TSA, LAX Airport, makes news with video of Agency employees/workers using drugs. Property search of a TSA Agent, accused in illegal Counterfeiting, revealed the drug use video.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has had its reputation under fire recently after a man, whom has never been identified, walked into a terminal at New York's Newark Airport unchecked by workers. The security breach at Newark made headlines, though not flattering ones, for the Agency.
With terrorist threats related to airports and security in the news limelight, this has not proven a positive news feature for the TSA Agency and workers, which ended in administrative leave for the responsible guard related to the Newark security breach. U.S. Airports rely on TSA and its workers, to protect the country and airline passengers from terrorists. But, in recent news, it seems TSA is having a hard time protecting itself-or at least its reputation, and that of its employees.
TSA officials were dragged into the news last week by allegations that the Agency's workers (or at least one worker) had allowed an unidentified man to bypass security checkpoints at the location of Newark Liberty International Airport. With recent terrorist security concers, the skirting of Newark checkpoints by an unidentified man caused total airport terminal closure of the New York airport. And that airport closure lasted for hours. That unidentified man was never located, when it was revealed through news on Tuesday that Newark airport terminal surveillance cameras didn't even catch or record the security breach in action.
But it seems TSA reputation troubles, related to its workers and further exposed by KCAL News, may only just have begun. Apparently the most major, current, TSA problems have moved from the East Coast to the West Coast in the span of a week. Now Transportation Security Administration faces even more scrutiny, of a different type, after a video of TSA agent employees at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) have allegedly been caught on tape using drugs. That alleged drug use by workers did not occur on location, at LAX Airport, where the allegedly-involved TSA employees work. The most recent Transportation Security Administration scandals has resulted in firing of TSA employees at the LAX airport location, and administrative leave of the TSA guard at the Orlando airport.
CKAL, a CBS affiliate, and investigative reporter David Goldstein uncovers this related TSA news through an investigation that began late 2009. Responsible for helping enhance airports security, all the recent news coverage and recent breach hasn't been helping enhance the Agency's reputation. Current TSA drug use allegations, of employees, came to light through legal investigation of separate corruption that involved allegation and subsequent TSA Agent arrest for parking pass counterfeiting at the employee parking lot.
In that allegedly-involved Transportation Security Administration Agent's home, investigators discovered a videotape during search. On that video was some potentially incriminating evidence indeed, at least for the TSA Agency as a whole. Apparently the footage was not incriminating enough to land TSA Agents in jai. Perhaps not what investigators were looking for, they discovered video footage of an after-hours party involving other TSA agents, allegedly using drugs at the party. The type of alleged drug use has not been revealed by investigators, but that videotape was turned over to investigators, says KCAL News, citing TSA sources.
Every TSA agent employee identified on the videotape was later ordered to take a drug test. The Transportation Security Administration isn't revealing how many of its own TSA agents failed that drug testing, but states that each one who failed the test was fired from the TSA Agency.
Federal Security Director at LAX, Larry Fetters, claims, We [LAX TSA] don't tolerate drugs. We don't tolerate narcotics." Fetters says the Transportation Security Administration agency at LAX does perform random drug testing. Fetters' take on the current situation: he claims any violating TSA employees would have been caught through random drug testing alone, even if the drug video had not surfaced.
Fetters' logic concerning alleged drug use by TSA Agents is interesting, considering that internal drug testing is at random, meaning TSA agents would have to have used drugs within the specific timeframe surrounding any random drug testing performed. Essentially a TSA Agent would have to have used drugs, and been "randomly" tested for drug use within timeframe surrounding use, to ever be caught in violation. To date, that random drug testing hadn't proven positive in catching the alleged violating TSA agents, casting some doubt as to the validity or proof of Fetters' statement.
According to Fetters' exclusive interview with KCAL/CBS News reporter David Goldstein, direct url attached to the CBS News site atttached in this wack, the TSA interview with the Federal Security Director at LAX included the following:
He [Fetters] said, "It's just as likely they would have been tested coming to work."
I asked, "How can you say that?"
And he [Fetters] replied, "How can I say that? As a former deputy LAPD chief for 31 years, I can tell you that drugs and alcohol abuse are a problem in our society."
But these people [TSA Agent employees or workers] would have been found absent this videotape?
"Eventually" he [Fetters] said.
But how long is eventually?
"Well, when are we going to find someone that works for your corporation?"
