Investigation: Undercover agents snuck fake explosives, banned weapons past TSA

Fox News ^ | June 1, 2015

[Zakeet]

Undercover agents were able to sneak fake explosives and banned weapons through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, in an investigation that revealed a massive, system-wide security failure at America's airports.

The findings were part of a DHS inspector general probe. The report is still classified, but Fox News has confirmed the investigation found security failures at dozens of airports.

Homeland Security officials confirmed to Fox News that TSA screeners failed 67 out of 70 tests -- or 96 percent -- carried out by special investigators known as "red teams."

In one case, an undercover agent with a fake bomb strapped to his back set off a magnetometer -- but the screener still failed to find it.

[Zakeet]

A 96 percent failure rate is actually pretty good for government work!

[WayneS]

Does that make the TSA a bunch of snuck-ups?

[upchuck]

One of the things Jeh Johnson implemented immediately was to fire those TSA screeners who let the Red Teams through. Right?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Somehow, I’m seeing a scene out of AIRPLANE the Movie where they are searching an old woman and radicals with machine guns and rocket launchers are waved by to get on the plane.

[kidd]

I used to work in airport security, and in passenger screening, back in the late 70s. Things were different back then.

The elimination of profiling forces screeners to scan everyone and everything. I would imagine that screeners become desensitized after very little time.

In my recent air travel, the screeners spend in inordinate amount of effort making sure that there is a good supply of baskets, that baskets are placed on the x-ray machine belt properly, that people enter and exit the machines properly, and that the line moves along as quickly as possible.

While enforcing the little baggie size with vigor, the screeners fail to notice aerosol cans packed to the side.

While making sure everyone has their shoes and belts off, there are less personnel to perform focused inspections of luggage that are biased towards unusual passengers.

Political correctness is dangerous.

[The Great RJ]

A trip to any airport and going through “security” makes it obvious the TSA is a joke. TSA screeners would appear to be hired to fill government quotas and their employment is not based on any competence or education. To me the most dangerous part of traveling is when hundred of travelers are bunched up in TSA screening lines. No one is screened to enter an airport and terrorists could easily massacre hundreds waiting in TSA lines. It has been done before. In 1972 Japanese based terrorists opened fire in a security waiting area at Lod airport in Israel killing 26 people and wounding 80

[Cyman]

It should read 96% EFFECTIVE. I will take fake explosives and guns on my flights all the time.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Good reason to let the “Patriot” Act lapse.

[nhbob1]

A couple of years ago we were passing through security at Green airport in Providence RI. It wasn’t real busy at the time. As we were getting ready to go thru the metal detector/XRay station one of the TSA agents comes walking back from the other end with what looked like a 3 ft belt of large caliber machine gun ammunition. I looked at him and said “I hope that’s a training device”. He rolled his eyes and groaned “Noooo’. As we got thru the security checkpoint on the other side is this clueless late teens/early twenties Goth type girl with multiple piercings,funky colored hair and lots of leather. The belt of machine gun ammo was being used as an accessory for her outfit. Eventually the TSA guy gave it back to her (after it had been thru the XRay machine multiple times and he taken the bullets out of the belt to ensure there was no powder in them). But what kind of complete moron would think wearing that thru Airport Security was a good idea? Wait, someone educated in today’s public schools maybe?