SAN ANTONIO – The number of firearms intercepted at San Antonio International Airport dropped slightly in 2024 compared to the year before.
The Transportation Security Administration intercepted 113 firearms at SAT in 2024, according to TSA spokesperson Patricia Mancha.
Recommended Videos
Below is a breakdown of firearms found at SAT over the last five years:
- 2024 - 113
- 2023 - 117
- 2022 - 108
- 2021 - 65
- 2020 - 44
Around the country, 6,678 firearms were discovered at TSA checkpoints in 2024.
“Last year, 2024, was the first time since the pandemic that TSA recorded a downward trend in firearm interceptions at airport security checkpoints,” said Mancha.
In a report, TSA revealed 94% of the firearms found were loaded.
“One firearm at a checkpoint is too many,” TSA administrator David Pekoske said in a release. “Firearms present a safety risk for our employees and everyone else at the checkpoint. It’s also costly and slows down operations.
What happens when a firearm is found:
- If a TSA officer finds a firearm in a carry-on luggage, they will stop the inspection, close the lane and contact local law enforcement.
- TSA will issue an administrative fine of up to $15,000 and the traveler will be suspended from participating in TSA PreCheck from five years to life. The traveler will not be refunded any money that was spent enrolling in TSA PreCheck.
Traveling with a firearm:
- Travelers are allowed to travel with a firearm.
- The firearm needs to be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided container with a lock and declared with the airline at the time of check in.
- Arrive early if you are checking a firearm in your checked luggage.
- Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are not allowed in carry-on baggage, but may be in checked bags.
“It is the traveler’s responsibility to know what is in their luggage and what they are bringing to the airport,” said Mancha.
TSA does not confiscate or seize any items from travelers. Travelers have the option to step out of line and place the item in checked luggage, place items in a vehicle or give them to a non-traveler.
Top 10 airports for firearm discoveries:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - 440
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport - 390
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport - 272
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport - 247
- Nashville International Airport - 188
- Denver International Airport - 166
- Orlando International Airport - 150
- Dallas Love Field Airport - 143
- Tampa International Airport - 135
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport - 126