TSA discovers five stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in a traveler’s luggage in Alabama

Key Points:

• TSA officers at Alabama’s Gulf Shores International Airport discovered a passenger attempting to carry five Civil War-era cannonballs wrapped in paper towels in their checked luggage, which triggered an alarm during screening.
• Initially mistaken for medicine balls or potential explosives, the inert cannonballs were found to be stolen from Fort Morgan, a historic site significant in several military conflicts including the Civil War.
• TSA officers treated the items as potentially dangerous until explosives specialists confirmed they contained no active components, but the cannonballs were still prohibited as artillery munitions on aircraft.
• The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the theft, returned the cannonballs to Fort Morgan, and the passenger claimed uncertainty about how they came into possession of the relics.
• This incident was notable as only the second involving potentially live explosives at the airport since its opening in May 2025, highlighting the unique nature of the discovery.