95% of Mock Weapons and Explosives Made it Through US Airport Security in New Investigation

Well, this is some pretty terrifying news.

And no, it doesn’t make us any more enthusiastic about summer travel plans.

In a new internal investigation of the Transportation Security Administration, security measures proved to be a major fail at dozens of the busiest airports in the US. As in, undercover investigators were able to smuggle mock explosives or banned weapons through checkpoints in 95 per cent of trials.

Yep – 95 per cent.

As reported exclusively by ABC news, a series of tests were administered by Homeland Security Red Teams, who posed as passengers who were armed with more than their suitcases. And according to the results of the report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests. The Red Team was repeatedly successful in their ability to carry potential weapons through security.

In one case, officials failed to detect a mock explosive device attached to the back of one of the investigators after it set off an alarm. Yes, seriously.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was obviously not too pleased (and likely humiliated) by the findings that he requested a detailed briefing on them last week at TSA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, according to sources.

As for the US officials, they insist that changes have been put in place to address the shortcomings revealed in the latest tests and that airport security remains strong.

No sarcasm at all.

 

‘Upon learning the initial findings of the Office of Inspector General’s report, Secretary Johnson immediately directed TSA to implement a series of actions, several of which are now in place, to address the issues raised in the report’, the DHS said in a statement.

Not too reassuringly, however, this isn’t the first time the TSA failed miserably when challenged by Red Team agents. In 2013, an undercover investigator passed through a metal detector and underwent a pat-down at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty Airport with a fake bomb hidden on his body, which was never detected.

Officials wouldn’t disclose when the testing took place, but said it ended recently.