Traveler Caught at Airport Security Checkpoint With Assault Rifle, Fake Marshal ID

The United States Department of Justice announced federal charges for a New Jersey man who allegedly attempted to bring several guns and other illegal items onto a domestic flight in December.

According to the Justice Department’s official website, 42-year-old Seretse Clouden of Bergen County, New Jersey, went through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport when the items were discovered.

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As Clouden went through security before his scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, TSA agents found two .40 caliber Glock magazines and a ballistic vest with the words “Deputy Marshal” on it.

When officers investigated Clouden’s checked baggage, they discovered a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun, a .308 caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle and a 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle. In addition, agents found an expandable baton, a spring-loaded knife and a taser.

“It's absolutely not acceptable for firearms to be anywhere near checkpoints,” TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told 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.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that Clouden also had forged identification documents, including U.S. Marshal credentials and a U.S. Marshal badge.

Clouden has been 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 U.S., according to the Justice Department.

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