TSA Reports a Surge in Firearms Confiscated at Airport Security in 2023

The Transportation Security Administration made public that a staggering 6,737 firearms were discovered at airport security checkpoints in 2023, marking a new record. This number surpassed the previous year’s total and was the highest annual count since the establishment of the agency after the 9/11 attacks. TSA Administrator David Pekoske expressed concern over the fact that almost 93% of the firearms found were loaded. The TSA disclosed that Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport ranked highest in firearm confiscations with 451, followed by 378 at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and 311 at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Pekoske emphasized that passengers are strictly prohibited from carrying firearms and ammunition in their carry-on bags, and only unloaded firearms properly stored in a locked, hard-sided case in checked baggage are permissible, provided they are declared to the airline at the check-in counter. It was mentioned that the TSA does not seize firearms but involves local law enforcement agencies to handle passengers and their weapons. Violators face potential fines of up to $14,950 and exclusion from the TSA PreCheck program for at least five years.