Originally Posted by
SDF_Traveler
There are screeners who report travellers carrying 10k + in cash; if travelling international, it is up to the traveller to file the appropriate FINCEN form. If flying domestic, there isn't anything illegal carrying cash.
Others looking for drugs and other items that have nothing to do with aviation security. The focus needs to be on aviation security, not a mission creep or dragnet to catch anything and everything.
I think there's a gross misunderstanding. Initially, screeners reacted to cash found in excess of $10k. And there was a lot of confusion between when it's required to be reported and when it's not. Either way, like it or not, a federal airport security screener is obligated to report cash in excess of $10k for international travelers to LEOs. Also, if illegal drugs and/or drug paraphernalia is discovered incidental to an airport security search, TSOs are likewise obligated to report it to the appropriate authority: in this case, the checkpoint LEO.
However, there's a huge difference between looking for drugs/cash and discovering these items incidental to a search. And there are quite a number of TSOs who don't fully understand this difference. But that doesn't matter because in the end, the onus is on the FSD to ensure that the search was initiated based on airport security prohibited items. If the search was initiated for any other reason, then the evidence won't stand in court; and woe to the FSD who screws that up.