DFW Airport, Love Field among top 10 for firearms at checkpoints
Both Dallas-fort Worth airports were among the top 10 airports last year for the most firearms confiscated in 2023.
Last year, officers at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints stopped 378 firearms at DFW International Airport and 125 at Dallas Love Field. The most firearms, 451, were found at Hartsfield-jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic. DFW Airport is the second busiest and had the second most guns found, leaving no surprise that Atlanta and Dallas remain at the top.
“We are still seeing far too many firearms at TSA checkpoints, and what’s particularly concerning is the amount of them loaded, presenting an unnecessary risk to everyone at the TSA checkpoint,” David Pekoske, TSA administrator, said in a release. “Firearms and ammunition are strictly prohibited in carry-on baggage.”
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport ranked third with 311 firearms found.
In total, TSA stopped 6,737 firearms at checkpoints in 2023, slightly more than 2022 when 6,542 firearms were stopped at checkpoints. The agency screened more than 858 million travelers last year, catching about 7.8 firearms per million passengers, a drop from 8.6 per million passengers in 2022.
About 93% of the guns found last year were loaded.
Passengers are only allowed to travel with an unloaded firearm and it must be packed in a locked, hard-sided case in their checked baggage and declared to the airline at the check-in counter.
The Texas Legislature passed a law in 2021 allowing
Denise Cathey/associated Press anyone in the state over the age of 21 to carry a handgun without a license whether it’s concealed or carried openly.
Officers who find guns at checkpoints contact local law enforcement and then remove the passenger from the checkpoint. Local laws may allow for an arrest or citation for passengers who do not properly travel with their firearm.
On top of law enforcement actions, the agency will fine passengers with firearms at checkpoints a civil penalty of up to $15,000, revoke Precheck eligibility for a five-year minimum, and the traveler may be subject to additional screening.