TSA officers in Maine find hatchet and homemade gun in carry-on

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers in Maine caught a passenger attempting to board a flight with a hatchet and a homemade gun in his carry-on bag on Tuesday.

The TSA agents at the Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine, discovered the items on Tuesday as the passenger was going through airport security on his way to Philadelphia.

Portland police responded to the finding and confiscated the weapon, according to New England TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez. The 50-year-old passenger was allowed to keep the hatchet, but he had to move it to his checked luggage. 

The incident comes days after the TSA revealed that its officials have encountered a record-breaking number of firearms at airport security checkpoints around the nation this year. 

According to a TSA press release from December 16, the agency has intercepted 6,301 firearms at security checkpoints, 88% of which were loaded. The number of weapons encountered is a significant increase from last year, when 5,972 firearms were intercepted. 

This was the third firearm-related incident to take place at the Portland International Jetport this year. 

Traveling with firearms is legal in the U.S., as long as the individuals transporting the guns comply with the TSA guidelines for their proper transport and declare them at the airport ticket counter. 

To prevent similar incidents from taking place in the future, the TSA is increasing the maximum penalty for a firearms violation to $14,950, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis.