TSA Mishap in Miami Results in Suspicious Bag Going Unscreened; Bag Found to be ‘Nonhazardous’

The incident resulted in 50 flights being delayed. The passenger was ‘cooperative’ and faces no charges.

MIAMI — Fifty flights were delayed at Miami International Airport on Tuesday after a security scare after a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent missed something in a routine check of a passenger’s luggage.

Security located the passenger already boarded on a plane only to find there was no threat, according to CNN.

RELATED: TSA Agents Too Concerned With Efficiency Instead of Security, Administrator Says

The mishap came when the passenger was checking his or her carry-on bags at security. According to the report, a TSA officer stopped the X-ray machine at the security checkpoint to further screen another bag. That allowed the bag to go unchecked with the passenger into the airport. The bag drew suspicion because it contained wires, cell phones and other items.

“In the process of transitioning other passengers to an adjacent screening lane, standard procedures were not adhered to and the passenger was allowed to depart the checkpoint and proceed into the terminal,” TSA spokesman Mike England said.

FBI spokesman Michael Leverock said the items in the bag were found to be “safe/nonhazardous.”

“The passenger was cooperative,” Leverock said, “and faces no charges.”

The incident comes 10 days after the Oct. 31 plane crash of a Russian airliner that is believed to have been caused by a bomb on-board, killing all 224 on the flight.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson also chimed in days ago, speaking to additional efforts to ensure airport security is done correctly.

“I want people to know that their aviation security officials working on their behalf are continually evaluating threats, potential threats,” Johnson told CNN. “And we make adjustments all the time based on what we see.”

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