TSA agents at Los Angeles International Airport found a “surprising” number of fireworks and knives in a woman’s suitcase last week.
Agents found 82 fireworks, three knives, two replica firearms and one canister of pepper spray in the woman’s carry-on suitcase that she put through their X-ray on December 15, the agency said in a statement on Friday.
“What happened Sunday…at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) surprised even the longest tenured and most experienced TSA officer,” the agency said in a statement.
TSA agents notified the Los Angeles World Airport police, who in turn interviewed the woman. The department’s bomb squad also responded to the scene to confiscate the fireworks, the agency said.
It’s unclear if the woman, who was on her way to Philadelphia, was arrested or turned away from her flight.
“The sheer number of prohibited items discovered in a single carry-on bag is extremely concerning,” Los Angeles International Airport’s TSA Federal Security Director Jason Pantages said in a statement.
"We are in the midst of the holiday travel season when security checkpoints will be busy everywhere," he added. "Let this incident serve as a reminder to all travelers to double-check the contents of your bag prior to coming to the airport.”
A TSA spokesperson directed The Independent to local law enforcement for more information. The Independent has contacted Los Angeles World Airport police for comment.
Nearly 120 million people will travel over the year-end holidays, according to the American Automobile Association. Among them, a record amount of air travelers are expected to travel through airports this year.
Weather and operational delays are making the travel season even busier. On Friday, which marked the beginning of one of the year’s busiest travel weekends, thousands of delays were reported at airports across the U.S.
The roads are no better — over 100 million people are expected to travel by car this holiday season.
