TSA officers find three handguns in carry-ons at Sea-Tac Airport

SeaTac, Wash. — Officers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found three firearms in the carry-on luggage of travelers in a 24-hour period at SeaTac airport.

On Thursday around 11:30 a.m., officials said they found a loaded .380 caliber Ruger LCP in the carry-on luggage of a man who was headed to Spokane.

Six hours later, officials said they found an unloaded .22 caliber North American Arms revolver in the carry-on luggage of a woman who was headed to San Diego.

On Friday around 5:20 a.m., officials said they found an unloaded Hawes .25 caliber pistol in the carry-on luggage of a man who was headed to Orange County, California.

Responding officers with the Port of Seattle Police Department interviewed each of the passengers and confiscated the weapons.

Each passenger was arrested on a state charge, and TSA officials are reviewing the circumstances of each incident and will issue civil penalties.

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The recommended civil penalty starts at $2,000 and can go up to $13,333 per violation.

TSA officials said they will evaluate each incident on a case-by-case basis, and factors they consider for the civil penalties include whether the firearm was loaded and/or ammunition was accessible.

TSA officials said in addition to the civil penalties, passengers can also have their Trusted Traveler status and TSA Precheck status revoked for a period of time.

In 2019, TSA officials said officers have seized 19 firearms, 15 of which were loaded.

Nationwide, TSA officers have seized 1,451 firearms in carry-on luggage.

Click here to view the TSA's rules for transporting firearms.

Click here to view the TSA's "Can I bring?" list.

Cox Media Group