WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration has seized guns, drugs and even a taser disguised as a smartphone to keep air travelers safe — all while dealing with a prolonged government shutdown.
The political crisis in Congress has meant that TSA is operating with nearly half of its workforce furloughed due to Democrats’ opposition to funding the Department of Homeland Security.
Upwards of 95% of TSA employees are still clocking in because they are deemed essential workers amid the funding freeze — and their role is vital given the thousands of threatening items flagged in the previous calendar year.
Search officers in Miami recovered a pistol tucked into one passenger’s waistband on Aug. 24, 2025, leading to an arrest by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
At Los Angeles International Airport last Independence Day, a transportation security specialist also uncovered a stuffed bear that had methamphetamine stowed inside it.
The drugs were seized and the passengers were later put on a Customs and Border Protection internal watchlist for the July 4, 2025, incident.
A lead transportation security officer the following month also stopped a stun gun disguised a smartphone that was able to cleared the X-ray scanner.
Other passengers were also caught trying to sneak a lighter shaped like a fake hand grenade, ammunition stuffed into a neck pillow’s battery compartment, a quiver of arrows and a faux explosive — before being stopped by officers at screening checkpoints.
TSA detected nearly 11,500 dangerous or prohibited items through all screenings in 2025.
At least 6,669 firearms were also confiscated and another 2,190 drugs or other contraband items were also seized.
The agency also took 577 concealed knives, razor blades or other concealed weapons — and fielded 313 bomb threats.
“During this shutdown, TSA frontline workers are valiantly reporting to work and keeping our operations running smoothly, ensuring millions of passengers arrive at their destinations safely and securely,” said TSA’s Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.
“At the same time, they are feeling the financial strain and stress of not knowing when paychecks were coming,” McNeill added. “Many in our workforce will be subject to late fees and penalties for missed bill payments, eviction notices, loss of long-term childcare arrangements, and more.”
TSA officers screening travelers at airport security checkpoints have so far had to work 42.8% of the 2026 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, on furlough after Democrats in Congress twice-voted by large majorities to block funding for DHS.
Most recently, funding has been held up since Feb. 14 for the beleaguered department — which just saw the demotion of its Cabinet official — in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of two American citizens.
On Thursday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to reopen DHS, though most Democrats in the lower chamber still voted it down — even after embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was shown the door by President Trump.
A companion to the bill — which focuses on ICE, FEMA and TSA until Sept. 30 — failed to pass the Senate the same day in a 51-45 vote.
“Having kept DHS shut down now for three weeks and counting, Democrats will once again leave Washington today and head to the airport, where they will walk past some of the 50,000 TSA agents who are missing part of their pay because of Senate Democrats,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in a floor speech afterward.
“Let’s be clear, this is not some principled stand by Democrats … it’s looking a lot like Democrats just want to keep this alive as a political issue,” Thune added. “They’re interested in politics, not policy. And public safety ends up suffering as a result of their decision to shut down the Department of Homeland Security.”
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who voted for the measure.
