I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. Today marks the start of Roswell’s 24th annual UFO Festival. The UFO Festival invites skeptics, believers and aliens to celebrate the alleged 1947 UFO crash. So if you’re planning on jumping on a spaceship and traveling this weekend, be sure to follow these tips to make your trip out of this world.
Costumes, including tin foil hats, are allowed through the security checkpoint. We may ask you to remove any face covering to confirm your identity. Laser guns and replica firearms are not allowed in carry-on bags. Please pack them in your checked luggage.
Between June 24 and 30, TSA screened 18.2 million passengers and found 88 firearms in carry-on bags. Of the 88 firearms discovered, 78 were loaded and 33 had a round chambered.
Throughout June, we discovered 403 firearms. That is 17 more firearms than last June.
Don’t pack your firearm in your carry-on bag. Bringing a firearm to the security checkpoint may lead to a civil penalty of up to $13,333 or an arrest. And if you’re a TSA Pre✓® member, you could lose your status. Check out our transporting firearms and ammunition page to learn how to pack it properly.
See all firearm discoveries from June 24 to 30 in this chart.
Bags of nacho cheese are totally allowed in your checked bags. However, simulated semtex explosives are not! Real, replica, inert or simulated explosives are not allowed – like, at all. These two blocks of simulated semtex were discovered by TSA officers during checked bag screening at Nashville International Airport on June 28.
Self-defense weapons and knives are not allowed in carry-on bags. This kubotan knife combo was concealed in a carry-on bag sandwiched between the bag lining and the wheels. The passenger claimed that he was unaware of the item. Concealing an item from TSA officers can lead to a hefty civil penalty and a possible arrest. This incident occurred at Montana’s Billings Logan International Airport on June 27.
Can you tell me which one of the above firearms shoots a projectile? How about which firearm would be allowed in a carry-on bag? The correct answer to both of the questions is none. However, all four firearms were discovered in carry-on bags this week. Replica or toy firearms are not allowed in carry-on bags, but they can be packed in checked bags.
Pictured above, from the left:
- A rusty antique firearm was discovered at Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport on June 27.
- A knife in the shape of a gun was located at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on June 25.
- A toy gun with a silencer was found at Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford International Airport on June 29.
- A souvenir weapon was discovered at Newark Liberty International Airport on June 24.
Our mission at TSA is to do everything in our power to make sure you get to your destination safely by keeping dangerous items off planes. The most common explanation we hear from travelers for prohibited items is “I forgot it was in my bag.” Don’t be that person. Save yourself some money and embarrassment and thoroughly check your bags for prohibited items before heading to the airport.
So come prepared! For a list of prohibited items, be sure to use the What Can I Bring? tool. If you have questions about the security process, reach out to AskTSA on Twitter or Facebook. Our AskTSA team will happily answer even the most outlandish travel-related questions.
Want to know how many firearms we found last year? Check out our 2018 blog post.
Also, don’t forget to check out our top 10 most unusual finds video for 2018.
Want to learn more or see the other wacky finds? Follow us @TSA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Jay Wagner
