DES MOINES, Iowa — Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents in Des Moines say they caught an Oklahoma man with a .380 caliber handgun loaded with six bullets, plus an additional 13 bullets in his carry-on bag at Des Moines International Airport. KCCI reports TSA agents said the incident happened on Nov. 24, just two days before the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period. Des Moines police were notified and confiscated the firearm from the traveler before citing him on a weapons charge. The name of the individual with the weapon was not released.

TSA officials said this is the sixth firearm confiscated at the Des Moines International Airport in 2020. There were 12 guns found there in 2019. Authorities say the first offense for carrying a loaded handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100, but that can go as high as $13,669 depending on any mitigating circumstances. The rule applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though an individual may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.