Originally Posted by magellan315

Contraband is defined as
1. anything prohibited by law from being imported or exported.
2. goods imported or exported illegally.
3. illegal or prohibited trade; smuggling.

Carrying large sums of cash in the United States is not illegal. The operations directive includes cash as the last item of list of items that are already illegal, implying that cash is now illegal. And to the average TSO they would read it as such, otherwise the St. Louis incident would have never have happened.

Frankly I am mystified as to why the directive was ever issued. TSO's should contact law enforcement when they find items that are already illegal under the law. Cash is not illegal and the TSA is overstepping its authority by declaring cash as contraband/illegal.