by Transportation Security Administration officials in New Orleans stopped a Louisiana man from entering the secure area of the airport with a loaded AR-15 rifle. The passenger also had 163 rounds of ammunition in his carry-on bag when trying to pass through security.
A 52-year-old man from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, attempted to enter the secure area of the New Orleans airport on Feb. 14, according to a TSA statement. Officers detected a rifle and several clips while screening the man’s carry-on luggage, officials said.
.@TSA officers in @FlyNewOrleans STOPPED a passenger carrying THIS assault rifle and 163 rounds of ammunition at the checkpoint. Taking care of you is our mission! Read more about this interception here: https://t.co/3ehdy7xGTl pic.twitter.com/9P1gLVREdv
— TSA_Gulf (@TSA_Gulf) February 17, 2023
A delegate from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office assigned to the airport helped TSA officers secure the loaded Palmetto PA-15 Multi AR rifle. Officials report that the rifle was loaded with 30 rounds of .300 caliber ammunition. They also found five magazines loaded in the bag.
Transport Security Administration
Photos released by the TSA also show a folding knife allegedly found among the seized weapons.
Police officers detained the man and seized the bag with the rifle and ammunition. He now faces a civil penalty that could reach $15,000.
The man allegedly had a ticket to fly from New Orleans to Houston, the report states.
Authorities say the discovery and seizure of firearms at the New Orleans airport is not uncommon. In fact, this was the second firearm found by TSA officers that day. Officers also seized a Glock pistol earlier in the day.
The report states that this rifle above is the 14th firearm found from January 1st to January 13th or was loaded at the time of discovery.
WFAA ABC8 reported the top 10 airports for firearm seizures in 2022. The list includes three Texas airports. The top 10 list includes:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: 448
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: 385
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston: 298
- Nashville International Airport: 213
- Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix: 196
- Orlando International Airport: 162
- Denver International Airport: 156
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: 150
- Fort Lauderdale Airport 134
- Tampa International Airport: 131
Houston Hobby Airport also reported seizing 125 weapons, but did not make the top 10 list. New Orleans Airport made the list in 2021 with the seizure of 119 weapons.
“If you’re going to be traveling with your gun, it should be in your checked baggage, but make sure you know exactly what the gun laws are on each side of your trip,” said TSA Federal Security Director Arden Hudson. in the written notice. Hudson leads TSA operations throughout the state of Louisiana. “Weapons may not be legal to carry, even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.”
“Passengers need to focus on what’s inside their carry-on bags before entering our checkpoint,” added Hudson. “The introduction of a loaded weapon poses an unnecessary risk to both the traveling public and our employees.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s Where do you want to get? Sunday morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX It is Face
