Not a search they were expecting, a TSA officer discovered five eyebrow-raising stolen items in a flight passenger’s carry-on luggage.
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In a recent “Employees Stories” post on the TSA website, it was revealed that an officer discovered “Indiana Jones-esque” items at Alabama’s Gulf Shores International Airport.
“After the bag alarmed, Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree saw what appeared to be a large opaque item on his X-ray screen,” the post reads. “Which he initially thought might be a medicine ball.”
However, Dupree had a discovery like no other. He found five small cannonballs, stolen from nearby Fort Morgan, wrapped in paper towels inside the traveler’s bag,
He immediately called for a supervisor.
“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’” Depree said. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”
The cannonballs were notably different sizes. Depree stated that larger ones were about the size of grapefruits and weighed about the same as a small shot put.
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Depree, who has been a TSA officer for four years, stated. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
The Supervisory TSA Officer Speaks Out
Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash recalled meeting with Depree, who told him there may have been an explosive item in the bag.
‘I observed the X-ray image and the bag and concurred we had a potentially dangerous item,” Cash explained. “I then instructed Justin to maintain control of the bag until I made the proper notifications.”
Cash then contacted the region’s TSA explosives specialist and assistant federal security director-law enforcement, who asked him and Depree to notify local police to see if they needed a bomb squad.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded and quickly arrived on the scene.
“I had never seen anything like this,” Cash continued. “It was my first time dealing with a potentially live explosive, and it’s actually only the second incident we’ve had since JKA opened in May 2025.”
TSA further revealed that the cannonballs were inert and did not contain any explosive material or active components.
“Technically, they were artillery munitions and considered prohibited items,” Cash pointed out. “With assistance from the [explosives expert] and law enforcement and because we were unable to initially determine they were inert, they could have been dangerous to the aircraft.”
TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse released a statement about the situation.
“I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash and TSA Alabama along with our tremendous partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department,” the statement reads. “Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays, and safety concerns.”