TAMPA, Fla. — The Transportation Safety Administration said 13 loaded guns were found at security checkpoints at Tampa Bay area airports over the Veterans Day weekend.
In a release, TSA said 11 loaded guns were detected at Tampa International Airport, while one was found at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, and another loaded gun was stopped at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
The guns found at TPA included multiple 9mm and two .380 caliber guns.
TSA said local law enforcement officers were contacted immediately and removed the firearms and the passengers from the checkpoints. Travelers with loaded guns could face criminal and civil penalties, which can increase to a maximum of $15,000 per violation.
When asked to compare the situation to a normal weekend, the TSA said one or two loaded weapons are typically detected on a weekend. Finding 11, the TSA said, would be abnormal even for an airport like Atlanta or Dallas.
So far this year, TSA officers have detected 120 firearms at Tampa International.
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