A Man Packed A Huge Firearm On His Luggage On A Flight To Las Vegas & It Was Caught In Texas
Officers were being cautious.
The confiscated anti-tank rifle at the San Antonio International Airport in Texas.
A man was trying to jump on a flight to Las Vegas, NV, with an 84MM caliber weapon in his checked luggage, before the firearm was confiscated by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials.
According to a Twitter post by TSA Southwest, officers at the San Antonio International Airport in Texas discovered and impounded the rifle after it was found that the passenger never declared the gun, as required when traveling with firearms.
\u201cToday @TSA officers @SATairport discovered this 84 mm caliber weapon in checked luggage. It was undeclared, as required when traveling with firearms or weapons. Here's info about traveling with firearm. https://t.co/FjDYDrQV0E #Monday #SafetyFirst\u201d— TSA_SouthWest (@TSA_SouthWest) 1673898125
Per TSA, travelers may transport unloaded arms in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage. Among other official TSA regulations, any weapons or ammunitions need to be declared to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter.
A report by KXAN states that the male passenger was flying from San Antonio to Las Vegas to attend the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), which started on January 17, 2023, and was allegedly planning to exhibit the firearm at the event.
After TSA officials identified the passenger, he was escorted to the office, where he provided paperwork proving the gun was no longer in use or militarized. A TSA explosives specialist confirmed this information, KXAN reported.
According to police, the passenger was able to rebook his flight without the rifle and managed to arrange with a family member to pick it up in San Antonio.
It was not until Tuesday, January 17, that TSA agents confirmed that the passenger did declare the weapon to the airline at the check-out, but airport authorities were never informed. However, TSA did not allow the firearm out of caution, an official tweet reads.
\u201cUPDATE: @TSA has confirmed that the passenger declared the item in question to the airline at the check-in counter but TSA was not informed. Out of an abundance of caution, TSA did not allow the item through baggage screening.\u201d— TSA_SouthWest (@TSA_SouthWest) 1673991000
The firearm, labeled as an 84MM Carl-Gustaf M4 rifle, is a military weapon that lets "dismounted soldiers [...] effectively deal with multiple challenges on the modern battlefield," according to SAAB, the manufacturer company.