Colorado Airport Confiscates a Surprising Number of Firearms

Flying is stressful, but it must be so much more stressful when attempting to smuggle an illegal item on an airplane. Would-be travelers are regularly caught trying to smuggle drugs, firearms, and even illegal taxidermy from one place to another.

Read More: Seized Illegal Taxidermy and Animal Products end up in Colorado |

Because of its sheer size and volume of people, it sees pass through its gates, it should come as no surprise that Denver International Airport reports more than its fair share of contraband discovered by TSA, but the number of firearms confiscated at DIA may come as a shock to you.

Colorado's DIA Lands High on the List of Airports Confiscating Firearms

Now that we've arrived in 2025, a plethora of statistics from 2024 have been finalized and are becoming public knowledge. One recent study showed that over 6,600 firearms were confiscated at airports throughout the United States, many of which were found at DIA.

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In fact, Denver International Airport reportedly confiscated the sixth-most amount of firearms of all of the airports in the nation.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International confiscated the most with 440 firearms taken, followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International with 390, George Bush Intercontinental with 272, Phoenix Sky Harbor International with 247, Nashville International rounding out the top five with 188 firearms confiscated.

Denver International Airport reported the sixth-most firearm confiscations in 2024 with 166 weapons seized throughout the year.

You can check out the entire list of airports across the nation and the number of firearms that were confiscated in 2024 here.