By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
More firearms were confiscated at U.S. airports than any previous year, exceeding a record set last year.
Security officers discovered 3,888 firearms as of Christmas eve and may reach 4,000 by the end of the year, the Los Angeles Times reports.
That’s compared to the previous record of 3,391 in 2016.
The number of confiscated firearms has risen every year since at least 2011, when about 1,200 guns were found.
The airports with the most firearms seized are Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
A majority of the seized guns were found on carry-on bags, while others were found in potted plants and stuffed animals.
Travelers caught trying to bring a gun onto a plane face a civil fine ranging from $330 to $13,000 and could be turned over to local police in the event that gun laws are violated.
Gun laws vary by state.
