TSA at Philadelphia Airport Arrests Another Airline Employee With Loaded Gun Trying To Pass Security Checkpoint

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the Philadelphia Airport arrested another airline employee who attempted to pass through a security checkpoint with a loaded firearm in what was described as a potential incident of ” internal threat.”

In the latest interception on June 21, TSA spotted a loaded 9mm handgun with 10 bullets in a bag belonging to a contractor employed by an airline operating out of Philadelphia.

“This was a good catch by our TSA officers because it addressed a possible insider threat situation,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA federal security director for the airport.

“We are always on the lookout for employees who may have bad intentions, which could potentially pose a threat to aviation security,” Spero continued.

Following this discovery, local police were called and the employee’s firearm and airside security pass were seized, meaning the suspect can no longer work at the airport.

The TSA has not said whether the man is facing criminal charges, but the agency plans to pursue a federal civil financial citation, which could cost the suspect thousands of dollars.

Last August, another airline employee was fired after he was caught going through a security check at PHL with a loaded handgun in his backpack. During this incident, the man claimed he was at a shooting range and forgot that the 9mm handgun loaded with nine bullets was still in his bag.

Barely a month later, an on-duty flight attendant on her way to work at PHL was arrested after being caught with a loaded firearm in her bag.

Kiala Santa Cruz, an American Airlines flight attendant, was arrested after a loaded Ruger .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun was found in her purse.

Crews are often allowed to bypass routine TSA screenings by going through the “known crew member” route, but after a series of high-profile incidents, the TSA has increased the number of random security searches.

In 2022, a flight attendant attempted to smuggle 3.33 pounds of fentanyl through a KCM access point at San Diego Airport, but she was flagged for random additional screening and the package was discovered when she passed through the metal detector arch.

Earlier this year, prosecutors revealed how four New York-based flight attendants used their privileges as known crewmembers to bypass security checks at New York’s JFK Airport to smuggle bags filled with money from the illicit Fentanyl trade that continues to plague the United States.

So far this year, Philadelphia Airport TSA has seized 17 firearms from passengers and staff. Last year, the TSA detected a total of 45 firearms at airport security checkpoints.

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