TSA Found a Record 3,957 Firearms at Checkpoints in 2017
The Transportation Security Administration found, on average, more than 10 firearms per day at checkpoints around the country last year. The TSA released its 2017 findings, with the highlight (lowlight?) being that agents found 3,957 guns at airport checkpoints — a 17% increase from 2016's total of 3,391.
Perhaps most shocking was the fact that the majority of the guns confiscated by TSA agents were loaded. Based on TSA data, these are the 10 airports where the most guns were found:
1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) — 245 guns found (222 loaded)
2. Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) — 211 guns found (165 loaded)
3. George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) — 142 guns found (124 loaded)
4. Denver International (DEN) — 118 guns found (102 loaded)
5. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) — 115 guns found (109 loaded)
6. Tampa International (TPA) — 97 guns found (90 loaded)
7. Orlando International (MCO) — 94 guns found (82 loaded)
8. Dallas Love Field (DAL) — 93 guns found (81 loaded)
9. Nashville International (BNA) — 89 guns found (71 loaded)
10. Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) — 75 guns found (60 loaded)
The TSA attributed the rise in the number of guns confiscated due to the rise in the number of passengers going through the security checkpoint as opposed to a terror threat. At more than 440 airports, agents screened 771.5 million passengers in 2017 — that's up from 738.3 million travelers in 2016.
This isn't anything new, though. In the past decade, the number of firearms confiscated by TSA agents has steadily increased. And firearms aren't the only thing the TSA uncovers — it does find other quirky items. While the agency has caught a large number of firearms over the last decade, it recently has taken a lot of heat for failing to detect more than 94% of threats in 2017.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month