For those who doubt the need for intense security at airports

[Guest1]

Man tried to board flight with machine gun, fake U.S. Marshal badge, feds say

Story by Emily Mae Czachor • 3h ago

ANew Jersey man faces multiple federal criminal charges after he allegedly attempted to board an airplane with firearms, ammunition, a bulletproof vest and fraudulent law enforcement credentials, authorities said this week. Two semi-automatic rifles were among the weapons found inside the man's checked baggage at Newark Liberty International Airport last December, according to a recent complaint.

 

 

Seretse Clouden, identified as a 42-year-old originally from Bergen County, is accused of carrying three firearms in his checked luggage when he entered the airport on Dec. 30 for a scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release announcing the case on Monday. 

Authorities say that agents with the Transportation Security Administration initially discovered two .40 caliber Glock magazines, each of which contained 15 rounds of ammunition, and a ballistic vest carrier in Clouden's luggage during a routine screening before the flight's departure. The words "Deputy Marshal" were displayed on the vest carrier, the Justice Department said.

When TSA agents proceeded to investigate other checked bags belonging to Clouden, they found a bevy of additional weapons, including some typically used and associated with American police officers. Along with a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun, agents discovered a .308 caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle and a 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle — which meets the definition of a machine gun under the National Firearms Act — as well as an expandable baton, a spring-loaded knife and a taser, authorities said.

 

According to the criminal complaint, filed on Feb. 9 and signed by a task force officer at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clouden's luggage also contained forged identification documents like "United States Marshal" credentials bearing Clouden's name and photograph and a "United States Marshal" badge. The United States Marshals Service confirmed that Clouden was never employed by the agency, according to the Justice Department. 

"It's absolutely not acceptable for firearms to be anywhere near checkpoints," said R. Carter Langston, a spokesperson for TSA, in a statement to CBS News. "There is a legally permissible way to bring firearms in checked baggage, but you have to be legally able to carry a firearm in your jurisdiction, declare it with the airline and pack it properly in a hard-sided and locked case."

Another TSA spokesperson told CBS News that the agency does not comment on criminal complaints as a policy and could not speak specifically to Clouden's case.

"Transportation Security Officers are highly trained and highly skilled professionals at the front line of aviation security and catches such as this illustrate the point," the spokesperson said.

Clouden had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a prison term exceeding one year, the criminal complaint states. He is now charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States, according to the complaint.

The count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison, while fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the U.S. carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, the Justice Department said.

[Seeker]

Fake news!  

The stuff was in his checked baggage and posed no threat to the flight in question.  Obvious illegal activity with the fake ID, loaded mags, possession of firearms when prohibited and others but the fact that he was boarding a flight is irrelevant.

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Seeker said:

Fake news!  

The stuff was in his checked baggage and posed no threat to the flight in question.  Obvious illegal activity with the fake ID, loaded mags, possession of firearms when prohibited and others but the fact that he was boarding a flight is irrelevant.

Quite right, but without the inspection he would have gotten off his flight and then access the weapons upon arrival (baggage carousel). You do have to wonder WHAT-IF re what would have then happened. 

[Seeker]

12 minutes ago, Kargokings said:

Quite right, but without the inspection he would have gotten off his flight and then access the weapons upon arrival (baggage carousel). You do have to wonder WHAT-IF re what would have then happened. 

No doubt but the story is headlined as if it was an "on-board the aircraft highjacking kind of thing" and it's not.  Whatever this dude was up to I don't think it has anything to do with an airport - he was simply trying to get somewhere with his guns.  Illegal and concerning but not an aviation/airline story at it's heart.

 

[Guest1]

3 hours ago, Seeker said:

No doubt but the story is headlined as if it was an "on-board the aircraft highjacking kind of thing" and it's not.  Whatever this dude was up to I don't think it has anything to do with an airport - he was simply trying to get somewhere with his guns.  Illegal and concerning but not an aviation/airline story at it's heart.

 

Then I guess you need to move it or delete it. 

[Seeker]

20 minutes ago, Kargokings said:

Then I guess you need to move it or delete it. 

The post is fine where it is.  What I'm talking about is the original source and the editor that gave it a "catchy" headline.  I couldn't care less where it ends up on our forum - that's insignificant.

[Maverick]

4 hours ago, Kargokings said:

Quite right, but without the inspection he would have gotten off his flight and then access the weapons upon arrival (baggage carousel). You do have to wonder WHAT-IF re what would have then happened. 

Umm, anyone can get to a baggage carousel without having been on a flight.  

[Guest1]

14 hours ago, Maverick said:

Umm, anyone can get to a baggage carousel without having been on a flight.  

quite right but "anyone" would not know if the baggage contained arms....

[Seeker]

4 hours ago, Kargokings said:

quite right but "anyone" would not know if the baggage contained arms....

Ahhhh, well, what's he's saying is that if the intention of the dude was merely to get the firearms into a baggage area to create havoc that he could have done it without taking a flight somewhere first.

You seem to be missing the point.  The news articles have framed this as an airline/aviation/airport incident which it clearly isn't because the firearms were inaccessible to him in checked baggage.  This was pointed out to you and you say, "But he could have accessed the firearms in the baggage area on arrival and OMG, what would have happened?" 

This makes no sense.  Why would the dude go through the hassle and potential risk to fly to some other airport to shoot up the baggage area when he could simply do the same thing at his home airport if he wanted to?  It seems clear to me that the guy had something illegal in mind and the whole airport/airline thing is incidental - just transportation.

If the guy was apprehended in a rental car should we up our security procedures for renting a car?

If the guy was apprehended on a city bus should we up our security procedures for buying a buspass?

[Maverick]

I completely agree with Seeker and I will add that an AR-15 is not a "machine gun" unless it has had M-16 components added to give it a 3 shot burst or full auto making it an M-16 not an AR-15. I understand why they put that clause in though. 

Of note no military on the planet uses AR-15's as a combat weapon. I'm not a firearms expert but I guarantee you I know more about them than 99.9% of the population.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Maverick

[Guest1]

I defer to the rest of you but it was an airport incident, despite the incorrect headline.

[Seeker]

30 minutes ago, Kargokings said:

I defer to the rest of you but it was an airport incident, despite the incorrect headline.

Let's suppose that the guy drove to the airport with the firearms in the trunk of his car.  On the way he gets stopped for speeding in a school zone and they discover the firearms - in the trunk!  Would you think that headlines calling him a potential school shooter would be appropriate?  I mean, after all, he was discovered in a school zone with loaded firearms.  They were in the trunk and he did have an airline ticket and claims to be on the way to the airport but don't let that spoil a good story.

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Seeker said:

Let's suppose that the guy drove to the airport with the firearms in the trunk of his car.  On the way he gets stopped for speeding in a school zone and they discover the firearms - in the trunk!  Would you think that headlines calling him a potential school shooter would be appropriate?  I mean, after all, he was discovered in a school zone with loaded firearms.  They were in the trunk and he did have an airline ticket and claims to be on the way to the airport but don't let that spoil a good story.

Only if the headline was as you propose.  Otherwise it was a traffic stop that discovered illegal weapons.  .....

[Seeker]

8 hours ago, Kargokings said:

Only if the headline was as you propose.  Otherwise it was a traffic stop that discovered illegal weapons.  .....

I rest my case.