DURANGO, Colo. -The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a loaded firearm at the security screening checkpoint Aug. 20 at Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO).
The.380 caliber Ruger LCP was detected during X-ray screening at the screening checkpoint Sunday morning. Per standard procedure, the La Plata County Sheriff’s office responded, and an officer took possession of the weapon and interviewed the passenger. The passenger was later allowed to continue. Any determination about possible criminal charges is up to law enforcement.
“Firearms can only be transported in a checked bag that is declared to the airline at the ticket counter and properly packed in a locked, hard-sided container," said TSA Public Affairs Manager Carrie Harmon. Firearm parts, ammunition, and realistic replicas are also not allowed through security checkpoints, but can be transported in checked bags.
Nationwide, TSA officers found 3,391 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2016, which was a 28 percent increase over 2015. This is the third firearm found at the DRO checkpoint so far this year. In 2016, a total of four firearms were found at the DRO checkpoint.
TSA has the authority to levy a civil penalty of up to $11,000 against a passenger who brings a firearm to the checkpoint. The average penalty for a loaded firearm is $3,000, and the average for an unloaded is $1,500. For more information, visit the prohibited items and firearms and ammunition pages at tsa.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
