March 30 (UPI) — Authorities at Palm Springs International Airport detained a U.S. Marine on Monday after a live explosive round was found in his checked luggage.
Transportation Security Administration workers found a live 25mm explosive round at about 12:05 p.m. PDT while inspecting checked baggage, the Palm Springs Police Department said in a statement. The city of Palm Springs is located about 110 miles east of Los Angeles.
A coordinated response by the TSA and local law enforcement was activated, according to authorities, who said extensive rust and corrosion and an absence of original identifying markings made it difficult to know whether it was an inert training munition or a live explosive device.
The Riverside County Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit inspected the round and determined it was live via X-ray, police said.
The round was transported to a desert area off Gene Autry Trail, south of Interstate 10, where it was destroyed.
A 30-second video of the operation posted online by the Palm Springs Police Department shows a small explosion detonating in a sand field of debris and shrubs.
“Fire in the hole,” a person is heard yelling, then giving a three-beat countdown, followed by a small explosion on the ground and a puff of smoke.
Police said the Marine told investigators that he had found the round in a field a year earlier and kept it, believing it was inert.
The Palm Springs Police Department said it will be submitting the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review for possible criminal charges.
The suspect may also face administrative action by the Marine Corps and a civil penalty through the TSA.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.