I told him my corporation isn't at the forefront of [airport] security as his [Fetters'] agency is.
"Look, you're right."
"Eventually," in terms of drug testing, only comes into play when drug use is constant or consistent enough for drug testing (performed at random) to be effective. And, when drug testing is at random (versus being performed for all employees), the end result is pretty clear: all of the TSA workers shown on video would have to have been chosen for the 'random' drug testing, and would have had to use drugs within a close enough range to the drug tests in order for positive test results to be returned. The odds of both instances occurring and during the exact right timeframe, makes it a snowball's chance in exposing each and every employee shown in the video footage.
Fetters' KCAL interview statement regarding TSA Agency drug testing includes unrelated reference to his previous role as "former deputy LAPD chief for 31 years" as reasoning that TSA employees would have been caught. The correlation between LAPD chief and random drug testing seems to remain unclear. The unrelated comment that follows, that "drugs and alcohol abuse are a problem in our society," further adds to the mystique; of course drugs are a problem in our society, part of the reason a police force exists in the first place; somehow, though, this vague statement doesn't seem to explain the vision of how TSA employees using drugs would surely be caught, "eventually."
The most wack part: not one of the TSA agents or employees allegedly found illegally using drugs has not been formally charged with any crimes. Drug use in any industry, even security, isn't exactly surprising to most. But the fact that even the TSA agent caught counterfeiting parking passes wasn't prosecuted: apparently no one that TSA Agent allegedly sold counterfeited parking passes to would come forward. Gee, how surprising that 1) no one would want to come forward in testifying against the airport's equivalent of law enforcement and 2) that anyone purchasing counterfeit parking passes would not wish to incriminate themselves for possible or future prosecution charges.
Drug use is not as surprising as the fact that TSA Agents or employees aren't being prosecuted, not even the TSA Agent allegedly involved with Counterfeiting. Most would probably remain resolute in the idea that that an average citizen would be facing criminal charges, particularly for Counterfeiting activity.
According to KCAL, "the incident was kept quiet from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa whom, when told the news, responded "This is the first I've heard about it." Ironically, that statement from Antonio Villaraigosa came when the Los Angeles Mayor had been touting LAX Airport Security as "ahead of the curve" following the bombing attempt of a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day.
Goldstein's timing, in confronting Villaraigosa over LAX officials and the recent TSA employee firings, may or may not have caught the L.A. Mayor off-guard. Either way, Villaraigosa at least conveyed surprise. Of course it would seem unlikely that a Mayor would be entirely unaware of such a potentially major problem with TSA Agents, in the city which he oversees. But then again, distance may serve Villaraigosa well, in a situation that could turn out to be a PR nightmare for the TSA Agency or LAX Airport where TSA Agents are (or were) employed.
The recent TSA drug use and counterfeiting allegations follow the news scandal from less than one year ago, when drug agents arrested an Orlando International Airport TSA Security Officer. Drugs and weapons charges befell that TSA Agent employee, whom was charged with drug trafficking. Eyewitness News reported that the then 41-year-old TSA employee had a high-risk search warrant performed at his home. At the TSA worker's home near Orlando, Florida, police officers discovered quantities of guns, drugs and cash police claimed were used in illegal drug trafficking.
That alleged drug trafficking by an Orlando International Airport TSA worker, police officers claimed last April, had been going on for awhile. Special Agents discovered 40 grams of cocaine, a scale and 65 grams of marijuana packed for sale at the TSA employee's home, recovered during search warrant efforts. Also recovered in the TSA Agent search was the Palm Bay Police collection of $6,100 in cash, money which police officers state was obtained through drug trafficking. Police claim the cash was related to the TSA Agent's alleged, illegal sale of drugs including cocaine and marijuana.
More frightening, considering the Orlando International Airport TSA employee's role in airport security, was the police officer search-related discovery of multiple weapons found at that specific TSA worker's home: one shotgun, several handguns, a Keltec pistol and ample ammunition to accompany the firearms.
TSA reaction last April: Transportation Security Administration statement that the Agency is aware of the drug trafficking allegations [concerning the Orlando, FL, Orlando International Airport, incident] and that the TSA Agency would take the appropriate action. Seems that TSA announcement didn't serve as sufficient warning or fell on deaf ears for LAX TSA employees involved in the most recent alleged drug and counterfeiting scandals. But then again, being fired isn't being in jail (or prison), so things could be worse for TSA employees.