Americans have broken the record for the amount of guns caught by the Transportation Security Administration at airport checkpoints for the third straight year, the agency announced Wednesday.
In 2023, TSA agents intercepted 6,737 guns at 265 airports, up from 6,542 guns intercepted in 2022. In 2021, 5,972 guns were seized.
About 93% of the guns found in 2023 were loaded, TSA officials said. In 2022, 88% of guns seized were loaded.
However, with an increase in the number of travelers last year, there was a decline in the amount of guns seized per million travelers. In 2022, TSA took 8.6 guns per million travelers, while in 2023, with more than 858 million people screened, the agency found 7.8 guns per million travelers.
In the fourth quarter of 2023 alone, TSA agents were finding an average of 18 guns per day at America’s airports, officials said.
The top 10 airports for firearm confiscations were:
— Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, 451 guns.
— Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, 378 guns.
— George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, 311 guns.
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, 278 guns.
— Nashville International Airport, 188 guns.
— Denver International Airport, 178 guns.
— Orlando International Airport, 164 guns.
— Tampa International Airport, 144 guns.
— Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport near Miami, 135 guns.
— Dallas Love Field, 125 guns.
The maximum fine for seized firearms is $14,950. Those caught with guns can also receive criminal referrals, and lose their TSA PreCheck eligibility.
TSA officials reiterated the rules around traveling with guns.
“Passengers are only allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm, and only if they pack it properly in a locked, hard-sided case in their checked baggage and first declare it to the airline at the check-in counter,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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