Fake IDs Found in Checked Bag at LaGuardia Airport

TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) discovered a collection of fake identification cards hidden within a passenger's checked baggage this month. The discovery was made after an Xbox console triggered an alarm during the screening process.

TSA Officer Ashley Leo identified the alarming bag and diverted it for further inspection by Supervisory Transportation Security Officer (STSO) Christopher Ramos. Ramos found a plastic bag containing several fake IDs positioned next to the Xbox.

"I noticed various driver’s licenses with different dates of birth and different class types, but all with the same photograph," Ramos stated in a TSA release. "When I discovered the fraudulent IDs, I knew it was important to report the situation through the proper channels."

Following the discovery, TSA management, airport officials, and Port Authority police were alerted. Authorities confirmed the IDs were fraudulent. The passenger was arrested shortly before he was scheduled to board his flight.

"STSO Christopher Ramos’ strict adherence to standard operating procedures, diligence and situational awareness prevented the fraudulent IDs from entering the airport’s secure area," said TSA LGA Federal Security Director John Essig. "Identifying fraudulent IDs is an important part of TSA’s layered security approach. It helps ensure that people entering secure areas of the airport are who they claim to be and supports the safety of the traveling public."

This incident follows a series of unusual findings by TSA officers at airports nationwide. Recently, TSA agents at Dallas Love Field Airport in Texas found a pocketknife concealed inside a tube of toothpaste. In Florida, officers at Tampa International Airport discovered a knife hidden within a flashlight shaped like a baseball bat.