3 Florida airports ranked in top 10 for most confiscated guns by TSA in 2022
TSA shows off weapons found in carry-on luggage at Orlando airport
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said a new record has been set at Orlando International Airport where 154 passengers have brought guns to security checkpoints. Firearms must be in checked baggage. All firearms must be properly packed and declared to the airline at check-in, which means unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case. In additions to guns, some passengers brought knives and other items which could be used as a weapon.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confiscated a record number of guns across U.S. airports in 2022 with three Florida airports ranking in the top ten.
TSA said they discovered 6,542 firearms in carry-on bags across 262 airports in 2022 noting that 88% of the guns were loaded. Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando made the top ten list when it came to firearm discoveries.
TSA agents found 162 guns at Orlando International, 134 at the Fort Lauderdale Airport, and 131 at Tampa International.
Across the state, there was a dangerous and disturbing 28 percent increase in 2022 over 2021, with 854 guns intercepted in Florida in 2022, TSA said.
Back in December 2021, TSA said Orlando International saw 154 passengers bring guns to security checkpoints.
TSA also announced several new measures to mitigate firearms threats including enhanced screening for passengers in possession of a firearm at a TSA checkpoint and loss of TSA PreCheck® eligibility for up to five years. In December 2022, TSA also increased the maximum civil penalty for a firearms violation to nearly $15,000.