TSA finds gun in raw chicken in checked bag at Florida airport

“We hate to tell you here, but stuffing a gun in your vacation bird for travel is just a time saver,” the agency said. wrote on Instagram Monday alongside photos of the offending poultry. “This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy and obviously unattended.

“The only roast going on here is this poor choice of wrapper!” added the TSA.

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The incident happened around 6 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Fort Lauderdale Airport Terminal 4 Checked Baggage Scanning Center, TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston wrote in a statement on Tuesday. an email.

It was an international passenger, so Customs and Border Protection officers responded, Langston added. A CBP spokesperson confirmed officers had responded to the incident, but said he was unable to provide details about the passenger.

Unloaded firearms are permitted in checked baggage, but must be placed in a locked hard case and declared at the ticket office in accordance with CST. If you are traveling to another state or abroad, be sure to find out about the laws regarding the carrying of firearms in your destination.

“Make sure you know the gun laws on either side of your trip, otherwise you may be heading to jail instead of your family reunion,” TSA spokesperson Sari said. Koshetz, in a statement. Press release. “Firearms may not be legal to carry even in checked baggage in some jurisdictions.”

From the TSA: Here’s what you need to know about guns and airports

The weapon found in Fort Lauderdale may have been unusually concealed, but it comes amid a rise in weapons found at airport checkpoints in Florida and across the country.

Passengers brought a record 700 firearms to airport security in Florida this year through Nov. 3, according to the CST. Almost all of the weapons were loaded and most had a bullet in the chamber, the agency said.

Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa consistently rank among the nation’s top airports for found firearms, according to the TSA. Officers arrested a passenger with a loaded gun at a Fort Lauderdale checkpoint on Sunday, marking the 121st firearm discovered at the airport this year, Koshetz said in an email.

The agency seized 5,972 firearms nationwide in 2021, more than a third more than the previous record set in 2019, despite fewer passengers traveling due to the coronavirus. The increase prompted proposals to Congress to increase education about traveling with firearms and increase penalties for improper carry.

Air passenger traffic has plummeted during the pandemic. But the TSA has seized more guns than ever.

It is unclear whether the traveler carrying chickens has been arrested. Passengers caught with “undeclared and/or improperly packed firearms” in their checked baggage can be fined up to $1,390 and lose their PreCheck status, according to the TSA website. Attempting to bring a loaded weapon or other prohibited item in your carry-on can result in even stiffer civil penalties of up to $13,910.

The TSA regularly shares some of its weirdest and most dangerous seizures on social media. Recent discoveries include brass knuckles in Ithaca, a meat cleaver in Baltimore and military equipment in Rochester.