New Video Shows Delta Passenger Cleared by TSA With Meat Cleaver—Says It Was ‘Too Good a Deal’ to Pass Up

A passenger departing Portland airport cleared TSA with a meat cleaver in their carry-on that screeners didn’t notice. They boarded Delta flight 3233 to Salt Lake City where a flight attendant noticed it in their bag.

Newly-released surveillance footage shows passengers seated and waiting, the pilot stepping off the plane and speaking with airport staff, and then Mr. Cleaver being escorted off the aircraft by police.

Everyone was deplaned and forced to go through re-screening even though the cleaver was found and the passenger who brought it removed, so customers were punished for the TSA’s malfeasance. This process took between 2.5 and 3 hours.

The customer explained that he brought the cleaver because he got “a good deal” on it. He did not face any charges. In fact, he was allowed to board another flight.

The TSA agent who missed the cleaver continues to work it remains employed as a screener though the agency says they’ve received ‘additional training.’ Maybe having the government both regulating security practices and doing the screening themselves (i.e. serving as their own regulator) isn’t a best practice, after all.

The only data that the government has released suggests TSA doesn’t do a very good job identifying contraband proceeding through its checkpoints. When internal testing found 90% and 95% failure rates detecting threats, the government just stopped releasing the data. We do know that if they’d meaningfully improved, they’d be crowing about it – and they aren’t.

It’s worth noting that a United Airlines passenger boarded with a loaded gun, sat in first class, and bodycam footage shows police stormed the plane to yank him off. On the other hand, one passenger brought a gun through security and faced no consequences… because he worked for TSA.

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