FLORIDA — The Transportation Security Administration is offering a friendly reminder to travelers this holiday season to leave your guns at home. 

  • TSA reminders travelers to leave guns at home 
  • 460 guns confiscated at FL airports so far this year
  • 70 guns collected at TIA, 113 collected at MCO 

TSA has already confiscated 460 guns at Florida airports this year. 

So far this year, 70 guns have been collected at Tampa International Airport — just 27 short of the 97 guns they found in carry-on bags last year. 

Officials say the escalation is not only troubling but dangerous. Most of the guns they found were loaded. 

“Travelers are reminded that they might be heading to jail rather than to their desired destination for Thanksgiving if they don’t focus on what is in their bags,” said TSA spokesperson Sari Koshetz. “So far this year we have stopped 460 guns at Florida airports, including a record number at Orlando International. The escalation is not only troubling but dangerous, as most of the guns have been loaded.” 

PAST YEARS NUMBERS:

State Total: 228 (2013), 251 (2014), 276 (2015), 411 (2016), 511 (2017), 460 (YTD)

MIA: 24 (2013), 33 (2014), 24 (2015), 45 (2016), 52 (2017), 30 (YTD)

FLL: 40 (2013), 49 (2014), 43 (2015), 56 (2016), 72 (2017), 87 (YTD)

TPA: 35 (2013), 49 (2014), 49 (2015), 79 (2016), 97 (2017), 70 (YTD)

MCO: 47 (2013), 47 (2014), 49 (2015), 86 (2016), 94 (2017), 113 (YTD)

TSA also stops tons of abandoned property consisting of prohibited items such as knives and brass knuckles, and they intercept tens of thousands of pounds of hazardous materials such as flammable and corrosive household chemicals.