Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have already intercepted 12 firearms at the security checkpoints at Miami International Airport (MIA) this year.
If you are going to travel with your firearm it must be in your checked bag, unloaded and in a locked hard-sided case. You must declare it to the airline at check-in. Be sure you know exactly what the firearm laws are on each side of your trip or you may be heading to jail instead of to your vacation or business trip. Firearms may not be legal to transport even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.
“Before you enter a TSA security checkpoint, make sure your firearm is not in your carry-on nor on your person,” said Stephen Taber, TSA’s Federal Security Director for MIA. “With so many of the intercepted firearms loaded, an accidental discharge could result in tragedy.”
Today’s intercepted firearm was a 9 mm Glock, with one round chambered and accompanied by another 9 rounds in a magazine. The 48-year-old man, a resident of Miami, was headed to Colombia.
Many of the passengers who bring firearms to the security checkpoint are arrested or issued notices to appear in court. Regardless of whether the individual is arrested or cited by our law enforcement partners, passengers face a civil penalty imposed by the TSA that can reach nearly $15,000. If the traveler is in the TSA PreCheck program, those privileges will be lost for a period of time, possibly permanently.
