By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-29 04:17:07 | Updated at 2026-08-04 16:37:18
6 days ago
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents discovered stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in checked luggage at an Alabama airport on July 18, according to a TSA announcement.
Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree surveyed the historical artifacts on his X-ray screen after Gulf Shores International Airport security technology flagged the bag, the TSA press release stated. Upon inspection, Dupree wondered whether the opaque object might be a medicine ball before becoming concerned.
“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’” Dupree said. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”
Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash alerted a TSA explosives specialist and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, since he was concerned the bag contained “a potentially dangerous item,” the agency revealed.
The officials discovered five small inert Civil War-era cannonballs wrapped in paper towels. Dupree described the largest as being about the size of a grapefruit and weighing about as much as a shotput. Three of the smaller ones were a little larger than an inch in size, Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh told KLFY. None contained explosive material. (RELATED: Indianapolis Airport Security Foils Traveler’s Alleged Nutty Live Grenade Scheme)
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Dupree said. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
Cash agreed that he had never seen anything like it and added that because the cannonballs were “artillery munitions,” they were considered prohibited items.
Police investigating the incident say a juvenile stole the cannonballs from a storage area in Fort Morgan, a historical site on Mobile Bay where several Civil War battles occurred, according to USA Today. Fort Morgan personnel identified the cannonballs, which bore the paint markings that the historical site applies to artifacts.
All sorts of banned items are discovered in luggage by TSA screeners, but cannonballs stolen from a Civil War-era fort are not an everyday find. https://t.co/biz3mzb9Jc pic.twitter.com/g2IsmNsM1C
— CNN (@CNN) July 28, 2026TSA agents discovered the artifacts in the checked bag of the juvenile’s grandmother, who said that she did not know that the cannonballs had been stolen, the outlet reported.
The unidentified passenger also said she obtained the cannonballs at a roadside stand, KLFY said.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said they had returned the artifacts, and the historical site’s director decided not to proceed with prosecution. The Alabama Historical Commission is actively investigating what occurred.
The Gulf Shores International Airport started commercial flights in May 2025. Cash said this was the second incident they had encountered since the airport’s opening.
“That would have to be the weirdest thing in our short existence that we’ve ever had come through TSA,” Fosnaugh said.
TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse praised the officers for their work and warned other travelers against bringing similar items.
“Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays and safety concerns,” Corse said.
