Denver International Airport ranks fifth among America’s airports when it comes to firearms seized at security checkpoints, according to federal data.
Through mid-December, the Transportation Security Administration says it seized 65 firearms from passengers looking to board a plane packing heat in Denver.
“Passengers always say they just forgot that it was in their bag,” said Ross Feinstein, TSA’s press secretary. “It never ends up being something nefarious, but passengers end up paying the price.”
More than 2,100 firearms were seized at security checkpoints nationwide, marking another year of steady increases in seizures dating back to 2005, when there were only 660.
One person was arrested this month at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City attempting to bring firearm components hidden in a PlayStation 2 onto a plane, Feinstein said. The man, headed to Mexico City, now faces criminal charges and fines.
“No one says you can’t bring your firearm on the plane; you just have to check it,” Feinstein said, encouraging passengers to check airline and TSA rules and restrictions before they head to the airport.
Homeland Security says firearm discoveries delay the screening process for all travelers and can be avoided by simply being vigilant and knowing what’s in your carry-on bag.
Anyone who brings a firearm to an airport security checkpoint faces criminal penalties and a civil penalty up to $11,000.
Security officials are reminding travelers to double-check their bags during the holidays. The airport expects to see roughly 1 million passengers during the holiday travel exodus.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport topped the list of firearm seizures with 113, followed by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 99 and Phoenix Sky Harbor International with 77.
Guns aren’t the only contraband seized at the airport. Agents earlier this month found marijuana and a pipe packed into a jar of peanut butter in checked luggage at the Denver airport.
2014 TSA GUN SEIZURES THROUGH MID-DECEMBER
1. Dallas/Fort Worth International — 113
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — 99
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International — 77
4. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston) — 72
5. Denver International — 65