TSA Officers Find Something Strange Inside Passenger’s Computer at Airport Security
An Apple Mac mini caught the attention of a TSA officer at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport when it went through the security X-ray. The desktop computer was inside a passenger’s carry-on bag, but something about the wiring and a large mass on the screen didn’t look right.
Lead TSA Officer Logan Stortz thought there was a chance he was being tested by his own agency. In an October 9 report from the TSA, he explained that internal testing teams sometimes put officers through similar situations.
The computer was pulled aside for another look, and several TSA employees ended up getting involved. It eventually made its way to an explosives specialist, who found something tucked away inside.
What they found was suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ketamine, based on preliminary field tests. Phoenix police were called to the checkpoint and arrested the passenger.
TSA Officers Take a Closer Look at the Mac Mini
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TSA Officer Isaiah Martinez Jr. was the one handling the bag search. He spoke with Stortz about what was showing up on the X-ray and agreed that the computer needed more attention.
Martinez called a supervisor, Emily Price, who noticed a large mass beneath the computer. Another supervisor, Scott Evans, came over to help figure out what was inside.
Evans said the mass didn’t appear to be connected to the computer. The officers ran the items through the X-ray again and found something inside a box beneath a concealed compartment. There were also signs that someone had tampered with the device.
Explosives Specialist Finds Items Wrapped in Plastic
Robert Rosas Perez II was the TSA explosives specialist brought in to examine the Mac mini. He opened an edge near the suspicious area and found material that looked like a large crystallized rock, along with an orange pill-shaped object. Both were wrapped in plastic.
Perez told TSA he stopped the inspection when he realized he might be looking at a controlled substance. He contacted airport police, who came to the checkpoint.
Stortz said he hadn’t expected the search to end with suspected drugs. “When I found out it was drugs, I was very surprised, and it reminded me of the importance of staying focused on the X-ray,” he said.
