procedure applies to any replica firearm.
While firearms were a common weapon found by TSA officials, other weapons that were confiscated included knives, pepper spray and Tasers.
Monthly, agents collect more than 2,000 pounds of weapons and items that could be potentially used as a weapon. Those items include hockey sticks, pool cues, baseball bats and tools.
TSA said that a vast majority of firearms incidents are due to travelers not realizing that the bag they decided to bring on their flight still had a gun inside.
If a passenger is caught with a firearm that was improperly transported, it can result in fines of up to $15,000.
The top 10 airports with guns caught by TSA at checkpoints in 2022 include the following:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 448
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 385
- Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 298
- Nashville International Airport (BNA): 213
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): 196
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): 162
- Denver International Airport (DEN): 156
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): 150
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 134
- Tampa International Airport: 131
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