TSA officers at Dallas Love Field Airport found a pocketknife concealed inside a tube of toothpaste during routine carry-on screening, according to an employee story on the Transportation Security Administration’s website.
How officers spotted it
TSA Officer Jazmine Kramer said she noticed a metal object near toiletries on the X-ray and flagged the bag for a closer look. Security training instructor Wade Brown Jr. searched the toiletry bag but could not immediately find the object, the agency account states. After a second X-ray pass, Brown picked up the toothpaste tube, noticed it didn’t feel right, and saw tape near one end. A closer inspection revealed the knife hidden inside, according to TSA.
What the travelers said
The married couple who owned the bag told officers their son had suggested concealing the knife in the toothpaste tube in an attempt to get it through security, TSA said. “I was super surprised when they both said that,” Brown is quoted as saying in the agency’s write-up. He added that it was the first time at Dallas Love Field he had seen someone intentionally hide an item inside something else to try to get it through security.
Outcome and TSA takeaway
The couple voluntarily surrendered the pocketknife and were allowed to continue to their flight, according to TSA. Brown said the incident underscored teamwork when an X-ray shows an item that isn’t found during a hands-on search: “If one officer sees something and another officer cannot locate it during the search, work together and communicate until you find it,” he said. TSA Dallas Love Field Federal Security Director Amy Williams added, “A knife concealed inside a toothpaste tube is not something travelers typically encounter, but it is exactly the type of threat our officers are trained to identify and resolve.”
Similar case in Tampa
Fox News Digital previously reported a separate incident at Tampa International Airport in which TSA officers found a 4-inch, double-edged knife concealed inside a baseball bat–shaped flashlight that had been placed beneath the lining of a carry-on bag. The passenger initially said he did not know the item was in his luggage but later told authorities he had placed it beneath the suitcase lining to save space. He was arrested and was not allowed to travel, TSA said, according to that report.
