The Transportation Safety Administration stated it expects a report variety of vacationers at U.S. airports on Sunday because the company braces for what’s projected to be a crush at safety checkpoints. Greater than 32 million persons are forecast to cross by TSA screening between June 27 and July 8, in line with the company, a 5.4% enhance from the identical interval final 12 months. 

With that tidal wave of vacationers, TSA officers additionally count on to see a better quantity of banned gadgets on conveyor belts.

“We have seen something from chainsaws on carry-on baggage [and] we have seen bigger energy instruments and saws,” Michael Duretto, deputy federal safety director for Los Angeles Worldwide Airport, advised CBS Information senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave. “Lately, we noticed a interest rocket — however it was a big rocket — that got here to our checked baggage.”

“You possibly can say that individuals will attempt to pack the kitchen sink if they might,” he added.

And take a look at they’ve, stated Martin Garcia, a TSA officer in Los Angeles, who advised Van Cleave that he has seen somebody attempt to keep on a kitchen sink, whereas one other passenger tried to carry deer antlers on board. Different unusual issues TSA brokers have intercepted to date this 12 months embrace:

• Throwing knives, equivalent to these utilized by ninjas
• Samurai sword
• Machetes
• Bag of snakes
• Tasers
• Reproduction hand grenade
• Electrical sander
• Fireworks

Bottles of water and firearms are probably the most steadily stopped gadgets by TSA officers. TSA brokers found a report 6,737 firearms at airport safety checkpoints final 12 months — most of them loaded. Within the first quarter of 2024, the company intercepted greater than 1,500 firearms at airport checkpoints.

TSA additionally routinely intercepts extra typical gadgets. In a single current incident, for instance, Rep. Victoria Spartz, an Indiana Republican, obtained a quotation for an unloaded handgun present in her baggage at Dulles Worldwide Airport in Virginia. Though it’s authorized for airline passengers to journey with unloaded weapons, the weapons have to be locked in a hard-sided case and declared to the airline and positioned within the passengers’ checked baggage, in line with the TSA.

TSA would not confiscate firearms. When a gun is detected at a checkpoint, the agent should summon native legislation enforcement to take possession of the weapon. It’s as much as the legislation enforcement officer to arrest or cite the passenger in accordance with native legislation, however the TSA can impose a civil penalty of as much as nearly $15,000, in line with the company.