DHS: TSA Failed 95% of Undercover Weapon Smuggling Trials, Acting Administrator Immediately Reassigned

In 95 percent of trials conducted at airports, undercover agents successfully smuggled mock explosives or banned weapons through security checkpoints.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found that undercover investigators smuggled mock explosives or banned weapons through airport security checkpoints in 95 percent of trials, ABC News reported first Monday. In a recent Homeland Security Inspector General’s report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests where investigators, known as “Red Team” agents, were able to get potential weapons repeatedly through checkpoints.

“We take these findings very seriously in our continued effort to test, measure and enhance our capabilities and techniques as threats evolve,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh C. Johnson said Monday in a press release. “The Inspector General’s test results are classified, and it is not appropriate or prudent to publicly describe these results.”

Effective immediately, TSA Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway was reassigned within DHS. TSA Acting Deputy Director Mark Hatfield will head the administration until a new acting administrator is appointed.

“The President has nominated Coast Guard Vice Admiral Pete Neffenger to be the next Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration,” Johnson said. “I urge the Senate to confirm this nomination as quickly as possible.”

In response to the report, Johnson directed the TSA to revise its operating procedures immediately including the following:

• TSA to immediately brief federal security directors at every airport on test results.
• TSA to implement phased training for airport transportation security officers and intensive training for supervisors to address specific vulnerabilities.
• TSA to re-test and re-evaluate the screening equipment currently in use at airports.
• The Inspector General and TSA to randomly and covertly test improvements’ effectiveness to airport security.
• To build a team of TSA and DHS leaders who will implement the above actions and report bi-weekly its progress.

“Longer term, in the coming months, I have directed TSA to ensure that all screening equipment is operating up to the highest possible standards,” said Johnson. “I have also directed TSA and the Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Science and Technology to examine adopting new technologies to address the vulnerabilities identified by the Inspector General’s testing.”

[Photo: iStock]