President Trump and over 130 foreign heads of state attended the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, and TSA played a key role in security. TSA teamed with the U.S. Secret Service in providing operational support.
Fifty-five TSA officers from Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and the National Deployment Office were on the frontlines with USSS, screening individuals and their property to make sure no one carried prohibited items into areas around the UN event. TSA Special Events Coordinator Nelson Minerly said that included hotels and special events hosted by UN member nations.
“Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams from the Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service New York and Newark field offices were deployed to enhance security and provide additional law enforcement presence at all three CAT X airports (LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, and Newark Liberty International Airports) in the New York City metropolitan area,” said Minerly. “The VIPR teams also deployed to the New York Waterway and Staten Island Ferries to protect service on New York City’s rivers and patrol ferry terminals in Manhattan.”
TSA’s Airspace Coordination Team managed Gateway Screening operations, facilitating the screening of more than 1,100 passengers and 250 aircraft while the UNGA temporary flight restrictions were in effect. In addition, field intelligence officers from LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark airports and supervis
“Our team has worked this event since 2015,” said Operations Center Manager Stacy Smith, a transportation security manager from Indianapolis. “We are honored to serve alongside USSS to provide security on a national level. The partnership between TSA and USSS is phenomenal.”
Smith said TSA officers worked with USSS at sites that required 100% screening. “The venues we were assigned and the special events we worked were designated based on risk assessment,” she said. “Our role, although supportive, was instrumental to the success of the operation. We were all honored to play a role in this event.”
“The Transportation Security Administration played an integral part in the security planning and execution for the UNGA,” said Thomas Sullivan, Chief of the Secret Service Uniformed Division. “The Secret Service would like to thank the men and women of TSA for their partnership, professionalism and cooperation in helping make this a safe event for all attendees.”