TSA Officers Make Disturbing Discovery At LAX Airport

In a discovery that “surprised even the longest tenured and most experienced TSA officer,” a cache of prohibited contraband was found in the carry-on baggage of a woman attempting to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

TSA Discovers Harrowing Contraband at LAX

On Sunday, December 15, 2024 at around 10:00 pm in Terminal 4 (American Airlines), a woman traveling to Philadelphia (PHL) attempted to pass through security. TSA officers discovered several concerning items in her bag, including:

82 fireworks
3 knives
2 replica firearms
1 canister of pepper spray

In a press release describing the discovery, Jason Pantages, the LAX TSA Security Director, explained:

“The sheer number of prohibited items discovered in a single carry-on bag is extremely concerning. This traveler should have followed TSA’s tried and true advice – unpack your bag before you pack it to ensure you don’t bring any prohibited items to the security checkpoint. We are in the midst of the holiday travel season when security checkpoints will be busy everywhere. Let this incident serve as a reminder to all travelers to double-check the contents of your bag prior to coming to the airport.”

My only comment is that I’d be flabbergasted if she “accidentally” left a massive box of fireworks, plus knives, toy guns, and pepper spray in her bag.

Airport police were notified and the woman was detained, though it is not clear if she was arrested or will face charges.

While replica firearms and long knives are never permitted in carry-on and fireworks are not permitted in either checked or carry-on baggage, pepper spray is permitted in checked baggage (unless banned by an airline), but must follow these guidelines:

must be in a container that is four ounces or less
must have a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge
cannot contain more than 2% tear gas

CONCLUSION

I’ll spare the jokes about TSA here and say that even the most incompetent screeners are likely to discover a cache of contraband like this…do yourself a favor and always carefully check your carry-on bag before proceeding through an airport security checkpoint to avoid detention, arrest, and possible charges against you.

image: TSA